1st month of development
1st month of development
The first month ...
In the first few days ...
What can your baby do when it is born:
• Its head is not controlled, but, when lying, it turns its head to its favourite direction.
• It can shake its hands and legs on both sides of its body. It has its legs slightly bent.
• It can focus its eyes on objects at a distance of 20-30 cm, without being able to watch them.
• It cannot recognise who is feeding it, who is having it in their arms and who is mum or dad.
• It feels happy when it is eating but it does not know what happiness is.
• It can hear voices and noises even before its birth.
• For newborns, crying is the only way of communication. Its crying can be different depending on its need - hunger, pain, being wet, fear or loneliness.
• When you touch its cheek, it turns on the same side to breastfeed.
The first month ...
What it can do by the end of the 1st month of its life:
• It acquires better coordination.
• When in prone position, it can lift its head for a few seconds. If you lift it up, it can hold its head for 1-2 seconds at the same direction. It can focus its eyes on one person.
• It feels happy when it is eating but it does not know what happiness is.
• It can shake its hands and legs on both sides of its body.
• It has its legs slightly bent. It can follow with its eyes a moving point light for a few seconds.
• It is surprised by loud sounds.
Attention! All children are different from each other and each one has its own growth rate. The development stages described are based on the average rate. Do not worry if your baby deviates from this average. If however you do notice something worrying in its development, contact your pediatrician.
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