Henneth Annûn Story Archive

A few basic questions, well fairly basic, for women who have had babies and remember the experience - How soon after birth do babies' eyes open? Are all caucasian babies born with blue eyes? Do newborn babies have eyebrows and eyelashes? Thanx for any help! I've had a litter of pups (well, my bitch did the work, I took the credit, and the notes, and paid the bills and did the cleaning for 10 weeks; they were little darlings, but not quite comparable to human infants even if as cute IMO), but no babies. RAKSHA THE DEMON

 

A few basic questions, well fairly basic, for women who have had babies and remember the experience - How soon after birth do babies' eyes open? Immediately! What they can actually 'see' and process is a matter of debate among experts. But they do look right at mom and can focus, more or less. Are all caucasian babies born with blue eyes? I think so. See: Baby Center Question: Will my baby's eyes stay this color? Answer: Maybe, maybe not. Babies of African and Asian descent are usually born with brown eyes that stay brown. Caucasian babies are often born with steel gray or dark blue eyes; they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time they're 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes actually have more pigment than grey or blue eyes, even if they appear lighter in color.) The comments have *hundreds* of anecdotal stories on eye color in newborns and how they changed. Do newborn babies have eyebrows and eyelashes? Full term ones? Yes. Though baby eyebrows may be hard to see. Do a google image search on "newborn baby" and see for yourself. Gwynnyd (mother of two... )

 

Thanx, Gwynnyd; and thanx also for the link. I forgot to ask whether, as I think I've read, newborn babies have the gripping reflex like little monkeys, to hold on with their teeny little fingers. I didn't see that in my (so far) brief perusal of the site. RAKSHA

 

Do newborn babies have eyebrows and eyelashes? Full term ones? Yes. Though baby eyebrows may be hard to see. One of the most fascinating photographs that I've ever seen in my life is a Lennart Nilsson one of a late-term baby in the womb, where the angle was just right, so you could see every single hair of a baby's eyebrows. Fascinating! - Barbara

 

Gwynnyd wrote: But they do look right at mom and can focus I underscribe that. Both my children had their eyes open immediately after the birth. And it felt for me like they were looking on me. newborn babies have the gripping reflex like little monkeys, to hold on with their teeny little fingers. http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=gripping+reflex came up (between other links) with the following: 1) gripping reflex http://www.richmond.com/performingarts/output.aspx?ID=4642&Vertical_ID=2&tier=1&position=1 A newborn's gripping reflex around a finger pressed into each palm is so strong, says Spencer Rathus in "Essentials of Psychology, 5th Edition," that he or she could be lifted right out of the cradle to hang in mid-air. http://www.pregnancy-info.net/reflexes.html Hand Gripping This is otherwise known as the 'Darwinian reflex.' If you stroke the palm of a baby's hand, his little hands will close around your fingers. You can literally lift your baby from his resting position and he should be able to hold up his weight. This is to ensure that your baby can grasp on to you and not fall. 2) Moro-reaction: head falls back - child tries to grab http://www.pregnancy-info.net/reflexes.html Moro Reflex When your baby is startled by a loud noise, rough handling or loss of support, she will exhibit the 'startle reflex.' She will respond by flinging her arms out and then quickly drawing them back to her chest. This is done in the hopes of grabbing onto something and preventing a fall. She may also cry after this reflex in order to get your attention should she be in danger. http://www.pregnancy-info.net/reflexes.html describes the following newborn reflexes: Rooting Reflex Moro Reflex Hand Gripping Babinski's Reflex Withdrawal Reflex Tonic Head Reflex Diving Reflex Crawling Position Stepping Reflex Best wishes Elanor

 

I forgot to ask whether, as I think I've read, newborn babies have the gripping reflex like little monkeys, to hold on with their teeny little fingers. I didn't see that in my (so far) brief perusal of the site. Oh yes, that's right- if anything is put in thier palms, thier fingers curl round it and they hold really quite tight (they also make a similer action with thier toes if you touch the soles of thier feet). There's a handful of other reflexes they have, mostly connected with feeding (like turning with thier mouth open and 'rooting' for something to latch onto if something strokes thier cheek) or with the way they were curled up. Hope this helps. edit- ok so elanor types faster than me