When do babies gain control of their arms

Movement Milestones: Birth to 3 Months

By: Courtney J. Wusthoff, MD, MS, FAAP

The first weeks and months of a baby's life are a period of amazing development. New skills and movements form quickly. These movement milestones are often called "motor development;" they are a source of delight for babies and their families.

Here's an overview of some typical motor milestones to expect from birth to 3 months:

Month one

Your baby will not be able to control many of her movements during the first few weeks. As she begins to develop more physical abilities, her motions may still be jerky or jittery. But she's learning fast, so hold on!

• Eyes on you. Did you know one of the first parts of the body a baby can move are her eyes? Newborns can only see about a foot in front of them at first, but that's just enough to move their eyes to gaze at faces near them. Your baby may also look toward familiar sounds and voices.

• Neck control. Newborns can move their head to the side. You may see this with their first feeding, when the "rooting" reflex prompts them to turn toward the nipple. But infants don't have much neck control the first few weeks. Your baby needs your help to support her head.

• Newborn reflexes. In addition to rooting, your baby may show other reflex movements these first weeks. To see the step reflex in action, hold your baby securely under his arms (support his head, too!) as his feet touch a flat surface; he may put one foot in front of the other in a sort of "walking" motion. This reflex disappears after the first couple months, and most babies don't take their first "real" steps until about a year old.

Month Two

Your baby's nervous system has matured some by now. Certain newborn reflexes are beginning to give way to voluntary motions. With improved muscle control, movement becomes more fluid and wigglier. Here's what else you can expect:

• Heads up on tummy time. Most babies this age can lift their head up when lying on their tummies. Regularly giving your baby some "tummy time" is a great way to help her build strength in her neck and trunk. Some will cry when placed on their tummies, but usually do better after a few tries. It helps to have something interesting, such as mom's face, in front of them so they have encouragement to lift their head. Although too young to actually crawl, your baby may try or begin to push up from a lying position.

• Hand to mouth. During these weeks, your baby may begin to wave his arms around more when excited. Increasingly, his hands will catch his attention. He may spend a lot of time trying to move them in front of him where he can see them. After many tries, he may be able to move them to his mouth. His finger motion is still limited, though, so his hands will likely still be clenched in tight little fists. Sucking on them may become a way for him to soothe himself.
  

• A tug of the lips. You may have already noticed random facial movements, including reflexive smiles, while your baby sleeps. But starting sometime around her sixth week, your baby may flash you her first real smile in a genuine gesture of affection or amusement.

Month Three

Your baby's arm and leg movements continue to become smoother. The "startle" reflex is probably gone by now. She's becoming stronger and better able to coordinate her motions.

• Straightening out. You might notice your baby's whole body now looks more relaxed. His hands will no longer be balled up in fists all the time. In fact, he may entertain himself by carefully opening and shutting them. He'll also enjoy more actively kicking his legs, which are straightening out from their pulled-up newborn position.

• Ready to roll. As her kicks continue to become more forceful, she may soon be able to kick herself over from her tummy to back. While most babies can't roll from back to tummy yet, some may begin rolling over at this age. Be careful never to leave your baby alone on furniture where they could roll over.

• Get a grip. Babies this age may begin to swipe at objects hanging just out of reach. While a newborn reflex causes babies to wrap their fingers around objects that touch the palm, your baby's grasp may now be more deliberate. She may even be able to hold and shake hand toys.

• Let's bounce. When held up and supported in a "standing" position on a surface such as your lap, your baby may discover the joy of bouncing. This is a fun way to play together as your baby begins to hold some of his weight in his legs. It's best to avoid leaving babies in bouncer seats or harnesses. These can actually slow your baby's movement progress because they don't let her practice using her muscles as much.

When to See Your Pediatrician

Remember, each baby's movements may be a little different. If your baby doesn't master her movements at exactly the same pace others might, it is usually not because of any developmental delay or other problem.

It is a good idea to talk with your pediatrician if you notice your baby does any of the following:

• Stops doing something she used to do. All babies will have good days and bad days. They may go a few days before repeating a new skill. But, if your baby's development is going backwards or consistently stopped, talk with your pediatrician.

• Is not using a part or side of the body. Babies this age normally do not show whether they are left or right handed. If your baby only uses one hand or one side of his body, talk with your pediatrician.

• Seems too floppy. Young infants may seem "floppy" until they develop more muscle control. But if your baby seems especially limp or droopy, it could mean she is sick or has an infection.

