7 Unbelievable Facts About Newborn Babies
Do you know that there are some unbelievable facts that you don’t know about newborn babies that are going to amaze you, Learn fascinating details about newborn development, reflexes, and more.
What surprising abilities do newborn babies have and what traits do newborn babies have? From extraordinary reflexes to unexpected developmental wonders, these tiny humans are more remarkable than you might think. In this article, we’ll explore seven unbelievable facts about newborn babies that will leave you in awe!
1. Newborns Can Recognize Their Mother’s Voice at Birth
Babies can recognize their mother’s voice from the very beginning. They have this ability when the baby is in the womb. They can talk to their mother somewhere, so after birth, they start recognizing their mother’s voice.
Babies begin recognizing familiar voices even before birth:
The hearing system of children develops in the womb of the mother due to which they start recognizing their mother’s voice. This recognition helps them even after their birth.
How prenatal hearing development works:
After 23-26 weeks in the mother’s womb, the baby’s hearing system starts developing, which is the first step towards their future language development.
The science behind voice recognition in newborns:
According to studies, a baby is most connected to his mother’s voice and the beating of his heart. For the baby, the mother’s voice gives a comforting feeling which the baby feels good after listening to, which helps in his emotional and cognitive development.
2. They Have a Natural Reflex for Grasping
Newborns Have a Strong Grasp Reflex, Allowing Them to Hold Onto Fingers or Objects
Newborn babies have a natural reflex that we call the grasp reflex. This means that small newborn babies can grasp themselves or someone else without any training. For example, if you put your fingers in their hands, they will grasp them automatically, as if they have learned it all along. This reflex is completely natural for them and is very common in their first few weeks.
This Reflex is Essential for Survival Instincts, Like Clinging to Their Mother
This grasp reflex is very important for children. Its main purpose is that when the baby’s mother calls him and when they come in contact, the baby can cling to his mother a little. This helps the child instantly to feel secure near his mother. These are natural reflexes that the newborn shows. This is a protective mechanism of nature for children that helps them to keep the child attached to the mother in any situation.
It fades over time, but it’s fascinating to witness during the early weeks.
As the newborn baby grows up, this reflex fades away. This natural grasping power diminishes but it is a wonderful and adorable experience to watch when your reflex happens on the pic. In the first few months, you will see your baby grabbing your finger and holding you, and this is an important part of their early development.
3. Babies Can Smile from Birth—But Not For the Reason You Think
1. Newborns may exhibit reflexive smiles, but they don’t start smiling intentionally until later.
When newborn babies smile, they do not do so because of any emotions or feelings. It is their reflex that makes the baby smile.
This smile comes because of natural movements of their body, such as when the baby is comfortable or feels something.
2. Early smiles are often a response to physical sensations like gas or comfort.
The first smile of babies is a result of internal reactions of babies like gas in the stomach or stomach pain.
When the baby feels comfortable, he/she smiles reflexively, but this is not his/her social reaction.
3. As babies grow, their smiles become a sign of social connection.
As the baby grows, their smile becomes intentional.
This smile becomes a part of their social connection, meaning they bond with their parents or caregivers and recognize them.
4. Newborns Can See in the Dark—Sort Of
Newborn babies do not have absolutely clear eyesight like us, but they have some fascinating abilities when it comes to vision. Let’s dive into this in simple terms!
The vision of the eyes is a little blurry.
When a newborn baby is born, his vision becomes quite blurry. He cannot see things far away and whatever is nearby appears blurry to him. Babies can see things only up to a short distance but there is nothing to worry about as this is only temporary and the baby’s vision improves gradually.
Can see even in low light
This can be surprising information for you that babies can see in low light. When you feed the baby at night, the baby can still see things faintly, although it won’t be as clear as our vision. This is part of their survival instinct, which helps them identify their parents even at night.
Vision gradually improve
A newborn baby’s eyesight improves in the initial months. For the first few weeks, the baby looks bloody and his eyes focus on primary contrasts such as light and dark areas. Fine details such as face or other objects are not visible to the child but the growth of his eyes is rapid. In 3 to 4 months, he starts seeing better with his eyes.
Focus development takes place in stages.
As the baby’s eyes develop, the child gradually develops the ability to focus more and he starts seeing a little more clearly. Earlier, the child was able to notice larger shapes. As they grow a little, their eye muscles develop and their focusing abilities improve. This is a stage-by-stage process, which is completed around 6 months when the baby can see the objects surrounding him.
5. They Are Born With a “Moro Reflex” for Protection
‘Moro Reflex’ is for protection in newborn babies
What is Moro Reflex? The Moro reflex is an automatic reaction that occurs to protect newborn babies. Whenever the baby feels any loud sound or sudden movement, its body shows a special reaction.
How does it work?
–When the baby becomes aware of any sudden sound or unexpected movement, it quickly opens and closes both its hands and feet.
-It seems as if the baby is trying to catch something or trying to control itself.
-This reflex is a kind of natural survival instinct, which occurs to protect babies in their early life.
How long does the Moro reflex last?
-The Moro reflex is present in newborn babies from birth.
-This reflex usually disappears within 3 to 6 months when the baby’s nervous system starts to mature.
What is its importance?
-The Moro reflex is an important sign of a baby’s healthy nervous system. If this reflex is absent or seems abnormal, it is important to consult a doctor.
-This reflex is a natural part of the baby’s survival skills, which supports the early stages of their development.
What should parents pay attention to?
-When you pick up or put your baby to sleep, handle him gently so that he feels safe.
-If your baby often starts to startle for no apparent reason or seems unusual, it is best to consult a pediatrician.
6. The sense of taste of newborns is amazing
Recognizing the taste of mother’s milk: Newborn babies recognize their mother’s milk within hours of birth. The taste of their mother’s milk is very comforting for them and it keeps them emotionally attached to their mother.
Bonding happens due to taste: When babies drink their mother’s milk, then a sense of taste develops in them and they have an emotional bond with their mother. This bonding is very important for emotional development.
They prefer sweet taste: Research has shown that newborns like to taste sweet. This is part of their survival instinct as mother’s milk is also a little sweet.
Preparation for Solid Foods: Newborn baby’s sense of taste also develops their future eating habits. As they grow, they explore the taste of new foods.
7. Their brain absorbs information like a sponge.
Rapid Brain Development: After birth, children’s brain develops at a much faster rate than lightning speed. Every second thousands of new neural connections are formed in their brain.
Learning from senses: Newborn babies initially understand the world using their senses – listening, seeing, touching, and tasting – all these things give them new experiences through which they develop their knowledge.
Recognizing patterns: Newborn babies recognize their family immediately just like they recognize their mother’s voice because they are born from their womb. This is essential for their learning and memory building. This is important for the memory building of children.
Early Experiences Matter: Early experiences of babies matter a lot in their future cognitive development. Providing a nurturing environment to children and talking to them lovingly is very important for their development.
Conclusion:
Newborns are much more than tiny, delicate creatures. They possess incredible abilities that set the foundation for their future growth and development. From their sharp senses to their natural reflexes, these unbelievable facts highlight just how remarkable babies are. As a new parent, understanding these facts can help you connect with your baby on a deeper level and appreciate the wonder of their early stages. So, take a moment to marvel at the amazing capabilities of your newborn, and enjoy every moment of this precious time!