No, you do not have to slap a baby when it’s born. In fact, slapping or hitting a newborn baby is not recommended and can be harmful. Here’s a quick overview of why slapping is not necessary or advised when a baby is born:
To Get the Baby to Cry
Some people think you need to slap or spank a baby right after birth to get them to cry and breathe. However, doctors say this is not true. Babies will usually start breathing and crying on their own within the first minute after birth. Slapping or hitting the baby is unnecessary and could cause injury.
To Clear Fluids
Another reason people think you should slap a newborn is to help clear their airways of fluids. But there are safer, gentler ways to clear a baby’s airways that don’t involve hitting them such as suctioning the mouth and nose with a bulb syringe. Hitting the baby could make them inhale meconium or amniotic fluid which can be dangerous.
As a Traditional Practice
In some cultures, it’s traditional to spank or slap a baby’s bottom when they are born. However, doctors strongly advise against this practice as it provides no medical benefit and can cause the baby pain and distress. There are no health organizations that endorse hitting a baby after birth.
When to Intervene After Birth
While you do not need to slap a baby that’s just been born, sometimes medical intervention is required if the baby is having trouble breathing or turning blue. Here are some of the ways doctors and nurses may gently stimulate the baby to breathe if needed:
Rubbing the Back
Nurses or doctors may gently rub the baby’s back to stimulate breathing. This is often enough to get the baby to take those first breaths.
Flicking the Feet
Another technique is gently flicking or massaging the baby’s feet to stimulate breathing. This irritates them just enough to get them to breathe while not being painful.
Oxygen Mask
If stimulation like rubbing and flicking feet isn’t working, the medical staff may provide oxygen via a mask to help get breathing going.
Chest Compressions
Rarely, babies need more intervention if they are still not breathing after stimulation and oxygen. Medical staff may gently perform chest compressions to get air into the lungs.
Dangers of Slapping a Newborn
Not only is slapping a newborn unnecessary, but it can also be dangerous and harmful:
Brain Bleeding
Hitting a baby right after birth when the head is still soft and malleable can lead to bleeding in the brain or other intracranial hemorrhaging. This can cause serious health issues.
Spinal Damage
The bones in a newborn’s neck and back are very fragile. Forcefully slapping a baby could damage the spine or neck leading to future mobility problems.
Hearing Loss
A hard slap on the ears could rupture the eardrum or damage the inner ear structures, possibly leading to partial or total hearing loss.
Abusive Head Trauma
Hitting a baby may cause bleeding in the retinas of the eyes or other forms of abusive head trauma with life-long consequences.
Emotional Harm
Being slapped after birth could also lead to emotional or psychological distress that negatively impacts the parent-child bonding process.
Gentle Ways to Care for Newborns
Instead of slapping, there are many comforting ways nurses and doctors care for newborns right after birth:
Placing Baby on Mother’s Chest
One of the best things you can do is immediately place the newborn on the mother’s bare chest to initiate bonding, breastfeeding, and regulate the baby’s heart rate and breathing.
Keeping Baby Warm
Newborns have a hard time regulating their body temperature. Keeping the baby skin-to-skin and wrapped in warm blankets is important.
Suctioning the Airway
Nurses use a bulb syringe to gently suction any fluid out of the baby’s mouth and nose to help clear the airways.
Footprints and Measurements
While not medically necessary, things like footprint keepsakes, weighing, and measuring are traditional ways to celebrate the baby’s arrival.
When Slapping May Have Been Used Historically
While no longer practiced today, there were times when slapping or spanking newborns may have been used:
Midwives in Rural Areas
Before modern hospital birthing practices, midwives attending home births may have used a swat on the bottom to stimulate breathing.
When Medical Technology Was Limited
In areas without reliable access to medical technology like oxygen masks and suction bulbs, stimulation like slapping may have been used historically out of necessity to save a non-breathing baby.
Traditional Practices
Some traditional cultures may have included a ritual slap or spank for newborns as a customary practice, even though it offered no medical benefit. This was likely done out of habit or tradition.
When Childbirth Knowledge Was Limited
Before modern understanding of newborn needs, people may have thought slapping was necessary to get babies to cry and breathe when in fact it is not a helpful practice.
Medical Guidelines on Caring For Newborns
Today, medical organizations and experts provide guidelines against slapping or hitting newborns. Instead, they recommend gentle, effective techniques:
| Organization | Guidelines on Slapping Newborns |
|---|---|
| World Health Organization | Specifically advises against slapping or hitting babies to stimulate breathing. Recommends gentle rubbing of the back or feet. |
| American Academy of Pediatrics | States that newborns should never be slapped or spanked and respond best to gentle stimulation like drying and rubbing the back. |
| International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation | Advises against routine use of tactile stimulation like slapping, stating that most babies breathe spontaneously without need for stimulation. |
| National Institute of Child Health and Human Development | Slapping should not be used on newborns as it provides no medical benefit and may cause harm like brain bleeding. |
Laws Against Hitting a Child
In addition to medical advice against slapping or hitting newborns, there are laws in many places prohibiting hitting any child:
- Over 50 countries worldwide have adopted laws banning corporal punishment of children, including slapping and spanking.
- Canada, Kenya, South Africa, New Zealand, and many European countries have made it illegal to hit a child.
- In the United States, 36 states and Washington D.C. ban hitting a child under 1 year old.
- Some countries like Sweden have completely banned physically striking children in any way, including symbolic slapping of newborns.
While not every country has specific laws about newborn slapping, the trend is certainly moving towards prohibiting all forms of physical punishment against babies and children.
The Bottom Line
In summary, medical experts and organizations agree that you should never slap a baby right after birth. Not only is hitting a newborn unnecessary but it can also be dangerous and counterproductive to the baby’s well-being. Health professionals emphasize using gentle care and stimulation if a baby needs help breathing after delivery. While the practice may have roots in certain traditions or have been used historically when knowledge was limited, slapping has no place in modern newborn care. There are also laws against physically striking children in many parts of the world. The best way to safely welcome a new life into the world is with loving, nurturing contact, not an aggressive slap.