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Premature Newborn Care: Stress Cues
Premature Newborn Care: Stress CuesObserving your baby closely, you will start to recognize his unique personal style; her ways of telling you herlikes and dislikes and when she is tired, or hungry, or looking to be touched or held.In the beginning, if your baby cries at all, his fussing is likely to sound weak or strained. This is because hislungs are still maturing. His cries will sound fuller and stronger as he gets older and more medically stable.Until your baby communicates more with her cries, her quiet does not necessarily mean she is at ease.Looking carefully, asking yourself what her body is telling you, will help you figure out when your baby needsyour gentle care to help calm her.Early born infants rely on very subtle signs and behaviors to show that all is not right. You may notice archingof the back; flailing arms and tremors; a nose much paler than the rest of the face; a wrinkled, pale forehead;fingers spread; and hiccups.Yawning - while often a signal that your baby is tired - may also be a sign that she needs some help to getcomfortable. So is a spotty or speckled complexion. This is called Mottled Skin.When your baby becomes hyper-alert, when he looks around without really being able to focus, he is likelylooking for soothing. In this sequence of behaviors, you can see a baby needing to get comfortable – hermouth movements and tongue thrusts are one sign.Although her clothes keep her from easily bringing her hands to her mouth - she clearly wants to. You maynotice her face start to shift color and then become quite pale. And then, there is a wide yawn all sending themessage that some gentle care would feel good. Sometimes, your baby will indicate that he is feeling stressand the very next minute he may pull together and return to a more calm and relaxed state.When she does this, you see your baby's amazing ability to soothe herself. And you will see more of this kindof behavior as she grows.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG10021B EN PrematureNewbornCareStressCues.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 1
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