Newborns (1-3 Months)
Your child’s intellect and body will grow by leaps and bounds. WellStar will help you keep up with developmental changes. If your child has specific health concerns, from emergency care to annual checkups and sports exams, we’re here to provide very best medical care through childhood to puberty and beyond.
Milestones
By the end of the first month, your baby will likely listen when you speak, watch you as you hold him/her, and move to respond to you or attract your attention.
Here are some other milestones to look for in your baby’s first month:
- Hearing is fully mature
- Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
- Moves head from side to side while lying on stomach
- Focuses eight to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) away
- Prefers the human face to any other pattern
- May turn toward familiar sounds and voices
- Recognizes the scent of mom’s breast milk
- Prefers soft to coarse sensations
- Dislikes rough or abrupt handling
During the second, third, or fourth weeks of your baby’s life, notify your WellStar pediatrician if you notice any of the following signs of developmental delay:
- Doesn’t blink when shown a bright light
- Doesn’t focus on and follow a nearby object moving side to side
- Rarely moves arms and legs; seems stiff
- Seems excessively loose in the limbs, or floppy
- Lower jaw trembles constantly, even when not crying or excited
- Doesn’t respond to loud sounds
By the time your baby is three months of age, he/she will lose newborn reflexes while acquiring more voluntary control of his/her body. Some milestones to look for:
- Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
- Supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach
- Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands
- Grasps and shakes hand toys
- Watches faces intently
- Follows moving objects
- Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
- Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
- Smiles at the sound of your voice
- Begins to babble
- Begins to imitate some sounds
- Turns head toward direction of sound
- Begins to develop a social smile
- Enjoys playing with other people and may cry when playing stops
- Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body
- Imitates some movements and facial expressions
Although each baby develops in his/her own individual way, failure to reach certain milestones may signal medical or developmental problems. Some warning signs to bring to your pediatrician’s attention include:
- Doesn’t seem to respond to loud sounds
- Doesn’t notice his/her hands by two months
- Doesn’t smile at the sound of your voice by two months
- Doesn’t follow moving objects with his/her eyes by two to three months
- Doesn’t grasp and hold objects by three months
- Doesn’t smile at people by three months
- Cannot support his/her head well at three months
- Doesn’t reach for and grasp toys by three to four months
- Doesn’t babble by three to four months
- Doesn’t bring objects to his/her mouth by four months
- Begins babbling, but doesn’t try to imitate any of your sounds, by four months
- Doesn’t push down with his/her legs when his/her feet are placed on a firm surface by four months
- Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions
- Crosses his/her eyes most of the time (Occasional crossing of the eyes is normal in these first months.)
- Doesn’t pay attention to new faces, or seems very frightened by new faces or surroundings
- Still has the tonic neck reflex at four to five months