A cry that brings smiles sounds like a contradiction, but the first cry of a newborn baby does exactly that. In movies and in real delivery rooms, nurses, doctors, and mothers all wait for one thing after a baby comes out of the womb: whether the baby cries or not. But have you ever wondered why that cry matters so much, or why the doctors look for it at all?
It all starts with the first breath
The short answer is that the cry is the baby's first breath — and that first breath is what makes them cry. Let's unpack the longer version, because it's more interesting than it sounds.
While the baby is inside the mother's womb, it relies on the mother for oxygen. In short, the mother breathes in oxygen for both herself and her child, and carbon dioxide is passed out through her as well. The baby is connected to the mother by the placenta, which filters oxygen-rich blood from the mother, and the umbilical cord, which acts as the medium for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide between them.
The moment of birth
During birth, the baby feels some pressure on its chest, which eases once it's out of the womb. When delivered, the baby moves from the comparatively warmer surroundings of the womb to a cooler environment. That exposure to colder air and a brand-new world makes the baby gasp for air — and that gasp triggers a cry. The crying helps expand the lungs, which removes fluid and any mucus that might be present, making it easier to breathe.
So in short, that first cry is actually a sign that the baby has healthy lungs. It's one of the most welcome sounds in any delivery room.
What if a baby doesn't cry right away?
A newborn not crying instantly isn't necessarily a problem, and it depends on how the delivery went. Was it a normal delivery or a c-section? Was the baby delivered through a water birth, where the temperature inside the water is a little warmer? All of these factors help doctors understand whether the situation is critical or simply different.
The APGAR score
For more information, the evaluation of a newborn is done using the APGAR score, which stands for:
- A — Appearance: whether the skin is pale or pink.
- P — Pulse: whether the heart rate is normal or not.
- G — Grimace (reflex): whether there's any response to stimulation, or whether the baby gets irritated.
- A — Activity: how the muscle tone is — whether the arms and legs are flexed, active, or showing no movement.
- R — Respiration: whether there's no cry, a slow cry, or a loud cry.
A score between 0 and 10 is used to decide whether a baby needs immediate attention, with a lower score signalling an emergency.
Why doesn't the baby drown in the womb?
Coming back to the fluid, you might wonder why a baby doesn't drown inside the womb, since the lungs are filled with amniotic fluid. The answer comes down to why we need lungs in the first place — for breathing, which gives us oxygen. Inside the womb, the baby gets the oxygen it needs from the mother through the placenta and umbilical cord, so it doesn't matter that the lungs are filled with amniotic fluid. The lungs aren't doing any breathing work yet.
But once the baby leaves the womb, there's no way to get oxygen apart from the lungs. If the lungs are still filled with water, they can't pass oxygen along — which is why that can turn into a serious condition.
Where does the fluid go?
As for the fluid in the lungs, most of it is removed during the birth process itself, while any remaining fluid is expelled through a cough. A baby's first breath results from a combination of things: hormonal changes that help clear leftover fluid from the lungs, the shift in environment, exposure to colder air, and external stimulation that causes discomfort. Still, there have been plenty of instances where perfectly healthy babies don't cry instantly — and that's okay.
The bigger picture
Ultimately, crying is how babies communicate. Whether it's hunger, a wet diaper, irritation, or the need to sleep, that's how they tell us something is going on. So next time you hear that first cry, you can think of it as the baby announcing, "Mumma, Dada, I am here!"
That's it for today's curious question. Until next time, keep breathing the air of curiosity.