Importance of a Baby’s First Cry at Birth
The cry of a baby immediately he/she is born is very important and determines the chance of survival for that baby.
A baby who cries immediately after birth has a higher chance of survival than a baby who didn’t cry at birth.
While in the womb…a child gets all his oxygen(air) through the mother. But as soon as he/she is born, the transport of the oxygen is interrupted, and the child needs to breathe in oxygen by itself to survive.
At birth, a baby’s lung is filled with fluid, creating no chance for air. But once a baby cries as he/she is born, the lung will expand, allowing air to be forced inside the lung. As this air gets into the lungs, it will help the rest of the fluids in the lungs to be absorbed by the body.
The more the baby cries, the more the lungs expand, and that creates more chance for more oxygen(air) to get to the baby’s lungs, giving the baby more chance of survival.
If a newborn baby doesn’t cry, the fluid in the baby’s lungs will not be eliminated and no air will enter his lungs, this can lead to the death of the child.
When a baby refuses to cry, the midwife or doctor will try to resuscitate(revive) the baby to make him/her cry so that the baby can take in air, without air, no human being, including a baby can survive. That is why a baby must cry at birth so that he/she can get oxygen to survive.
