NEWBORN’S APPEARRENCE: HIPS, GROIN AND BOW LEGS

Hips

The hips of a newborn baby are checked very carefully by the doctor to make sure that they are not dislocated.

Groin

Newborn baby girls sometimes have swollen labia, often accompanied by a vaginal discharge which is usually white, but may be reddish. This is due to hormones from the mother which have crossed into the baby’s bloodstream during pregnancy, and which fall to normal levels soon after birth.

Newborn baby boys can have an undescended testicle, a hydrocoele (fluid around the testicle) or a tight foreskin. Erections are also common.

Genitalia often appear to be proportionally large in the newborn period. This is also due to hormonal influence from the mother, and will diminish during the first few weeks.

Bow legs

This appearance is normal in newborn babies and soon corrects itself.

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