In Medical terms, when a baby cries during birth, it indicates that the baby’s lungs are healthy. Doctors also praise their baby’s cry, but does this imply that a baby who does not cry at birth is less healthy? What if a newborn doesn’t cry after birth?
You may have heard about the significance of your baby’s first cry as they enter the world during your pregnancy. Although not all infants cry, this can worry new parents.
For the first six months, all we’re supposed to do is feed, change diapers, and calm our babies’ cries. What does it, therefore, mean when your baby doesn’t cry? Should you be worried or take pleasure in the quiet that few parents experience?
Numerous theories suggest that diseases like autism, Down syndrome, or apnea are to blame for less crying. We’ll put your mind at ease and explain why there aren’t any newborn cries.
Reason behind crying
Aside from the distinctive sound of a baby’s cry, there are numerous non-vocal components to crying. Although crying appears to be a simple action, it actually requires the coordination of several complex elements, including the musculature of the face, the airways, and the respiratory system.
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According to research, the non-vocal components of weeping actually begin forming in the womb. In the study, 10 foetuses were exposed to vibroacoustic stimulation, and each one responded with foetal crying behavior. They displayed breathing patterns that resembled post-womb sobbing, and while still inside the womb, they frowned or grimaced. According to the study, the foetus has complete motor skill coordination for the non-vocal component of crying at twenty weeks of pregnancy.
Weeping shortly after birth
Babies frequently start crying right away after delivery because they have confronted with cold air and a new place. This bleat will cause the child’s lungs to open up and release mucus and amniotic fluid. The infant’s first vocal cry confirms that the lungs are healthy. The cry, however, might not come right away due to a variety of reasons, such as a challenging delivery or a nuchal cord.
What if a newborn doesn’t cry after birth?
It’s possible that a baby is healthy even if its cry is delayed. If the baby’s first cry doesn’t come naturally, your doctor may try to induce it by drying the baby off or sucking fluid from their mouth or nose.
If a baby cries after its expected time and there are also other emergency symptoms, urgent medical intervention is needed. The Apgar score is used to gauge these additional aspects of a newborn baby’s evaluation.
The parts of the Apgar score are:
A – Appearance (skin color)
P – Pulse (heart rate)
G – Grimace (reflex irritability/response)
A – Activity (muscle tone)
R – Respiration (breathing ability)
Any of the five criteria is scored from 0 to 2 (two being the best), and the sum of all five scores gives the final score. An Apgar test will typically be performed by your doctor one and five minutes after the birth. If the preliminary score is low, a second Apgar test may be administered at 10, 15, and 20 minutes.
The scores can be broken down by the severity of the needed intervention.
A score of:
0-3 baby is in critical condition
4-6 baby likely needs immediate medical intervention
7-10 baby is within normal range but should still be monitored
Although an Apgar score of 7 or higher is generally regarded as normal, a recent study revealed that scores between 7 and 9 may still be harmful. Even if a score falls between 7 and 10, it should still be kept an eye on.
Watch the video to know how much infant crying is normal:
