One to Three Months

Motor Development Milestones

  • Begins to lift head while lying on stomach
  • Muscle strength and control improving, early movements are large and jerky; gradually become smoother and more purposeful
  • Begins to and then completely relaxes fist, unfolds fingers
  • Waves hands in an open or semi-open position
  • Begins to raise head and upper body on arms when in a prone position
  • Upper body parts are more active: clasps hands above face, waves arms about, reaches for objects
  • May roll from front to back by turning head to one side and allowing trunk to follow; later infant may roll onto his/her side; eventually infant can roll from front to back to side at will

Cognitive Development Milestones

  • Begins to fixate on a moving object that is held 12 inches away from face, may track the object as it moves in a horizontal or vertical path, visual tracking gradually becomes more smooth and less segmented
  • Gazes in direction of moving objects after they disappear
  • Does not search for an object if it falls out of reach or a toy that might be hidden by a blanket, “Out of sight, out of mind”
  • Watches hands intently
  • Moves eyes from one object to another
  • Bats or hits at object closest to right or left hand with some degree of accuracy
  • Localizes the source of a sound
  • May attempt to keep toy in motion by repeating arm or leg movements
  • Begins to mouth objects
1 5