• Jitters or shakes too much. Many newborns have shaky hands or quivery chins, but if their whole bodies are shaking, it could signal a medical problem. Call your pediatrician.

More information​

• AAP Motor Delay Tool - Use this tool to learn more about physical developmental delays in children and when to talk with your pediatrician.
• Learn the Signs. Act Early. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

About Dr. Wusthoff:

Courtney Wusthoff, MD, FAAP, an Associate Professor of Neurology at Stanford University and the Neurology Director for the Neonatal Neuro-ICU at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She specializes in the neurological care of newborns and infants, and of children with epilepsy. Within the American Academy of Pediatrics, she is a member of the Section on Neurology.

Last Updated

8/12/2020

Source

Section on Neurology (Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics)

The information contained on this Web site 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.

Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months

Skip Navigation

Overview

A baby starts to become aware through sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing.

Babies' sensory and motor development generally follows a typical pattern.

• At 1 month of age, babies' neck muscles are not developed enough to support their heads for long stretches of time. Babies can lift their heads only briefly when lying on their stomachs. Limb movements are influenced by newborn reflexes. One example is the startle reflex. It makes a baby throw out his or her arms and spread the fingers in response to a loud noise or other sudden, unexpected stimulus. By 6 weeks of age, newborn reflexes start to fade, and the baby's strength and coordination improve.
• By age 3 months, your baby can control his or her head movements. Put your baby on his or her tummy during awake periods and closely supervise. Allowing your baby to exercise and move in this position helps develop head and neck muscles. Around 4 months of age, babies gain control and balance in their head, neck, and trunk. Most babies can balance the head for short periods when in a stable position. Around this same age, your baby starts playing with his or her hands. Your baby can grasp your finger on purpose, rather than as a reflex.
• Between 4 and 6 months of age, babies' balance and movement dramatically improve as they gain use and coordination of large muscles. During this time, babies roll over on purpose. They may be able to sit with their hands balancing them in front (tripod position). Reaching toward an object with both hands, babies may grasp at toys with their palms.
• Babies gain more control of their muscles between 6 and 9 months of age as the nervous system connections continue to form. By the 7th month, babies can see almost as well as an adult. Babies develop leg and trunk coordination, sit alone steadily, and may crawl using both their hands and feet. Some babies even pull themselves up to a standing position. But the timing and sequence of these milestones vary widely.
• Between 9 months and 12 months of age, babies explore the world with all their senses. At the same time, they are gaining more control over their hands and fingers. They may be able to grab small objects with a forefinger and thumb. Most babies this age like to experience and explore objects through taste and texture. This prompts them to put almost anything they can into their mouths. The brain keeps growing, helping to refine control over the large muscles. By now, your baby will probably be able to crawl and stand. In these few months before babies start to walk, they often spend hours "cruising" around the room holding on to furniture and other objects. Cruising develops muscles and coordination and gives your baby a chance to practice walking.
• Many toddlers start to walk around 9 to 15 months of age. Those first steps are possible because of changes that have taken place in the brain and the spinal cord.

Credits

• Top of the page

• Next Section:

  Related Information

Motor development of the child during the first three months

In the first three months, the child begins to purposefully use his own body. Therefore, this time is called the beginning of motor differentiation . During the first three months, motor algorithms are formed that form the basis for further motor development.

The most important elements of this development:

• Primitive reflexes of the first weeks of life gradually fade from 4 to 6 weeks.
• The eyes are fixed and follow the object.
• Bed from an unreliable platform for supporting the back becomes a reliable support, which allows the child to confidently stay in the supine position.
• The head, arms and legs can move without involving the entire body.
• The eyes can move from the center in both directions without turning the head.
• In the “lying on the back” position, the hands reach the middle of the body and the mouth, this is called “hand-hand-mouth” coordination.
• In the supine position, the child can grab his legs with his hands and lift them bent at the hips and knees.
• In the prone position, the child can lift the shoulder girdle using the forearms and elbows.

During the first 4-6 weeks the child is dominated by primitive reflexes . Among other things, they show the maturity of the child and gradually disappear when the child finds other different opportunities to learn new things about his body. The newborn responds spontaneously to external stimuli with changeable and uncertain movements (mass movements) . Such reactions are possible, for example, with strong noise or a strong light stimulus. Similarly, the child reacts to internal stimuli, for example, when hungry.

