Child development at age 0-3 months

Generally speaking, at the age of 0-3 months, babies’ motoric development follows the pattern below:

• Babies generally adapt to the outside world and develop the basic reflexes they need to survive, such as sucking, swallowing, coughing, and grasping, etc.
• They keep their hands clenched in fists most of the time with no eye-hand coordination .
• After approximately one month of age, babies should be able – when lying face down – to raise their head and look both ways.
• Starting from the second month, babies can wrap their fingers around an object when it is placed into their hand.
• Hands and legs can be moved in a squirming or kicking manner.
• Babies inspect their own hands and move their hands and toys to their mouth. 
• When lying on their back, babies are able to bring their hands together.

(Bartolotta and Shulman, 2010; UNICEF, n.d.; University of Pittsburgh, 2015)

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At the age of 0-3 months, babies are able to:

• watch a close object as well as recognise and study their hands and fingers;
• distinguish smell and taste;
• communicate mostly by crying and turning towards familiar voices; 
• express feelings such as anger, excitement, or hunger;
• laugh and make cooing or gurgling noises; and (later on)
• respond with a smile when somebody smiles at them.

Other common developments related to the mind include that:

• babies sleep most of the day, but in relatively short blocks;
• early characteristics of individual personality appear, and babies start to recognise their primary caregivers;
• babies enjoy being held and rocked as well as bathing time;
• they start to put things into their mouth and reach for toys making a noise;
• babies enjoy tickling and can be calmed by a familiar voice; and
• they are startled by loud voices and turn their head towards the voice. 

(Bartolotta and Shulman, 2010; UNICEF, n.d.; University of Pittsburgh, 2015)

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