I saw a reel on how african doctors will slap the baby for them to cry and i know for a fact that this is true and there must be a reason behind it but i just don’t get it
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People have already discussed the crying baby = breathing baby part so I’ll talk about what is specifically being looked for at a glance:
At least in the US we use something called “APGAR scoring” to determine the wellbeing and stability of a newborn:
APGAR stands for:
Activity (muscle tone, can be absent 0, present but not dynamic/ only flexed 1, or active 2)
Pulse (absent 0, under 100 which isn’t great 1, or over 100 which is what we want 2)
Grimace (floppy, minimally responsive to stimulation, or immediately responsive)
Appearance (blue/pale, blue/pale in extremities, pink all over)
Respiration (absent, slow and irregular, or vigorous cry)
A high score indicates a more stable baby. If the baby is crying they immediately get a lot of points (+2 for activity, +2 grimace, +2 respiration +2 pulse = 8). Above a 7 is what we’re looking for. If a baby is crying you immediately know they’re doing well and won’t likely need immediate intervention.
It also shows the baby’s baseline functioning, so you can tell if they’re declining.
I learned to dry the baby rather toughly, rather than spanking.
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