Can A Newborn Suffer Stress?

A newborn baby is not exempt from suffering stress, although it may not seem like it, the little ones have many reasons to be stressed, for example all the environmental factors that are new to him. Although the babies seem to be still in a bubble at birth, their new context may cause them stress ; remember that everything changed in their lives from one moment to the next.

Despite the stressful situations that can occur in the life of a newborn, in most cases parents do everything possible to avoid them. It is for this reason that we prepare a special environment for him, we avoid noise and anything that we consider a nuisance for the baby.

However, the causes of stress in newborns can be very simple, because he is living a period of adaptation, where everything is different and inexplicable. Already convinced that babies can suffer stress from an early age, specialists have dedicated themselves to studying what the consequences of this condition could be.

In this sense, most of the results of these investigations have thrown the theory that many of the problems that children may experience at this stage can remain in them forever. Among the main consequences is the difficulty to memorize, which triggers future learning problems.

Signs that tell us that the baby may be stressed

The level of stress experienced by a baby cannot be clearly quantified, but its condition can be highlighted by means of certain signals. Generally speaking, the main means that babies use to communicate is crying, therefore, it is also the best way to know if the child is uncomfortable.

Just as it is difficult for adults to identify that we are really stressed, for young children it is even more difficult. For this reason, it is possible that the anguish we notice in them could be anything, even stress.

A crying baby without us being able to identify the cause could be stressed. But, we need to be sure that in fact there is no reason to cry; for example, if you are not hungry, your diaper is dry, you are not sick, or you are constipated.

However, even though their needs are covered, it is not all that the baby demands to be totally relaxed; sometimes what children are waiting for is love. If this is the case and we have to separate from our children for a long period, it is possible that this absence will make them feel stressed, perhaps they will feel insecure or distrustful.

Other symptoms may indicate stress in newborns; recurrent and distressed crying is a sign that the baby is stressed, the causes can be diverse, for example.

• Pain caused by prolonged cramps or otitis
• Isolation or lack of social relationship.
• Environments altered by noise, family arguments or accelerated schedules.
• Lack of attention ; especially when it comes to parents who are present but busy with the mobile, the computer or the television.
• Stressed parents, tense environments and low moods could affect the baby without his being aware of this. In general, the stress of those around us can affect us as if it were our own.
• Sudden changes in temperature in the environment, heat can be very stressful, but cold can also be for a baby

• Sleepiness, hunger, or discomfort can be stressful without spending a lot of time in this state.
• Overstimulation is sometimes the main cause. Although we must stimulate him and keep him connected with his environment, it is not recommended that we exaggerate with stimuli that do not let him relax for a while.

Let’s avoid that our baby has to suffer stress

We know that it is difficult to measure, but most of the reasons that stress babies are recognizable by adults. Keeping your needs covered, making sure you sleep well and live in a peaceful environment, is something we can effortlessly and effectively accomplish with interest.

Creating habits and preventing our problems from reaching it is a responsibility that we cannot ignore. In addition to these things, it is also recommended that we dedicate quality time to the little ones, who although it seems that they do not know anything, in reality they are aware of a large part of the factors that surround them.

The family bond is very important, that we start from the first days to stimulate their socio-emotional development, so that they feel safe, loved and calm. Let’s save him the biggest load of stress now, as he will have enough in the future.