Newborns in the Fields

by Johan
(Boston, MA)

My great-grandmother told me how her mother cared for her as a newborn baby: Taking her to the fields to do the planting!

This was in the really old days, when a woman got to stay at home a couple of days at best after giving birth - but not during the busy season when the planting was going on. She had to put her daughter on her back, newborn though she was, and carry her all day as she was putting seedlings into the ground.

Nobody thought this was anything remarkable in those days, and at least she had her baby close, when the baby needed to be fed. A long day in the field strapped to your mothers back is bound to take its toll on a newborn.

She always claimed to be a little darker skinned than the rest of her family, although nobody could tell the difference.

Laurie - The MNBC Mommy's says:
OUCH! Personally, pregnancy is pretty hard on me. I usually feel much better a few hours after I have given birth than I did for the previous 3 months, BUT I'm certainly not feeling up to a day of hard labor!

Parents need to be cautious about exposing their infants to sun.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) says:

"Infants <6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight. Because they are not mobile and cannot remove themselves from uncomfortable light and heat, they should be moved under a tree, umbrella, or the stroller canopy, although on reflective surfaces an umbrella or canopy may reduce UVR exposure by only 50%. Many infants have impaired functional sweating. Exposure to the heat of the sun may increase the risk of heatstroke. Sunburn may occur readily because an infant's skin has less melanin than at any other time in life."2

Some indirect sunlight is beneficial for providing newborn babies with Vitamin D, especially those who are exclusively breastfed. However, caution needs to be undertaken in order to avoid the harmful effects of the sun.

If you need to be taking your newborn baby out into the sun, the best protection will be lightweight clothing and a hat. You can also provide shade by keeping her in her carseat or stroller and providing a canopy with a lightweight blanket.

Sunscreen should be used only as a last resort and only in the smallest quantities on limited areas. They do contain chemicals that your baby's body will absorb.