 | ||
|
| |    Child Development: The First Weeks by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. These descriptions of a healthy baby during the first several weeks of life represent an average newborn. But no newborn is average! Your own baby probably won't do all of these things right on schedule. She may be "behind" or "ahead." But keep in mind that development is not a race. If you are concerned about her development, certainly ask your child's healthcare provider. (See Red Flags: Signals That Your Child May be Lagging.) Your newborn (birth to about six weeks) Lying on stomach (prone), she keeps her arms and legs flexed, as she was in the uterus. She can turn her head from side to side. When you hold her up by supporting her chest and abdomen, she sags like a rag doll. On her back (supine), her arms and legs are still flexed a little. When you gently pull up on her arms to sit her up (pull-to-sit), her head lolls far back. This doesn't hurt her. If you lay a cloth over her eyes, she may bat it away with a hand, a self-protection reflex. She can see, but is quite nearsighted. She focuses best on faces about 12 inches away--the distance between her face and yours when she is nursing. When she is wide awake and calm, if you move your face slowly back and forth, she may follow your face with her eyes. Sometimes she looks cross-eyed, but then her eyes straighten out. She hears well and seems to prefer the sound of her mother's voice. (Many newborn nurseries test all children's hearing; if you have a family history of hearing loss, early testing can be particularly important.) With her lying on her back, looking straight up, talk to her softly. She might look around, as if to find the source of the sound. She might turn toward you. She moves her arms and legs at random, both sides of her body equally. (If she moves one arm or leg much less than the other, point this out to her doctor.) There is a slightly jerky quality to her arm movements. The controlling nerves are not yet fully developed. If you put a finger into her hand, she grasps it. If you gently stroke the back of her hand, she lets go. When startled, she cries and reaches out with both hands, as if to grab on. If you hold her upright and gently drag her feet across the crib surface, she may make walking movements. All of these movements are controlled by reflexes that fade over the next three to four months, as she gains more and more intentional control over her movements.
| |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About Us |
Contact Us |
Our Partners Privacy Policy | Ethics | Advertising Policy | Terms of Service © Copyright 2004 The Dr. Spock Company. All Rights Reserved. THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The information drSpock.com
provides is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for
professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care
professional if you have a specific health concern. Mention or advertisement
of any product, service, or brand does not constitute endorsement, guarantee,
or recommendation by The Dr. Spock Company. Please read our full
Terms of Service. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
