Newborn Development

Congratulations, the long wait is over and your newborn baby is finally here!

As soon as things stabilize you may start to wonder what to do next? What activities can you do with your baby to make the most of those precious waking moments ensuring that you provide a solid foundation for your baby to develop his/her full potential?

Let’s take a quick peek at how a newborn baby develops month by month and then we will add some activities into the mix - setting both of you up for some great educational fun!

Important:
Always keep in mind that every baby develops differently. You will quickly realize once you introduce a new activity, if your baby is ready for it or not. If your baby is turning his face away from you, trying to avoid you - it is most probably an indication that your baby is tired or not ready for the activity you are trying to introduce. If your baby is not ready for an activity - leave it and try it later.

Keep in mind that babies need challenges. Once your baby has mastered something - try introducing an activity that you know are a bit more challenging. Just remember – it is important that you and your baby does not get frustrated during this time, the point is to have fun! If your baby gets frustrated – change to another activity you know he/she will enjoy and try the new activity later. Introduce new activities/concepts when your baby is fresh and responsive.

At birth a baby can normally do the following:

Vision:
See up to about 8 - 10 inches (20 - 25 cm) from his face

Babies see high contrast best and only in black and white when born

Babies love human faces (especially if there is contrast like bearded faces etc)

Round shapes also fascinates new born babies

Hearing:
Although a newborn´s sense of hearing is not as well developed as the sense of smell, touch or taste, it is definitely one of the most important senses to your baby since this is the most likely tool they will use to learn how to communicate.

As a fetus your baby started to hear as early as the 24th week of gestation and yes, mommy´s heartbeat was most probably the first sound your baby heard. No wonder the maternal heartbeat has proven to be very comforting for babies especially when agitated.

A lot of intensive care units use the sound of maternal heartbeat for the treatment of critically ill babies.

Since your unborn baby can hear very well during your last trimester, you should be careful about the sound your baby is exposed to.

Touch:
Touch are one of the most advanced senses that a newborn have and they can feel hot, cold, rough, smooth, soft and firm.

Smell:
Newborns rely on their sense of touch, taste and smell a lot more during those early days than any of their other senses. These senses are the most developed at birth and doesn´t require a lot of effort. The sense of smell is responsible for the bonding that take place between mom and baby and therefore plays a critical role in early emotional development.

A one week old baby has no problem telling the difference between the smell of his/her mommy´s breast milk and that of another woman.

Taste:
A baby´s development of taste starts early on in the womb when they have the privilege of sharing mommy´s food through the chemical substances present in the amniotic fluid.

A newborn can distinguish between salt, sweet, sour and bitter and prefers sweet over sour.

Involuntary Movements:
Your baby is born with a set of involuntary reflexes. By the age of three months these reflexes will be lost else your baby´s development will be delayed.

Rooting Reflex:
Stroke your newborn´s cheek and watch how your baby´s face turns towards the cheek being stroked. Your baby will ´root around´ for a nipple in order to feed.

Moro´s Reflex:
When startled or if your baby feels he is falling, your baby will spread out arms and legs in a star shape and arch her back. This is known as the involuntary Moro´s reflex.

Walking Reflex:
If you hold up your newborn and let his/her feet touch a flat surface, your baby will make step movements.

Grasp Reflex:
Your newborn baby has an involuntary grasp reflex - try putting your fingers against your baby´s palms and watch how he/she will grasp them tightly.'

Darwinian reflex:
If a newborn´s palms are touched, they will make a very tight fist this is an unconscious reflex action called the Darwinian reflex and it disappears within two to three months.

Developmental Milestones Birth to 4 Months of age
Between now and the day that your newborn infant is four months old he or she will most likely reach the developmental milestones displayed below. Use these milestones as your guide to plan some developmental activities into your baby's daily routine in order to provide him/her with the tools and opportunity to work and reach these milestones. Enjoy your baby and have fun. It is amazing how quickly they grow up (you are about to experience it first hand). Make every second with your baby a second to remember.

Birth - 1 Months
Fine Motor Skills: The hands of a newborn baby are closed most of the time and they have little control over them.

As a result of the Darwinian reflex, a newborn infant will grasp at an object placed in their hands, but without any awareness that they are doing so. At some point their hand muscles relax, and they drop the object, equally unaware that they have let it fall.

Babies may begin flailing at objects that interest them by two weeks of age but cannot grasp them.

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Gross Motor Skills: When lying on his tummy - your baby will lift his feet a little and try to bend his knees

When lying on his tummy - Your baby will try to lift his/her head for a second or two. Something that is very difficult because the head is too heavy for his back and neck muscles but still a very important exercise

1 Months - 2 Months
Fine Motor Skills: A newborn baby begin to discover and play with their hands, at first solely by touch, and then, at about three months, by sight as well.

Deliberate grasp remains largely undeveloped.

Babys loves playing with paper - crumbling, tearing etc. This is great exercise for those little hands

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Gross Motor Skills: Developing muscle strength is very important for your baby.
Tummy Time: Your baby should be able to lift his/her head at an angle of 45 degrees for a second or two

By the end of 8 weeks your baby should be able to hold his/her upright for a few seconds when held upright.

Your baby should be uncurled from the fetus position and his/her legs should be able to take his/her body weight for a second.

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Speech: Newborn will start vocalising. (Vocalise is a vocal exercise without words, which is sung on one or more vowel sounds.)

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Social development: Smiles at mother

2 Months - 3 Months
Fine Motor Skills: Hand-eye coordination begins to develop between the ages of two and four months, launching a period of trial-and-error practice at sighting objects and grabbing at them.

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Gross Motor Skills: Your baby may start to support himself a little on his hands, wrists and arms when doing tummy time

Loves moving his/her arms and legs about - kicking and waving

Your baby is still sitting with a curved back

3 Months - 4 Months
Fine Motor Skills: Babies begin to discover and play with their hands by sight.

Your baby will briefly hold a small toy voluntarily when it is placed in his/her hand

Your baby can shake a rattle to hear the noise but can´t pick the rattle up yet.

Your baby will try to reach for toys but will most probably not be able to grasp it since she is still learning to judge distance

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Gross Motor Skills: There is a lot less head lag when your baby is gently pulled into a sitting position by the arms when lying on her back

When baby is on tummy he/she can hold their head up for prolonged periods.

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Vision: Your baby will follow a slow moving toy from side to side.

Your baby will soon start to focus instantly on an object and easily follow the movements.

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Social development: Squeals with pleasure when enjoying something

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Cognitive development: Your baby may start to anticipate coming events. For example, he/she may pull up their knees when placed on a changing table or smile with gleeful anticipation when put in a front pack for an outing.