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Why do babies cry when they are born?

Crying directly after birth When babies are delivered, they are exposed to cold air and a new environment, so that often makes them cry right away. This cry will expand the baby's lungs and expel amniotic fluid and mucus. The baby's first official cry shows that the lungs are working properly.

abclawcenters.com - What Does it Mean if My Baby Doesn't Cry at Birth? | Reiter & Walsh

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A baby’s cry at birth tells the medical team that their lungs are healthy. Often parents will hear a doctor praise their baby’s cry, but does this mean that a baby who doesn’t cry at birth is not as healthy?

The science behind crying

Apart from the signature sound of a baby’s cry, there are many non-vocal elements of crying as well. Although crying seems like a very simple action, it actually involves the coordination of several complex elements: the musculature of the face; airways; and the respiration system. A 2005 study found that the non-vocal elements of crying actually develop in the womb. In the study, vibroacoustic stimulation (applying a sound and vibration stimulus to the mother’s abdomen) was presented to 10 fetuses in the womb, and all of them showed fetal crying behavior as a response. They showed inhale and exhale patterns that mimicked post-womb crying, and they grimaced or frowned in the womb. The study revealed that, at 20 weeks gestation, the fetus has all of the motor skill coordination necessary for the non-vocal part of crying.

Crying directly after birth

When babies are delivered, they are exposed to cold air and a new environment, so that often makes them cry right away. This cry will expand the baby’s lungs and expel amniotic fluid and mucus. The baby’s first official cry shows that the lungs are working properly. However, the cry may be delayed because of a number of different factors, including a difficult delivery, a nuchal cord, etc.

When to worry

If a cry is delayed, it may not necessarily mean that the baby is not healthy. Your doctor may try to stimulate the baby’s first cry by drying the baby off or suctioning fluid out of their mouth or nose, if it doesn’t occur naturally. If a delayed cry is accompanied by other emergency signs, the baby should be given immediate medical attention. These other elements of the evaluation of a newborn infant are measured using the Apgar score.

The parts of the Apgar score are:

A – Appearance (skin color)

P – Pulse (heart rate)

G – Grimace (reflex irritability/response)

A – Activity (muscle tone)

R – Respiration (breathing ability)

Each of the criteria is scored 0 – 2 (two being the best), and the total is found by adding all 5 scores together. Your doctor will usually do an Apgar test at one and five minutes after birth. Another Apgar test may be given at 10, 15, and 20 minutes if the initial score is low.

The scores can be broken down by severity of needed intervention.

A score of:

0-3 baby is in critical condition

4-6 baby likely needs immediate medical intervention

7-10 baby is within normal range but should still be monitored

Though a score above 7 is considered normal, a recent study showed that Apgar scores of 7-9 could still be associated with adverse outcomes. A score below 10 should still be monitored, even if it’s in the 7-10 range.

Disclaimer

ABC Law Centers is not run by medical professionals or associated with a medical facility. The above information should not be taken as medical advice. Always contact a medical professional when you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or any other concerning symptoms of pregnancy.

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The North African teacher says she is expecting six boys and six girls after having fertility treatment. If the 12 – called duodecaplets – are all born alive they would represent a medical miracle and break the record of American mother Nadya Suleman, who recently gave birth to the world’s longest-surviving octuplets. Medical experts said the extraordinary feat was possible but added that the likelihood of all the babies surviving was “very slim”. The Tunisian woman, who is in her 30s but has yet to be named, turned to IVF treatment after suffering two miscarriages. She told hospital staff she was now looking forward to hugging her babies, adding: “This is an absolute miracle and we all feel blessed after struggling so hard to have children.” The woman’s husband, named only as Marwan, said the multiple pregnancy was a “complete surprise”.

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