Pickle Barrel
As a new dad, I can’t help but wonder if everything my little one is going through is “normal.” For instance, sometimes my baby will be resting quietly, and his hands and legs will all of a sudden shoot out — spread-eagle. Is this something I should be concerned about?
ALL PARENTS — NEW and old — worry whether their child is healthy and “normal.” Last month, I discussed a few issues that parents should not race off to the doctor to sort out. As promised, here are a few more concerns that you really shouldn’t be concerned about. Consider this guide an early Father’s Day gift!
To address the “new dad’s” question: it is, indeed, quite startling when a baby’s arms and legs seem to shoot out in opposite directions. Rest assured, this is totally normal. Continuing with central nervous system concerns, I should also mention that a quivering of the limbs is also nothing to be worried about. A soft mushy swelling at the back of the head on one or both sides is called a cephalohematoma. During the baby’s passage through the birthing canal, pressure is put on the baby’s head. This may cause some bleeding under the skin. It may vary in size. It will not harm the baby (during its reabsorption, it may cause or add to mild jaundice). Over a period of months, it will be replaced by bone, and the skull will remodel itself to leave the head normally shaped.
Now that we’ve covered the central nervous system, let’s look at a few anatomical questions that may arise. Engorged, swollen breasts for newborn boys and girls are fine. This is an effect of the mother’s hormones circulating in the baby’s blood. After birth, the maternal hormones will disappear, and, within a few weeks, the breast engorgement will disappear as well. If you notice that your baby’s rib cage is slightly concave, again, don’t worry. And if the legs and feet seem a little crooked with bowing (as yours would if you were cramped up for nine months), remember that they will straighten. Also, at the bottom of the chest cage (in the middle), you may see and feel a bony prominence. This is the xiphoid sternal process. This is a normal bone at the end of the sternum. In time, it will become less prominent. The toenails on one or both big toes seem to be ingrown. The skin around the toe is slightly reddened. This is normal and should not concern you. If you’re not convinced, try pinching the toe. If it is ingrown, the baby would cry.
Now for the respiratory system. Mucousy respirations that sound loud and seem to vibrate through the chest are just the sound of the baby breathing through a web of mucus at the back of his or her throat. If the baby is feeding well, there is no problem. At times, the baby’s respirations will seem to speed up for half a minute or so and then suddenly slow down. It’s even normal for the baby to pause for several seconds between breaths.
As always, if you’re in doubt,
please do contact your family
physician. Better safe than sorry! 
Post City Magazines’ kids health writer, Dr. Mickey Lester, has been a Toronto pediatrician for more than 30 years and is the former Chief of Pediatrics at Trillium Health Centre. You can hear him on CFRB, Sunday mornings, from 9 to 10 a.m..
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