With so many erratic movements, the surface area on which the child lies is constantly changing. The body follows the rotation of the head and an asymmetrical lying position occurs. Arms, legs and head can only move with the body until they can move independently of the body. Despite the still insufficiently reliable posture of the torso, 50-75% of children aged 4-6 weeks can fix their gaze on an object that is held in front of them for a short time already in the supine position.

Get advice

Development from the prone position

Prone position is initially dominated by a strong pelvic tilt, with flexed hips and knees. The child lies on its side with support on the cheek, sternum, forearm, and on the wrist next to the forearm. In this case, the brushes are slightly clenched into a fist and directed outward. The arms are close to the body, and the elbows remain behind the shoulder line. Due to the strong tilt of the pelvis, the only support for the legs is the knees

As early as the eighth week, the child watches for optical stimuli and lifts his head from the bed for a short time to see more. At the same time, he rests on the forearms near the wrists. The hands are slightly clenched into fists and directed outward. The elbows are still held behind the shoulder joints. The strongly bent position of the pelvis is no longer so pronounced, the weight of the body has moved from the sternum to the upper abdomen. A support triangle arises from the upper abdomen on the launch area and forearms. This short straightening of the torso means that for the first time the child is trying to resist the force of gravity.

At the end of the third month, the child can already raise the shoulder girdle with support on the arms, while the elbows are under the shoulders, and are also used as a support. The child can hold the hands in such a way that they form an extension of the axes of the forearm. The palms of the hands are straightened, the child can connect them in the center of the bed. The tilt of the pelvis becomes much less, and the child is able to freely stretch his legs, clinging to the bed with the pubic bone (pubic articulation, symphysis)

Development from supine position

At the same time, the arm on the side of gaze fixation is relaxed and extended, slightly turned outward at the shoulder joint, the hand is slightly clenched into a fist. The leg on this side is straightened, relaxed in the foot. From the side, opposite to the view, the arm is relaxed, bent at an angle, the hand is slightly clenched into a fist, the leg lies on the bed bent at the hip joint, the leg is turned outward.

At the end of the first trimester, in the supine position, the newborn uses the bed not just as a surface on which he lies, but as a full support-bearing surface that allows the child to fix his gaze on the object and grasp with his hands. From this secure position on the back, the child is able to fix an interesting object with his eyes for a longer time and follow the movements of the object

At the end of the third month, the bearing surface increases and extends from the shoulder blades to the pelvis. Only this stable support surface allows the child to bend the lower part of the body and move the weight of the body towards the head. Taking into account how the child moves his arms, legs and head, the contact of the back with the bed changes within the support surface, the pressure intensity changes. Since the body does not deviate to the side, but remains straight, the spinal column constantly requires fine adjustment in the straightened position and during rotation of the body.

This function forms the basis for further postural skills, when in the process of further straightening of the body to higher positions, the body no longer rests on the bed, but only on the limbs.

Approximately at the end of the third month, the child can grab a toy located in the center of the body in the “on his back” position with both hands and put it in his mouth (The mouth opens already in the process of grasping with hands. The child examines the object and feels it simultaneously with both hands, and also puts the grasped object into the mouth.The child can now freely rotate the forearms (pronation / supination) and hands, which serve as an extension of the axis of the forearm.This allows him to turn the grasped object, turn it over, examine it from all sides, and then put the object in his mouth , different (by all sides), in order to comprehensively taste it. The child's hands have already mastered such a variety of muscle functions that the child can extend the pastern far and protrude the thumb. So, for example, the child can cover the ball with the entire inner surface of the palm, and fingers with thumb to feel the surface texture of the ball with the palm of your hand.0005

Grasping with the hands is accompanied by a specific body posture ; the entire body of the child is involved in this grasping process (global motor algorithm) The shoulder girdle rests on the bed, this allows you to move your arms and hands to the desired toy. The pelvis also rests on the bed, which allows you to bend the legs at the hip joints, slightly spreading and spreading them apart, and also to raise the legs. Simultaneously with the grip, foot grip with the soles of the feet facing each other.

With the posture adjustment described , the child can safely rest his back on the bed. He actively kicks his legs without lowering himself to the sacrum, and he manages to balance with the restoration of balance, when the child moves his arms, legs and head, driven by his own curiosity. It is extremely rare for a child to roll over on its side.

The child is able to express his likes and dislikes with body language and facial expressions. For example, when he rejoices, he stretches his arms and legs towards his parents. In antipathy, the arms and legs are drawn back to the bed, as if the child wants to recoil. The face reflects disbelief, sometimes exacerbated by crying. But these manifestations cannot be put on a par with the condition, which is noted only in the eighth month of life, when the child "goes wild" of strangers, in contrast to those he knows.

