Following months of anticipation, the moment has finally arrived, and you can finally hold your newborn baby in your arms. These tiny creatures are undoubtedly adorable, and they also require constant attention from their parents. However, there are many fascinating facts about newborns that are not widely known. Here are some examples that might surprise you.
Newborns have already developed their sense of smell and taste before birth, enabling them to recognize us by our natural scent. This explains why they find comfort in close physical contact.
Even though babies are not born speaking, they start to learn about sounds and language while still in the womb. Around 23 weeks, they can already hear their mother’s voice and other external stimuli.
Newborns do not start producing tears when crying until they are at least one month old, even though they may cry frequently.
At birth, a baby’s intestines are around the size of a hazelnut. They need to eat often because they can’t consume all the milk they need in one go. By the time they are ten days old, their stomachs have grown to the size of a chicken egg.
Newborns have a natural reflex to hold their breath underwater. This allows them to stay underwater for a longer period of time compared to adults, as their heart rate slows down, helping them conserve oxygen. This reflex typically lasts until around six months of age.
Interestingly, most babies prefer to sleep on their right side when lying on their backs, while only 15% favor their left side. This preference is believed to be related to a specific gene and usually disappears within the first few months of life.
Newborns have more bones than adults, about 300 in total. As they grow, some of these bones will fuse, and by the time they reach adulthood, they will have approximately 206 bones in their body.