 Developmental
Milestones
What
are some of the developmental milestones my child should reach by three months
of age?
By the time
your baby is three months of age, she will have made a dramatic transformation
from a totally dependent newborn to an active and responsive infant. She’ll
lose many of her newborn reflexes while acquiring more voluntary control of
her body. You’ll find her spending hours inspecting her hands and watching
their movements.
Here are
some other milestones to look for.
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
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
Although
each baby develops in her own individual way and at her own rate, failure
to reach certain milestones may signal medical or developmental problems requiring
special attention. If you notice any of the following warning signs in your
infant at this age, discuss them with your pediatrician.
-
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
Published online: 6/07
Source: Caring
for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Copyright ©
2004 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 5/05)
To order a copy of this book visit the AAP
Bookstore.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained
in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care
and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your
pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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