Speech development

The development of a child's speech depends on the degree of development of the rest of the motor skills, on maturity, neuronal structures, on their ability to coordinate and on efficient oral motor skills . When a baby is healthy, he can coordinate his mouth to suck on his mother's breast and swallow his mother's milk. Reflex reactions such as the search reflex for the mother's breast (search reflex of Kussmaul and Genzmer) and the Babkin reflex show the maturity of the child for eating. These reflexes become the basis for the development of speech. By the time of maturity for the development of speech, the child's mouth can work both as a tactile organ and as a food intake organ. As a rule, the preparation of speech instruments occurs in the process of sucking the mother's breast. Within a few hours after birth, the newborn is already able to purposefully turn his head to the mother and begin to search for the nipple. Then he covers most of the areola with his lips. He sucks milk to the milk holes of the areola, then squeezes the milk with his tongue into his palate, then delivers the milk sucked out in this way into his mouth chewing movements jaw ridges. From all these efforts, the child gets tired. Only then comes the feeling of fullness. In contrast to this natural breastfeeding process, bottle-feeding (generally) requires less effort and the baby does not get tired, because it is often enough for him to just suckle lightly. In this case, he does not need such finely coordinated oral motor skills. At the time of birth, the baby emits only 90,003 undifferentiated sounds of crying. At the end of the third month of life, the movement of the child's veil of palate is improved, which involves the movement of the back third of the tongue, which makes articulation of a wider variety of sounds possible:

• In the first month after birth, the child can already articulate vowels, for example, , ha, heh, heh.
• From the second to the third month, the baby may also make throat sounds, such as chains of "rrrr" sounds. In combination with vowels, this makes the child’s articulation something similar to speech: the child “tells” something and responds with these sounds both to speech addressed to him and to just any speech. This is how a non-verbal dialogue arises when the child for response uses the available sounds.0010

Monthly development of a baby: important milestones

The first year is the most important for a baby's development. These are new emotions, skills and abilities. What developmental stages does a child go through in the first year of life?

1 month

In the first days of life, the arms of the baby are bent and pressed to the body, and the fingers are clenched into fists. During wakefulness, the baby constantly randomly moves its legs and arms, not yet knowing how to “use” them. However, after 2-3 weeks, the baby will learn to lie quietly, albeit for a short time. This means that the baby felt that he could control his body. By the fourth week, the child begins to independently turn his head to the sides (in the supine position). Finally, there are also reactions to the sound and movement of objects. With a sharp sound, the baby freezes, and when an object moves in front of him, he keeps his eyes on it and follows it with his eyes without turning his head.

Tip: Remember that during the first three months, the baby needs to be in the mother's arms as much as possible. So he will know and feel that his mother is nearby and will always come to the rescue. Do not be afraid that the child will become "tame" and will be capricious, demanding to be picked up. The fact is that, in order to firm up his body tone, he needs to feel his mother's. Babies whose mothers ignore this advice are often hypermobile. After all, they have to learn to feel their own body on their own. As a result, such children are restless and hyperactive in the future.

2 months

The baby is getting more and more active. Now he knows how to take the handles to the sides, raise them, unclench his fists. While very uncertain, but trying to keep his head upright. And, finally, the baby begins to smile - parents especially expect this touching skill from the baby.

Advice: communicate with the baby more, show him toys, tell him about what you show, let's touch.

3 months

Lying on the tummy and leaning on the elbows, the child can raise his head. The baby is able to turn from back to side and keep the head in an upright position. If a baby puts a toy in his hand, he will be able to hold it and even try to pull it into his mouth. At the sight of native faces, the child actively twitches his arms and legs and smiles - this is how he expresses joy.

Advice: nursery rhymes, rhymes, songs - all this is now especially interesting for the baby. So, he studies facial expressions, other people's emotions, gestures and listens to the voice and its intonations.

4 months

The baby learns the world with the help of touch and mouth. This is a completely natural stage in the development of the crumbs, so do not interfere with it. The baby tries to grab a bright toy, hold it, waving it to the sides, and pull it into the mouth.

Tip: Wash toys with soap and wipe baby's hands with baby wipes. Do not forget that the baby must be given an incentive to move, which means that you should not run to him with toys at the first request of the child.

