Patient Education: Developmental Milestones

Part of the joy of being a parent is watching your child develop. Although every child develops differently, the following are guidelines you can use to track your child’s progress, adapted from "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5" by Steven Shelov, M.D., American Academy of Pediatrics.

By the End of the First Month

MOVEMENT MILESTONES

• Makes jerky, quivering arm thrusts
• Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
• Moves head from side-to-side while lying on stomach
• Head flops backward if unsupported
• Keeps hands in tight fists
• Strong reflex movements

VISION MILESTONES

• Focuses 8 to 12 inches away
• Eyes wander and occasionally cross
• Prefers black and white or high contrast patterns
• Prefers the human face to all other patterns

HEARING MILESTONES

• Hearing is fully mature
• Recognizes some sounds
• May turn toward familiar sounds and voices

SMELL AND TOUCH MILESTONES

• Prefers sweet smells
• Avoids bitter or acid smells
• Recognizes the scent of his own mother's breast milk
• Prefers soft to coarse sensations
• Dislikes rough or abrupt handling

DEVELOPMENTAL HEALTH WATCH
If, during the second. third and fourth weeks of life a baby exhibits any of the following signs, they should be referred to a pediatrician.

• Sucks poorly and feeds slowly
• Does not blink when shown bright light
• Does not focus and follow a nearby object moving side-to-side
• Rarely moves arms and/or legs, seems stiff
• Seems excessively loose in the limbs, or floppy
• Lower jaw trembles constantly, even when not crying or excited
• Does not respond to loud sounds

3 months »