Can A Newborn Suffer From Stress?
A newborn baby is not free from stress. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, newborns have plenty of reason to get stressed. For example, all environmental factors that are new to him.
Despite the stressful situations that can exist in a newborn’s life, in most cases parents do everything possible to avoid them. That’s why we prepare a special environment, we avoid noise and anything that we consider to bother the baby.
However, the causes of stress in newborns can be very simple, because they are living through a period of adaptation, in which everything is different and inexplicable. Already convinced that babies can suffer from stress from an early age, experts have dedicated themselves to studying what the consequences of this condition could be.
In this sense, most of the results of these surveys have launched the theory that many of the problems that children experience at this stage can remain in them forever. Among the main consequences is the difficulty in memorizing, which leads to future learning problems.
Signs that tell us the baby may be suffering from stress
The level of stress a baby experiences cannot be clearly quantified. However, their condition can be made evident through certain signs. In general, the main means that babies use to communicate is crying. So it’s also the best way to know if your child is upset.
Just as it is difficult for adults to identify that we are stressed, for young children it is even more difficult. For that reason, it’s possible that the anguish we notice in them could be anything, including stress.
A baby who cries without us being able to identify the cause may be stressed. However, we need to be sure that there really is no other reason to cry. For example, if the baby is hungry, if his diaper is dry, if he is sick or not, or if he suffers from colic.
However, even though your needs are in order, this is not all for the baby to be totally relaxed. Sometimes what children are waiting for is to receive love. If this is the case and we have to be separated from our children for an extended period of time, this absence may make them feel stressed. Thus, they can become insecure or suspicious.
Other symptoms that can indicate stress in newborns may be constant and anguished crying.
Causes of stress
The causes can be different, such as:
- Pain caused by prolonged cramps or ear infections.
- Isolation or lack of social relationship.
- Environments altered by noise, family discussions or changing schedules.
- Lack of attention ; especially when it comes to parents who are present but busy with their cell phone, computer, or television.
- Stressed parents, tense environments and low moods can affect the baby without the baby being aware of it. 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 and cold also for a baby.
- Sleep, hunger or discomfort can be stressful if the little ones spend a lot of time in these conditions.
- Excessive arousal is sometimes the main cause. Even though we must stimulate them and keep them connected with their surroundings, it is not recommended to exaggerate the stimulus. Babies also need to relax.
We must prevent our baby from suffering from stress
We know it’s hard to measure. However, most reasons that stress babies are recognizable by adults. Keeping your needs up to date, ensuring that you sleep well and live in a peaceful environment are things that with care we can achieve effectively and without much effort.
Creating habits and preventing our problems from affecting them is a responsibility we must not forget. In addition to these factors, it is also recommended to dedicate some free time to children. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, they are aware of most of the factors surrounding them.
The family bond is very important. We must start from the first days to stimulate our baby’s psycho-emotional development, so that he feels safe, loved and calm. At the same time, we must prevent the baby from facing a greater load of stress, as he will have to face enough problems when he grows up and becomes an adult.
