A Paediatrician, Ayobola Adebowale, popularly known as Your Baby Doctor, has clarified that some newborn baby girls may experience mild vaginal bleeding shortly after birth — a harmless condition medically referred to as pseudo menstruation or neonatal menstruation.
In a video obtained by The Punch correspondent on Saturday, Adebowale explained that the condition results from hormonal changes following delivery and should not cause alarm.
She said, “Your newborn baby can actually menstruate and this is what we call pseudo menstruation or neonatal menstruation, and it occurs because your baby inside your womb was exposed to a lot of your hormones.
“When you bring them out suddenly at time of delivery, they have what we call withdrawal bleeding, which is basically menstruation, and this happens in newborn babies and it’s essentially normal.”
The paediatrician further advised parents not to panic when they notice such discharge in their newborn girls.
“You have no reason to be scared. You have nothing to be worried about. Just observe the discharge and after a few days it will resolve by itself.
“You really don’t have to do anything and you have no reason to be worried and that child is not a witch,” she said.
Adebowale, however, cautioned that if the bleeding continues for longer than expected, parents should consult a medical professional for proper evaluation.
Medical experts describe neonatal or pseudo menstruation as a temporary condition that may appear within the first week of life due to a sudden drop in maternal oestrogen levels after childbirth.
While still in the womb, a baby girl is exposed to high levels of her mother’s hormones. After delivery, these hormones decline sharply, sometimes triggering the baby’s uterus to shed a small amount of blood or mucus — similar to a light menstrual flow.
Doctors advise that while this phenomenon is typically harmless, parents should seek medical attention if the bleeding is heavy, persists for more than a few days, or occurs after the first week, as it may indicate an infection or another underlying health concern.
