Care for newborns can sometimes be an obstacle for the new young parents who have children. Newborns have their own uniqueness so special care is needed in caring for them. Here are 7 things to know when treating newborns.

1. Newborns should suckle every 1-2 hours

The baby has a small stomach size so you need to give him a small amount of milk but often. Usually he will suckle 1-2 hours in the first few days. When the baby is hungry, he will give some signs like crying strongly, sucking his hands, or tasting like looking for a nipple.

What if your baby sleeps on? Babies do have a fairly long sleep time. But if your baby is asleep, you need to wake him up and still give him milk. Try not to fall asleep again while nursing.

2. Newborns often experience spitting up

After your baby feeds, he removes the milk from his mouth. Most people call it the term spit. Spit up (spitting up, or gastroesophageal reflux) occurs because the function of the valve between the esophagus and the stomach is not perfect. In addition, small baby stomach size can be one cause of spit up.

To prevent the occurrence of spit up, position your baby in an upright position for 30 minutes after he finishes feeding and let your baby burp.

3. Newborns sleep for 16 to 18 hours per day

Baby's sleep duration is quite long. Usually the baby sleeps for 1-2 hours in one sleep, and if summed in one day he can fall asleep for 16 to 18 hours. When reaching the age of 6 months, most babies sleep for 6 hours at night.

At night, keep your baby awake. How you can try is to let the baby do a lot of activity during the day so he stayed awake for a long time and can sleep longer at night.

4. Newborn baby needs warmth

Babies can not regulate their body temperature effectively as children or adults. One reason is because fat, which can function to keep the body warm, the number is still small in infants.

Things you can do to keep your baby warm by wearing clothes, hats, and baby rings. Check your baby's body temperature. Try to keep him from getting cold or overheated.

5. Newborns have sensitive skin

Keep your baby clean because the newborn's skin is very sensitive. One of the problems that often arise in infants is diaper rash. Keep your baby's diaper clean and dry. Use warm water and a soft cotton pad when cleaning the butt and then dry with a soft towel.

Cleaning the baby by using wet wipes containing alcohol is not recommended, because it can trigger skin irritation. Also, do not put diapers on the baby too tight because it can make the skin becomes blisters.

6. Newborns often defecate after suckling

There are babies who always defecate after suckling, there are also babies who defecate only twice per week. However, in newborns, he will usually defecate after he suckle (about 6 to 10 times per day). By the age of 3 to 6 weeks, the frequency will decrease.

Things to note when the baby defecate the consistency of the dirt. When a newborn baby, baby shit will be blackish green and sticky called meconium. Over time, when he is 2 to 4 days old, the color of the dung will be younger and not stickier.

Keep in mind, even though the baby's stool is soft, you should remain vigilant if your baby has diarrhea. If the baby has diarrhea, the dirt will become more fluid, the color may turn to yellow, green or brown, the amount is much more than usual. If you encounter such signs in your baby, try taking your baby to a doctor for further examination.

7. Newborns should be treated for the umbilical cord

When you have a baby, usually the cord is still visible when he was born. Keep the umbilical cord and surrounding skin clean and dry. If your baby's umbilical cord turns redness and smells, immediately take your baby to the doctor because of the possibility of your baby having an infection on his umbilical cord.