Which of the following is not a typical physical characteristic of newborns?

Prepare for the NACC Early Childhood Assistant Exam with our detailed quiz. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions complete with hints and explanations. Start your journey towards certification with confidence!

Newborns have several characteristic physical features that can be quite distinct from those of older children and adults. The correct answer indicates that lower bodies are not more fully developed than their heads. In fact, a typical feature of newborns is that their heads are proportionally larger compared to their bodies. This is due to the rapid growth of the brain and skull that occurs in utero and just after birth.

At this stage of development, the head might account for a significant portion of the infant's total body length, while the limbs and lower parts of the body will appear relatively smaller. This proportional difference is normal and highlights the unique developmental phase that newborns go through, as their body composition and proportions will change significantly in the subsequent months.

In contrast, wrinkled skin, puffy and swollen eyes, and misshaped heads are indeed typical characteristics observed in newborns shortly after birth. Skin wrinkling is a result of being in amniotic fluid, puffy eyes can occur due to the birthing process, and misshapen heads are common due to the molding that takes place during delivery as they pass through the birth canal.

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