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stronger, seek medical help as soon as possible. Your primary care physician,
obstetrician or your child's pediatrician can help you get treatment. For more
information, please refer to the References section for websites on this subject.

I. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BEHAVIOR OF THE

NEWBORN
A. Sleeping
You will notice that your baby has different stages of sleep. Babies slip in and
out of these stages frequently while sleeping. During deep sleep he will not
awaken easily and not move much. During light sleeping you will often notice
eye movements, arm and leg movements and sucking. Your baby may be
restless and wake from time to time and cry. Give him a chance to go back to
sleep alone if it is not a feeding time. His breathing may be noisy or quiet; this is
something you will become accustomed to in time. Wrapping your baby in his
blanket will make him feel more secure and fall asleep more easily. The amount
of time that a newborn spends sleeping varies greatly. Do not be surprised if
your baby sleeps more or less than you had anticipated.

It is important to allow your child to fall asleep by himself in his own crib by 3
months of age. This will help to eliminate some of the problems experienced at
bedtime as children grow older.

Based on evaluation of data regarding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
the American Academy of Pediatrics makes the following recommendations.
• Normal infants, when being put down for sleep should be positioned on their

back, side sleeping is not recommended.
• Their mattress and bedding should be firm. Keep soft objects and loose

bedding out of the crib.
• Infants should not share a bed with either a parent or another child to sleep.
• Consider offering a pacifier at nap and bedtime.
• Avoid overheating the bedroom and overdressing your infant for sleep.

B. Eating
Be relaxed and set aside as much time as possible when you are feeding your
baby. If you are rushed or upset, he may not feed as well. Some babies are
slow and some are fast eaters, so there is no set length of time for feeding.

Breast milk or formula should be sufficient for him for the first 4 to 6 months.

Please see Section III Infant Feeding.

C. Burping
Some babies burp easily; others do not. It is not essential that your baby burp if
he is comfortable and happy. To burp your baby, hold him up on your diaper-
covered shoulder and gently pat or rub his back; or sit him on your lap, with one
hand under his chin for support and the other gently circling his back, while you
rock him. When breast feeding, burping your baby after each breast is usually
sufficient. When offering a bottle to the baby, make sure that milk fills the entire
nipple while he is sucking. This will prevent the swallowing of air and the
discomfort that it may cause. Bottles with plastic inserts result in less air being
swallowed. If your child eats fast, remove the bottle after every ounce and burp

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