- Is your baby's first smile really just a reaction
to them passing wind for the first time?
As funny as that may sound,
this is a real question I get asked.
In fact, it's one of the many unusual questions
I get asked surprisingly often.
So in this video, I'm going to answer that question
as well as 8 other interesting questions
that parents have about their babies.
This video is going to be a little bit of fun.
I think you're going to learn a lot from it
and hopefully get a smile out of it as well.
So let's start with the most common myth
that I hear all the time about babies
which is actually quite dangerous.
And that is that teething causes fevers.
Teething should never, ever, ever cause a fever.
There is some evidence to show that when your little one
is teething, their body temperature might increase slightly,
but a true fever, which is when their body temperature
is over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius
indicates that your little one is fighting an illness
or might have an infection that requires treatment.
While we're on the topic of teething,
let's talk about another myth I hear all the time
and that is when a little one starts to dribble,
often at 8 to 12 weeks of age,
they are definitely teething.
Now, unfortunately, this statement is not correct.
What parents are noticing at 8 to 12 weeks of age
is the little one's body is starting to produce saliva.
And when they produce saliva,
that saliva is unfortunately coming out as dribble.
And that's because they don't yet know how to swallow it
and they predominantly have their mouth open.
So it just comes right on out.
Also, at three to six months of age,
babies learn how to mouth their hand
and also hold and mouth toys.
And that is because that is how they explore,
and interact, and play with those toys.
So of course, the motor receptors in their mouth
are going to indicate that the body needs to produce
more saliva, because they think it is food.
And this means that more saliva will be produced
during this time period and it will come out of their mouth.
It doesn't necessarily mean that they are teething.
The next thing I often hear is that newborns cannot see.
Now this is not correct at all.
Newborns can see.
They see best at 20 to 38 centimeters,
but they cannot see well at a distance
and that doesn't improve until around four months of age.
So by four months of age,
they should be able to see across the room.
Newborns really enjoy looking at human faces
as well as high contrast toy if a face isn't available.
So definitely play and interact with your little one,
because they can see and they can see well up close.
The next one might be a little bit disappointing
for you as a parent and that is that newborns
should be sleeping through the night at three months of age.
Parents do often come to me,
because they're extremely concerned that their little one
at three months of age is not yet sleeping
through the night, because they're being told
that three month old should definitely
be sleeping through the night.
Now, although we would love our little ones
to be sleeping through the night,
because that newborn phase is definitely tiring,
it is unfortunately not necessarily true.
Some babies might sleep through the night at this point,
but other babies will wake for a feed.
So it is completely normal and okay,
if your little one has a longer stretch of sleep
at the beginning of the night and then wakes
for one to two feeds after that.
Now if your little one is sleeping through the night,
that's fantastic, but if your little one isn't,
then don't stress.
I know it is frustrating,
but over time, they're going to start
to reduce those night feeds
and then they will eventually sleep through the night.
Parents and grandparents often believe that holding a baby
and responding to their needs throughout the day
or carrying them too often is going to do more harm
than good and is going to spoil the little one.
Now, holding your little one and responding to their cues
and communications attempts doesn't actually harm them
and actually does more good than harm.
And that is because as your little one soon learns
that when they try and communicate with you,
you are going to respond and address their wants and needs.
And this will help to develop a secure attachment
with you and your little one.
And in fact, once your little one develops
a secure attachment, they're going to be less clingy
and spoiled in the future,
because they're going to be more comfortable to go out,
and explore the world, and interact, and play,
because they know they have
a secure base that they can return to,
to provide comfort and support if needed.
Another thing I often get told is that newborns cannot hear.
Babies actually start to listen inside the womb
at 24 weeks gestation and at birth your little one
is going able to recognize your voice
over another person's voice.
So they'll actually look for you
by moving their eyes in the direction of your voice.
We also know that babies like a parentese voice,
which is a sing song voice with high pitch sounds
and lots of exaggerated facial expressions.
And we also know that talking to a little one
is extremely important for their language development.
So your newborn can definitely hear
and you need to start talking to them
from the very first day.
Now let's talk about one of the funnier myths,
which as a baby's first smile is going to be a reaction
to them passing wind for the first time.
Now you will see a newborn do lots
of non-communicative grimes and it's extremely common
and that generally occurs during their sleep.
And it's not a true smile or a reaction to gas,
but between five to eight weeks of age,
you will see your little one smile for the very first time.
And you are going to know it's a smile.
This is when they're looking directly at you
and that smile is very purposeful
and it's truly a completely glorious experience.
And it will make those first few weeks
with a newborn completely worth it,
because you're starting to get some interaction
with your little one.
Now, smiling is a developmental milestone
that your little one will learn in their first year of life
as well as lots of other developmental milestones.
So if you want to know what they are and when to expect them,
make sure you click on the free developmental checklist
in the description box below.
Another myth I also get told is that a baby is constipated,
because they haven't had a bowel movement
for a number of days.
Now, there is a wide range of what's considered normal
when we're talking about the frequency of bowel movements.
So some babies will actually have multiple bowel movements
throughout the day and others may only go once
or twice a week.
Also, when they get older,
we notice that the frequency of the bowel movement
actually reduces and this is completely normal.
Now, as all babies are unique,
it's best to be guided by your little one's usual bowel habits
to determine whether or not they constipated.
So if you notice a change in consistency, volume,
or frequency of their bowel movement,
then it is a good idea to go and check in with the doctor.
Also, if you notice that their poo is white
or it has blood in it,
then it's also another indication
to go to their doctor for a checkup.
And the other dangerous myth I often hear
is that baby walkers are safe.
Now, despite the common belief that baby walkers are safe,
there's lots of research out there
that shows that baby walkers are not safe.
In fact, in October, 2018 in pediatrics,
there was a study completed,
which found that over 230,000 infants
under 15 months of age were actually admitted
to the emergency department
for baby walker related injuries during 1990
all the way up to 2018.
And that's because when an individual is in a baby walker,
they are able to move extremely fast,
so they can move three feet or one meter every one second.
And this is too fast for an adult to keep up with.
Also, when they're in a baby walker,
they're able to access items
they usually wouldn't be able to access.
And they're at high risk of falling out of the baby walker,
because of a change in surface or a flight of stairs.
In addition to these safety risks,
baby walkers have also been shown to not promote
independent walking, but can lead to a delay in a baby
achieving these developmental milestones
as well as motor control.
In fact, a study, which was completed by Siegel and Burton
in 2019 showed that babies who used a baby walker
sat, crawled, and walked later than babies
who did not use a baby walker.
It is actually due to these safety risks,
as well as those supported developmental benefits
that Canada actually banned the sale
of baby walkers in 2014.
Now, if you are wondering if your little one is teething,
then make sure you check out this video here,
where I go through everything you need to know
about teething to make that process a little bit easier.
Thanks for watching.
Remember to click on that free PDF document
in description box below and I will see you next week,
where I'll share more parenting tips and tricks.
(bright music)