It’s normal for your baby to look a bit like an alien 

Vernix 

In addition to being covered in blood from the birthing process, babies can also have a white waxy coating on their skin, called vernix caseosa. While it may not look very pretty, it’s best not to remove it too quickly, as it provides many benefits to the skin. 

Vernix starts to appear around halfway through pregnancy and slowly disappears towards the final weeks in utero. This means that babies born early may have more vernix than those born on – or after – their due date. In addition to being the greatest moisturiser that money can’t buy, vernix also lubricates the baby for an easier birth, and keeps them warm immediately afterwards. 

If the vernix is not stained with meconium (baby’s first bowel action), then I recommend leaving it on the skin for at least 48 hours – just in time for baby’s first bath. 

Head shape 

Babies often appear with misshapen heads. A newborn’s skull bones are soft and flexible. Instead of one skull bone, there are multiple bones that can overlap during the birthing process, intentionally reducing the baby’s head diameter to help with delivery. 

Following birth, these overlapping bones may be seen or felt as bumps and ridges on the baby’s head. Most babies who are born headfirst have spent many weeks squashed into a very tight space, which can ‘mould’ the head into an oblong shape. Fluid can also collect in the part of the skull that first passes through the cervix, resulting in a ‘conehead’ appearance, called caput (caput succedaneum). Fluid, moulding and bumps usually resolve within the first few hours or days of life. 

Umbilical cord 

The umbilical cord is the baby’s lifeline during pregnancy, connecting them to the placenta. Shortly after birth, the cord will be cut, leaving a short stump attached to the baby. Over the course of 1–2 weeks, this stump will dry, darken, shrivel and shrink, before detaching naturally, leaving behind your baby’s brand new belly button. 

During the detachment, small amounts of yellow ooze sometimes appear – there is no need to be concerned about this. However, if your baby’s cord stump continues to ooze beyond two weeks, have them seen by a doctor, as treatment may be required. 

Care of the cord is simple. You do not need to use soap during a bath; simply wet the area, then pat it dry with a soft towel. When putting a nappy on your baby, try to fold the nappy underneath the cord, to keep it clear of any soiling. 

Although uncommon, the cord can become infected. If the belly button area becomes hot, red or tender, or if your baby develops a fever or is not feeding well, have them seen by a doctor. 

Hair 

Many babies are born quite hairy. This fine, dark body hair, called lanugo, is usually present for the first month of life, before falling out. Babies born with head hair may lose this in the first few weeks of life, before it starts to regrow. 

Tongue 

A frenulum (Latin: bridle) can frequently be found throughout the human body: in both male and female genitalia, under the tongue, in the brain and in our guts. The frenulum’s job is to hold a mobile organ in place, much like an anchor holds a boat. These are normal, necessary parts of the human body. 

A tongue-tie – or ankyloglossia – is where the lingual frenulum (the anchor under the tongue) inserts closer to the tip of the tongue and anchors it too tightly to the floor of the mouth, limiting tongue thrust and sideways movement. Occasionally, a dent is visible in the base of the tongue, or in severe cases, the tip will appear heart-shaped. When necessary, a tongue-tie can be cut/ divided by a healthcare professional. 

If your baby has a small tongue-tie with no heart-shaped tip and a tongue thrust that reaches to the lower lip, the tongue-tie rarely needs to be cut. Dividing a tongue-tie is not without risks, including bleeding and infection. A mild/moderate tongue-tie will not lead to speech difficulties or problems swallowing, though many parents worry that the mere presence of a tongue-tie necessitates removal. 

While there is no evidence to suggest an impact on eating solids or speech, there is a documented association between severe tongue-tie and nipple pain for breastfeeding mothers. The reduced tongue movement can cause painful grazing or pinching. The challenge here is to differentiate between the pain of breastfeeding with severe tongue-tie and the natural, common discomfort that can come with breastfeeding any baby. 

Not all tongue-ties cause breastfeeding issues 

To painlessly, exclusively breastfeed a completely settled baby is a blessing enjoyed by few families. Often if a tongue-tie is present (even if it is very mild), it will be blamed for every feeding issue. The fact is, some babies are unsettled – for myriad reasons – and some breastfeeding mothers experience latch difficulties, discomfort, pain or other complications, and a mild tongue-tie will have nothing to do with it. 

Speak with a lactation consultant if you’re having breastfeeding difficulties. Identify possible causes of unsettled infant behaviour and do not be pressured into booking your baby for an expensive and potentially dangerous tongue-tie cut, if it is not justified. 

Jaundice in newborns 

Jaundice describes the yellowing of the skin (most visible in the whites of the eyes) that occurs in every newborn baby. This happens due to a build-up of bilirubin in the baby’s skin. 

To understand why this happens, consider one of the most important cells in our body – the red blood cell. This cell carries oxygen around our body, to fuel our systems. In order to ensure they are working at perfect function, we constantly refresh them, by making them and then breaking them down, in a 90-day cycle. 

As with any breakdown, the waste products (bilirubin) need to be cleared by the body. A pregnant woman does this for an unborn baby, but once that cord is cut, it’s now baby’s job to clear this waste themselves. Babies will develop this clearance ability, but it can take a few days, which leads to the waste accumulating under the skin, driving that yellow discolouration. 

While the discolouration is harmless, if it worsens, jaundice can cause lethargy. This will make babies tired and impact their feeding. 

So, while mildly jaundiced babies need no treatment, as it approaches a moderate level – these babies need to have their hydration monitored. The more a baby feeds, the faster they clear the jaundice, so parents will be encouraged to feed more often or give a volume top-up, to prevent the complications of moderate or severe jaundice. 

Ultraviolet exposure can also speed up the clearance of jaundice, but we don’t recommend you simply put your baby in the sun at home, because you need to expose a huge amount of skin to the UV rays, which is neither feasible, nor safe. 

This is because babies can: be bothered by the bright light, get sunburnt when hot, or 

become too cold in the cooler months. If the jaundice is moderate to severe, doctors will use a medical UV machine in hospital, which includes eye protection for babies.