What should I do if my baby’s arms and legs are fully extended?

When a baby stretches their arms and legs straight and strains as if constipated, they are actually just yawning—or rather, stretching. This occurs because newborns and young infants are in a critical phase of growth and development; most of their internal organs have not yet fully matured, and their bodies require relatively large amounts of nutrients and oxygen. Stretching helps improve blood circulation, thereby delivering more nutrients and oxygen to various organs. Therefore, frequent stretching is common and entirely normal in newborns and does not require treatment.