0-4 Months: Baby Discoveries - Milestones

1. Pays attention to what is happening in the environment.

Babies are aware of what happens around them from birth, but they differ in how much stimulation is needed to capture their interest and how much they can comfortably deal with. By watching carefully, caregivers can learn what satisfies the infants they care for, and what excites or tires them. Babies are able to see and respond to visual cues, as well as make distinctions in what they hear right after they are born. For example:

Developing as expected, they might:

• follow an object with their eyes as you move it back and forth
• look around the room when being held on someone's shoulder
• show excitement when they see their caregiver approach
• recognize the bottle in their caregiver's hand
• quiet or look puzzled when a new person approaches
• wave their arms as they try to touch the dangling toy attached to the changing table
• laugh out loud when someone leans close and gently touches their forehead
• gaze at their own hands as they move about
• watch intently when someone makes funny faces
• coo when their caregiver sings or talks as she changes their diaper

Needing development, they might:

• not respond to the mobile hung above the crib
• kick and wave their arms randomly rather than in response to seeing a caregiver approach, or on hearing a rattle, or when watching the mobile swing
• not "quiet" when they hear you calling their name
• look at the silhouette pictures hanging by the changing table or above the crib with little show of response or interest
• ignore the barking of the family dog

2. Makes things happen, quite often unintentionally.

Babies learn that they can get a response from the people around them with their smiles, coos, and other babbling sounds. They also learn, after many contacts, that they can have an impact on the objects around them when they wave their arms and legs. It is hard to determine during these first four months how much of babies' activity is intentional and how much is accidental. What is important is to have objects around for exploration and to respond to babies' activities with words and excitement about what they are doing. For example:

Developing as expected, they might:

• hit at objects with some degree of accuracy
• try to keep their crib mobile moving by continuing to swing it with their hands
• move their hands about vigorously when they see their caregiver
• bring objects to their mouth
• splash water in the tub and look surprised when it gets into their face
• grab toward the rings of the sturdy crib gym hung over the crib
• use their entire body (arching their back, kicking their legs, stretching their arms) to reach toward a toy that intrigues them

Needing development, they might:

• not notice that when they wave their arms near the mobile, it turns and makes a noise
• kick their legs, but not realize they are the source of the banging sounds
• look passively at "the baby" reflected in the mirror attached to the side of the crib
• wave their arms, but seem unresponsive to the bells that ring on the mobile