Question
My newborn is 23 days old and has been struggling vigorously for the past one or two weeks, with a flushed face. They clench their hands, sometimes rub or scratch their face, kick their feet, and make various loud, forceful sounds with their mouth. This happens more often during the day, and when held by adults, they usually fall asleep. If placed on the bed, they will wake up and start struggling again. During the afternoon nap, they can eat and sleep without much trouble, but recently, when they eat a few mouthfuls at night, they become uncomfortable and cry, wanting to eat again, repeating this cycle. They are fed formula milk, have regular bowel movements twice a day, with more curds and a sour smell to the feces, and many farts. Could it be calcium deficiency? Isn’t it said that infants under a month old rarely have calcium deficiency?
Answer
The nervous system of young infants is not yet fully developed; the excitement and inhibition functions of the nerves are not yet coordinated. They are easily excited and may trigger nervous system excitement with slight external stimuli, leading to vigorous struggling, flushed face, furrowed brows, humming sounds, and jumping or trembling during afternoon naps. This is a normal physical phenomenon that will naturally disappear as the baby grows older and their nervous system develops more fully.