Are newborn babies really ugly? It is a question that leads to several aspects, since it can cause a debate with various ways of observing the birth of a baby. A baby may not look pretty when born, but it is something that happens in some cases. You have to think that his face has remained submerged in amniotic fluid for many months and in a limited space, so his features can suffer with an ungrateful appearance.
But they are not all the same cases, it is only an appearance that affectionately and with the passing of the days will become very endearing. The most beautiful and established appearance can be seen when several months have passed, so it is a very concurrent case and occurs with most babies.
What does a baby look like when it is born?
A baby before being born has to replace with a gestational process, Theoretically it remains nine months inside its mother's belly and then through the birth canal. There are babies who are born with a beautiful physiognomy and this is what many parents expect, but others are born wrinkled, with a slightly elongated skull, with a swollen, red or purple face, pale skin and the most characteristic feature is having a flattened nose and flattened
It depends on how the birth occurred, there are babies who suffer with alterations in the skull, especially if they were born in a natural birth and especially if it has been complicated with the help of a suction cup or forceps. On the other hand, Babies delivered by caesarean section do not usually present this appearance.
Newborn babies have remained inside their mother's womb with a reduced space and less blood and oxygen. It is normal for his appearance to be a wrinkled body, wrapped in a greasy film and with a bluish hue. The blue tone is due to the fact that the blood has not yet spread well to his extremities, it will take a few days for him to return to a normal skin tone.
The skin is thick and crusty
When a baby is born, their skin appears rough to the eye and thicker. It has a greasy and whitish layer that covers the entire skin and is called Vernix caseosa. This layer has been covering her skin inside the belly during the last month of pregnancy.
The Vernix has covered its skin to protect it from various factors, since it regulates its temperature, it will prevent dehydration from skin exposure to air and creates an immunological barrier. Although it may seem unpleasant to see, it is completely harmless.
the lanugo
It is a fine hair covering the baby's body. Some children are born covered in this hair with a black or colorless color, but there is no reason to worry, since after about 3 to 6 months it disappears.
The lanugo has another objective in the protection of the baby's skin, since it allows the layer of sebum and dead skin (Vernix caseosa) to join it as a defense to protect the epidermis, since the skin should not become thin and sensitive.
The baby will change between the first two weeks with great noticeability. It is normal that at birth there are parents concerned about their appearance or the appearance of the skin, but this doubt can only be clarified by asking the neonatologist.
As we have already mentioned, apart from seeing a wrinkled face next to a whitish and hairy body, the soft part of the fontanelles in the skull may also be affected. They will remain very soft, as if there were unwelded gaps. That's because the skull will allow the brain to grow over the next 18 months, until it's finished sealing. It is also normal to observe an eye tone that is too light, which in many cases will darken. Or that the legs have a bowed appearance that will become erect with the passage of time.