Tag: Neonatal positioning

Newborn: Beginning Tummy Time

 

“My daughter, Malia, is 5 days old.  Is it too early to start tummy time with her?  She doesn’t seem to like it.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends putting babies on their backs to sleep and their tummies to play.   However, it’s not always the easiest thing to put your newborn in the prone (or tummy time) position in the first few days and weeks.  It seems they either sleep or fuss when placed in that position!  The hips are high in the air, elbows are off the ground and the weight is on the face.  It does not look so comfortable and it can be a bit of a tricky start! Continue reading “Newborn: Beginning Tummy Time”

Why Do the Legs of Newborn Babies Look Bowed?

“When Phoebe’s little legs are tucked under her body, I see how she was able to fit into the tiny space of the womb.  At first I was concerned because I didn’t know why her legs were positioned like that.”

Babies born at gestational term have a tightness to their bodies called physiological flexion.  Space was limited in the final trimester and the baby assumed the most compact position with arms and legs held close to her core.    Physiological flexion provides some passive stability for the newborn baby to use for function.  Practice will provide an opportunity to decrease muscle tightness through active movement.  In turn, active movement provides sensory input and postural control.  Development happens gradually, month by month with one skill building upon another.   The posts in the milestones category describe the maturation of babies in the first year of life as they begin tightly flexed and learn to roll, sit, cruise and stand.

Continue reading “Why Do the Legs of Newborn Babies Look Bowed?”