Growth Milestones Upto The Third Month

Baby Growth & Development 1 to 3 months

Milestones At 1 Month

At 4 weeks, your baby is almost a month old and you've both gone through an enormous amount of change in a very short period. Before you do anything else, pat yourself on the back for making it this far and recognize all that you have accomplished since you met your little one.

You’ve made it through sleepless nights, struggled through feedings, and learned to do pretty much any task one-handed. But just like every new week so far, there’s plenty more in store for both of you! Here’s what you need to know about your 1-month-old baby.

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 backwards if unsupported
• Keeps hands in tight fists
• Strong reflex movements

Visual and Hearing Milestones

• Focuses 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.4 cm) away
• Eyes wander and occasionally cross
• Prefers black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
• Prefers the human face to all other patterns
• Hearing is fully mature
• Recognizes some sounds
• May turn toward familiar sounds and voices

Smell and Touch Milestones

• Prefers sweet smells
• Avoids bitter or acidic smells
• Recognizes the scent of his own mother’s breastmilk
• Prefers soft to coarse sensations
• Dislikes rough or abrupt handling

Developmental Health Watch

If, during the second, third, or fourth weeks of your baby’s life, she shows any of the following signs of developmental delay, notify your paediatrician.

• Sucks poorly and feeds slowly
• Doesn’t blink when shown a bright light
• Doesn’t focus 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

Milestones At 3 Months

Three months marks an exciting time as you move out of the “fourth trimester” with your infant. Your baby will be taking on a new appearance and gaining a lot of exciting skills this month, like finding their hands, smiling more, and perhaps the more important development of all—possibly sleeping through the night. Here's what else you can expect with a 3-month-old.

Movement Milestones

• Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
• Supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach
• Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back
• Opens and shuts hands
• Pushes down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
• Brings hand to mouth
• Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands
• Grasps and shakes hand toys

Visual and Hearing Milestones

• 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

Social and Emotional Milestones

• 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

Developmental Health Watch

If you notice any of the following warning signs in your infant at this age, don’t hesitate to discuss them with your paediatrician.

• Doesn’t seem to respond to loud sounds
• Doesn’t notice her hands by two months
• Doesn’t smile at the sound of your voice by two months
• Doesn’t follow moving objects with 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 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 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 her legs when her feet are placed on a firm surface by four months
• Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions
• Crosses 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

While the milestones mentioned above work for the majority of the babies, don’t be disheartened if your baby hasn’t met them all. It is crucial to understand that each baby is different, like a thumbprint; and a variety of factors determine their growth. The best solution in a case like this would be to have a quick conversation with your child’s paediatrician. Don’t be alarmed, and give your baby all the love and warmth needed which is the main recipe of smooth growth and development of your little one. Also click here to know about baby growth from 7months to 5 years.