Infant and toddler health (14)
- Car seat safety: Avoid 10 common mistakes
- Vaccines: Top 5 myths about childhood vaccines
- Thermometer basics: Taking your child's temperature
- see all in Infant and toddler health
Newborn health (19)
- Baby's head shape: What's normal?
- Infant development: What happens from birth to 3 months?
- Circumcision for baby boys: Weighing the pros and cons
- see all in Newborn health
Infant health (16)
- Spitting up in babies: What's normal, what's not
- Infant development: What happens from 7 to 9 months?
- Infant development: What happens from 10 to 12 months?
- see all in Infant health
Toddler health (11)
- Child development chart: Preschool milestones
- Potty training: How to get the job done
- Temper tantrums: How to keep the peace
- see all in Toddler health
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Infant development: What happens from birth to 3 months?
Babies change dramatically in the first few months. Consider major infant development milestones in the first three months — and what to do when something's not right.
By Mayo Clinic staffA lot happens during your baby's first three months. Most babies reach certain milestones at similar ages, but infant development isn't an exact science. Expect your baby to grow and develop at his or her own unique pace. As you get to know your baby, consider these general infant development milestones.
What to expect
At first, caring for your baby may feel like an endless cycle of feeding, diapering and soothing. But soon, signs of your baby's growth and development will emerge.
- Motor skills. Your newborn's head will be wobbly at first. But within the first few months, most babies can face straight ahead while lying on their backs and lift their heads while lying on their tummies. Although newborns aren't likely to roll over, your baby may soon turn from side to back. Your baby's stretching and kicking is likely to get more vigorous. If you offer a toy, your baby may grasp it and hold on tight for a few moments.
- Hearing. Within a few weeks, your baby may respond to loud noises by blinking, startling, frowning or waking from light sleep. Even everyday household sounds — footsteps on the floor, water running — may elicit subtle responses, such as increased limb movement or slowed sucking rhythm. Expect your baby to respond to the sound of your voice.
- Vision. Most newborns focus best on objects about 12 inches away, or the distance to your face during a feeding. Soon your baby may begin to examine more complex designs, along with various colors, sizes and shapes. You may notice your baby studying his or her hands and feet. By age 3 months, your baby may be easily distracted by an interesting sight or sound.
- Communication. Newborns are sensitive to the way you hold, rock and feed them. By age 2 months, your baby may smile on purpose, blow bubbles and coo when you talk or gently play together. Your baby may even mimic your facial expressions. Soon your baby may reach for you when he or she needs attention, security or comfort.
(1 of 2)
