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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The crying isn’t the important detail it’s the breathing, and crying indicates breathing is happening.
There is a fascinating thing that happens during birth (many actually). In the womb there is liquid and no air and the baby is getting oxygen through the umbilical cord. If they were to breath in the lungs would be filled with fluid (bad). Just after the baby is born it takes its first breath ever (what triggers that I’m not quite sure but it’s complicated and there is something that switches in the heart too to direct blood to the lungs I think). This can go wrong sometimes resulting in a baby that “forgets” to breath.
So .. it’s a signal that doctors look for to ensure it’s breathing and you can’t cry if you can’t breath.
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