5 months

And again a new skill - now the baby has learned to roll over from his back to his stomach. In this position, he tries to rise and lean on the handles. The child understands that he has received a new kind of access to everything interesting around.

Tip: baby wants to reach for toys around him, so give him that opportunity. If this is a crib, then a mobile will help out. Another option is a developing mat with arcs, on which it is necessary to place toys not only in front of the baby’s eyes, but also on the sides. By the way, the baby will be able to perfect the turns from the back to the stomach if stimulated with a toy.

6 months

Thanks to your efforts as well, the baby has learned to reach for the toy from the “lying on the tummy” position, tearing the handle off the surface. And how convenient and interesting, lying on your back, grabbing and pulling your own leg into your mouth. It was especially easy for the baby to give coups from the back to the stomach and vice versa. The baby is more active and active day by day.

Tip: It's time to introduce your baby to a new position: sitting. The baby will learn to keep balance and sit, carried away by toys.

7-8 months

It's time for the baby to learn to sit up on his own: to do this, he will first get on all fours and then, pushing off with his arms, "flop" on his buttocks. After six months, the child tries to crawl. At first, he can simply swing back and forth in the “on all fours” position, and then he begins to alternately tear off one or the other hand from the floor.

Tip: Crawling is perhaps the first big step in a child's gross motor development. It is very important because it allows the baby to build the visual space from top to bottom, that is, vertically. Therefore, stimulate the crawling skill of the baby. Create conditions under which he will need to crawl, for example, to reach for a new or already favorite toy.

9-10 months

As soon as the baby understands that it is possible to move not only in the horizontal plane, but also in the vertical one, he starts to get up and take his first steps.

Tip: Once again, the role of parents is to encourage the child to learn a new skill. Many children start with side steps, that is, they walk sideways along the sofa or bed. To do this, put the toy on the opposite corner, interest the baby in it, and you will see how he, without realizing it, stomps to it. Gaining confidence in this vertical position, the child soon begins to tear off the support, first one hand, and then both - these are the first independent steps!

It is important to understand that if the baby does not get up and walk, it means that he does not want to or is not ready yet. Be patient and do not demand steps from him when the time has not yet come. And do not forget that bruises and bumps are also a stage in the development of the child. So he adapts to a new position in space, acquires the instinct of self-preservation and simply learns to walk.

11-12 months

I can't even believe that six months ago the baby could neither sit, nor crawl, nor walk. Now he can already take 3-4 independent steps from support to support. You can be sure that the baby has learned to walk when, during movement, he can stop on his own in the middle of the room and not fall. At one year old, the child is already able to stand up without support. If the baby drops the toy, he crouches down to pick it up and then gets up again. Having taken the first steps, the baby learns to turn while standing to see what is behind him.

Tip: not all babies develop at the same rate, and if your baby hasn't taken his first independent steps at 12 months or crawled after six months, that doesn't mean anything. He just went his own way! A little more, and he will certainly please you with all the most important skills for the first year. Just be there and help him without interfering. For example, surround the baby with comfort on all fronts.

Ease of movement is especially important at the stage when the baby is learning to crawl and walk. You can contribute to this period of development by changing the type of diaper - from regular to panties. Moreover, since 6 months! After all, the line of Pampers Active Pants starts already from 6-11 kg, which means that already at 6 months, both you and your baby will be able to find out what a quick and convenient diaper change is, comfort and dryness even while moving. And, therefore, nothing will distract the baby from obtaining new, such interesting and important skills as sitting, crawling and walking.

Pampers Active Boy and Active Girl Panty is:
• 12-hour dryness with no compromise: double wicking layer in the middle for girls and front for boys;
• Elasticated side panels that rip just enough to make diaper changes quick and easy, even when baby is standing or playing;
• stretchy waistband to keep baby comfortable while playing;
• soft, breathable outer layer material;
• Vibrant, age- and gender-specific design that makes changing panties a fun game.

The smallest size 3 Pampers Active Pants, now available for active toddlers weighing 6-11 kg, have a moisture indicator on the front.

Learn more

• 
  How to adopt a child in scotland
• 
  How to help a shy child in school
• 
  How to get more visitation time with my child
• 
  What boosts milk supply
• 
  Throwing up water during pregnancy
• 
  What cause preeclampsia in pregnancy
• 
  What does it mean when baby is head down
• 
  Pregnant belly kick
• 
  How to help a child with autism talk
• 
  How to know if someone is touching your child
• 
  Burping pregnancy symptoms