Family pictures aren't really a subject that requires a special camera model or feature. Newborn photography can be quite challenging on the other hand. Features that will be important to this type of photography would be all of the features that you would buy a DSLR for - large apertures, off camera flash, fast continuous shooting, low noise high ISO performance, and near instant shutter lag.

You aren't going to find all of these things in a point-and-shoot camera, but you can find things like a f/2.0 lens, better high ISO performance, and a hot shoe. Another thing you could look for is getting a fixed lens point-and-shoot that doesn't extend the lens each time, and that will speed up the time till the first shot. But most of these are either the very basic entry level models with much smaller apertures, or the bigger PEN sized cameras.

Look for:

• Large Apertures(f/2.8 or larger)
• Better then average high ISO performance
• Hot shoe capabilities
• Fast start up and time to first shot

Newborns don't move that much, but large apertures and bokeh is nice for this type of photography. When they are awake, they flail their hands and feet around so much, that it can be difficult to get a sharp image indoors without additional lighting. Not to mention in only a few months they will start moving QUICK! That is when the high ISO performance will really come in handy.