Why does a doctor spanks after delivery?

Answer 1

Not any more. The possible dangers from the slap on their fragile forms far outweigh any benefits. Instead, they suction the mouths and the babies start breathing soon as the airway is clear.

-actually, babies from birth up to two weeks cannot feel pain. The act of spanking is to startle them and let them able to breathe air through the mouth and nose.

Rebuttal to #2Not to be rude, but I think you'll find that more recent neurological models show not only infantile humans but many animals we said couldn't feel pain actually do. It's not a heck of a leap -- we're assuming that if you strike a newborn, the same neurotransmitters light up, send the same impulses to the brain, are interpreted mysteriously not as pain but as surprise, and the neurological response is identical to the one they'll later express for pain stimuli? Doesn't it sound more like a pain response? I think if you go over the more recent work on this, you'll find that memory of trauma around the time of birth is difficult if not impossible to determine. This doesn't mean it doesn't hurt; this means it's not clearly remembered.

However, I didn't say pain-- I said damage.The old school way of starting breathing circa 1950 or so was to hold the baby inverted and slap them on their butt. This isn't done anywhere any more because it's needlessly dangerous to the newborn. Doesn't the idea of gently suctioning the airway clear while the newborn is in a supported, prone position just sound safer than holding them in mid-air while striking them?

Answer 2

The doctor spanks the baby to make it cry, so that it will take air into its lungs and start to breathe. Many doctors now don't spank. Most babies start to cry and breathe the moment they are born.

Answer 3

To open their airways.

Answer 4

yes.