3rd week after the baby is born

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Huy Toan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
The baby has passed the 3rd week of age and it seems that taking care of the baby becomes easier as the mother gradually masters the skills of taking care of the baby. Understanding habits and anticipating baby needs are experiences only parents can understand.

1. Child's weight and height

Your baby will continue to grow a lot this month, at a rate of about 20-30 grams per day and 4.5 cm taller by the end of the first month of life. By 2.5 weeks of age, the average baby boy will have a head circumference of 39.21 cm, while the average female baby will be 37.97 cm.

2. Child development

Your 3-week-old baby is getting healthier and changing day by day. Your baby may now hold her head up for a few seconds and may even turn her head from side to side, especially to watch you or a caregiver as they move away or around the room.
Children will enjoy looking at their parents and may look like they are carefully watching their parents' facial expressions or listening to other people talk. Even though they can't understand speech yet, talking to your baby is a great way to help your baby's language development, even when he's only 3 weeks old.
As your little one gets older, there may be some more pain accompanied by crying or fussiness than in previous weeks, especially at night. Some babies may also experience colic at this age. Here are some measures to help mothers deal with this problem:
Create an evening routine : Mothers can start some good habits such as a gentle bath followed by a baby massage with cream Safe skin care for babies. Pay attention to the mother's diet: If you are breastfeeding, there may be something in the mother's diet that could upset the baby's stomach. If the baby is fussy after feeding, spits up more than usual, or has a lot of gas in the stomach, it can be helpful for the mother to keep an eye on what she has eaten to determine if the baby will react if she eats it. How to react after breastfeeding? Certain foods like chocolate, caffeine or seeded fruits like raspberries can lead to digestive problems with babies.

3. Newborn care at 3 weeks

3.1 Basic care Most newborns have physiological adhesions of the foreskin, so the foreskin cannot be removed at this time. After 3-4 years or during adulthood, this part of the foreskin will naturally separate from the glans.
For girls, parents may notice frequent vaginal discharge during diaper changes or bath time over the past few weeks. It may look clear, white or bloody and although it may look dangerous at first, that is normal. The reason is that during pregnancy, the mother passes on her hormones to the fetus. This hormone affects the lining of the baby's uterus, thickening the lining, and when the baby is born, it will shed, causing the baby's uterus to secrete a little blood and flow out of the vulva. If the baby is bleeding like that but still eats and sleeps normally, has no fever or fuss... Then parents should not worry, please clean the baby with warm water and dry with a clean gauze towel to avoid the vulva. The baby has an infection. This bleeding occurs only once, or it can take a few days and then disappear completely. However, parents still need to monitor, if the baby shows abnormal signs (prolonged bleeding, fever...) then they must take the baby to a specialist immediately.
Neonatal occlusion is the most common defect of the lacrimal gland, occurring in 6% of infants. This is because the epithelial cells do not create ducts to form the nasolacrimal duct (tear duct) when going down the nose.
In addition, blockage of the tear ducts in infants is also caused by an infection of the lacrimal gland in the child, which prevents tears from circulating from the eyes to the nose of the child. Therefore, the tears produced cannot escape, causing the baby's eyes to be filled with tears. Many infants with blocked tear ducts do not need to be treated, as up to 90% of blocked tear ducts can "open up" on their own by the time the child is 1 to 2 years old.
However, for these children, parents need to know how to clean their eyes with physiological saline (eye drops) NaCl 9%o. Gently wipe the baby's eyes, remove all the slime and rust on the baby's eyes. You should perform eye hygiene from 3 to 5 times a day to keep your baby's eyes clean. Pay attention to do it very gently and carefully, to avoid scratching the eyelids leading to infection.
If your baby's eyes are red and swollen, you need to take him to an eye specialist for advice and appropriate treatment.

Massage the lacrimal gland for the child: Parents use their finger to cut the nail and wash their hands, gently massage the corner of the baby's eyes. Massage starting from the inner corner of the eyelid and then move (swipe down) down towards the nose. It is recommended to perform massage from 5 to 10 times/day, each time from 5 to 10 minutes. The main effects are: massaging gently puts pressure on the tear ducts, helping to clear fluid from the blocked passages and release the blockage.
Parents may also notice skin problems that are new to a 3-week-old baby, such as a rash, dermatitis, or scaling on the scalp, known as infant seborrheic dermatitis. Many skin irritations at this age are minor and normal, but keep your child comfortable by doing the following:
Avoid soaps. Avoid bathing your baby a lot, only bathing 3 or 4 times a week. Use a gentle, baby-safe laundry detergent and fabric softener. Watch for skin symptoms and try to avoid anything that irritates your baby's skin. Leave your baby undressed or diaper only for an hour or two indoors, especially in the summer if the weather is hot or there's a diaper rash. 3.2 Nutrition of a 3-week-old newborn baby

At 3 weeks old, babies can try a pacifier if you want them to use it. Some doctors advise parents to avoid using pacifiers very early because it can affect the breastfeeding process, breastfeeding is different from bottle-feeding or sucking on a pacifier. So if you introduce a pacifier too early, it will make breastfeeding more difficult.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to do their own research before using a pacifier and some studies have shown that using a pacifier reduces the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is lower. But, remember, there's no right or wrong decision about using a pacifier with your baby, so it's a personal choice. Not all babies will necessarily use a pacifier, so never force a baby to use one.
Although babies will grow at a dizzying rate for the whole first year, moms may notice a slight decrease in feeding frequency compared to the previous week. This week, your baby should still be fed on demand, and each breastfeeding session can last from 20 minutes to an hour.
If you're breastfeeding, it's also important to continue to give your baby a daily vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D supplements are important for a newborn baby because breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D that the baby needs. Vitamin D deficiency can be extremely dangerous for babies, especially as their bones are continuing to develop.
3.3 Baby Sleep 3 Weeks Old This week, babies are still sleeping a lot, about 16-18 hours a day. Parents can continue to try to practice habits that make bedtime easier, such as not having a very bright bed, and not changing diapers at night for too long. Place your baby on a flat, firm mattress. Do not leave soft, smooth objects such as pillows and stuffed animals around when the baby is sleeping, limiting the risk of death from suffocation.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Doctor Dang Huy Toan has many years of experience in Pediatrics and Neonatology, especially in pediatric respiratory diseases. Doctor Dang Huy Toan was the former head of the pediatric department at 22.12 hospital and the head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Tam Tri Nha Trang hospital. Currently, he is a Doctor at the Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

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Article reference source: Whattoexpect.com; Mayoclinic.com; Verywellfamily.com