Fun Fact - The First Cry Of A Baby Is Very Important

You've heard of this phenomena but you don't know the mechanism. Actually, most of the people think the first cry of a baby is funny. Today, I'm gonna tell you about the scientific and physiological mechanism associated with "The First Cry Of A Baby."


Welcome to another article in the "Fun Fact" series. This is where I debunk many myths and make you aware of the mechanisms and facts behind the everyday things. You can read all articles by going to the following link -

• Fun Facts - Read To Get Surprised.

Newborns always cry after cutting the umbilical cord. I'll explain the mechanism in two subpoints -

1. Placental events

When the baby is in the womb, lung doesn't function as the respiratory organ. Lung remains as a solid organ. The baby receives blood from the mother via the placenta. This is called fetal circulation.

So the baby receives Oxygen, nutrients etc from the mother. Produced CO2 by the baby also diffuses out to the mother's blood via the placenta.

2. Afterbirth events

The moment the umbilical cord is cut and clamped, the baby now has to survive on its own. So many physiological and structural changes occur within the baby's body. Due to stoppage of blood flow from the placenta, sudden hypoxia (decreased amount of Oxygen in the body) occurs in the baby. The CO2 level also increases and produces hypercapnia.

So, the respiratory centre gets strongly stimulated. Then the baby tries to expand his lungs and the baby does the obvious. He cries. With the first cry, he inhales air for the first time. As a result, lung gets inflated with air.

• As you can see, a baby's breathing is directly related to his first cry.

• The first cry also helps to remove any amniotic fluid in the lungs or in the air passage.

Other Fun Fact Articles

• Is Sahara Not The Largest Desert?
• Can Your Peni* Get Smaller?

Hope this article helped you clear your misconceptions about "The First Cry Of A Baby." If you see any mistake in this article, be sure to explain that in the comments below.