Child development (1) - newborn to three months

Coming into the world is a big adventure for a baby. At first, they don’t understand that you are there to feed and care for them. They only know whether they feel comfortable and safe, or not.

Even so, from birth they begin to communicate, giving you small signals when they are tired, hungry, or awake and alert. Babies are learning all the time, and the job of parents is to help them discover that the world is a welcoming place where their needs will be met.

Connecting with your baby#

Even shy and sleepy babies take an interest in your voice and face. A large part of the brain is devoted to understanding and remembering faces, and much of our social behaviour is based on how we read other people’s expressions.

Looking into someone’s eyes is part of how we bond, so show your baby your face and talk to them soothingly right from the start. Don’t feel rejected if they turn away. Tiny babies often get tired when they interact.

It helps to remember that newborns cannot cry “for attention” or to “get at” their parents. A newborn is not yet capable of responding to you with any conscious purpose.

Crying and settling#

Many babies under three months cry a lot, especially in the late afternoon or evening. A young baby is bombarded by external stimuli such as shapes, sounds, and colours, and can easily feel overwhelmed.

Jiggling a baby is not a good way to help them settle and can be frightening or even painful, even if the crying stops.

Never shake a baby#

It is very important never to shake a baby. Shaking can cause serious, permanent injury.

Social and emotional development#

In these early weeks, babies:

• Don’t yet understand what is happening to them, or realise they are a separate person.
• Don’t know who is feeding them, or who helps them when they cry.
• Cry when they are hungry or tired, but don’t yet know that they are being cared for.
• Can feel, but cannot yet think.

Babies usually begin to smile by five to seven weeks, and many laugh out loud by three months.

Physical development#

Hearing and seeing#

Newborns can hear, and have been hearing sounds since well before birth.

Their eye muscles are still immature. They can see, particularly at close range, but cannot yet organise visual images into meaningful shapes. In the first couple of months they are attracted by bright light, primary colours, stripes, dots, and patterns. Their eyes move in unison most of the time by about six weeks.

The human face is the first object a baby recognises. Over the first three months, they begin to recognise particular faces and other familiar things, such as a favourite teddy bear.

Using their bodies#

In the first eight weeks, babies have no control over their movements, and all their physical activity is involuntary or reflex. Sucking, grasping, and pulling to stand are all reflexes. They move while awake, but do not yet know how to make each part of their body move, or even that all those parts belong to them.

By about eight weeks, they start to work out how to lift their head when lying on their tummy, and they kick their legs. In their third month, they begin to watch their hands and feet wave in the air, and to wave a fist towards your face or another object they want.

Speech and language#

For a newborn, crying is the only means of communication. It is important to respond to your baby as soon as possible, so they begin to understand that you will be there for them.

By seven or eight weeks, babies begin to discover their voice and make cooing noises and vowel sounds. Around this age, they will also listen to what you say and then make noises back as they “talk” to you.

Supporting your baby’s development#

Suggested activities include:

• Rock and gently hold your baby.
• Make a mobile and hang it facing them, above their cot.
• Stroke different parts of their body to see how they like to be touched.
• Speak to them gently and respond to their sounds.

All children are different and develop at their own rate. If your baby doesn’t do everything listed here, it may simply be because they are working on a different area of learning.

However, if your baby seems very different from other children, or if you are worried about their development or it seems to go backwards, seek advice from a health professional.

Signs that could suggest a developmental problem include:

• A baby who is exceptionally quiet or placid.
• Persistent difficulties with settling.

If you are worried, talk to your child health nurse or doctor.

Where to get help#