Final answer:
The head of a newborn is not smaller than its chest; instead, it is proportionally larger compared to the rest of the body, making up about a quarter of the baby's total length at birth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Is the newborn's head smaller than its chest? No, in fact, the head of a newborn is very large in comparison to its body and especially when compared to the rest of its proportions. At birth, the newborn head accounts for about one-quarter of the baby's total body length, which is a considerable ratio in relation to the whole body. This contrasts with an adult's head, which makes up roughly one-seventh of their total body length. Newborns display distinctive body proportions with a notably large head, which includes the cranium. The prominence of the newborn's head size is not only due to the need to house a developing brain but also because the skull has soft spots, known as fontanels. These areas allow for the newborn's head to mold and pass through the birth canal during delivery and ossify or harden over time after birth.
Right after birth, a newborn's skin is often covered with a waxy white substance called vernix, and some may still have fine hair called lanugo, although it typically disappears within the first month. The newborn's body is also characterized by wide shoulders and hips, as well as relatively long arms and legs in comparison to the body. These proportions, including the protruding abdomen, shift significantly as the newborn grows.