Dislaimer
AV Baby content is for information only. If you are at all worried about your
baby, please seek the advice of your midwife, doctor or paediatrician.
Developmental Milestones In The First 6 Weeks
At birth, the various systems within your baby’s body, although well formed,
remain underdeveloped. Maturation of the nervous system is important to
development, and the sequence of motor, social, emotional and cognitive
development is basically similar for all children – although the rate may vary
within a limited age range.
Milestones can be looked at from the point of view of particular areas within
each of which are sequences of changes that lead to a particular developmental
milestone. These areas are:
gross motor skills and fine motor skills (how your baby moves),
social,
emotional,
communication, and
cognition.
Some of these areas are interdependent for their development. For example,
development of communication or language may be impossible if fine motor skills
development is impaired. Communication skills may not develop if cognition is
impaired.
By the time your baby is 6 weeks old, the milestones she should have reached
include:
Motor skills
Your baby should be able to
• Lift her head when held to your body
• Lift her head and chest when placed on her stomach for ‘tummy time’
• Turn her head from side to side when lying on her stomach
• Follow a moving object or person with her eyes within a limited range of
vision
• Hold her hands open or loosely fisted
• Grasp a rattle or small toy
• Wiggle and kick out with her arms and legs
In newborns, the development of the nervous system continues through primitive
(or infantile) reflexes. These ‘primitive’ reflexes include:
The Moro reflex
While holding your baby in your arms, allow his head drop back a few centimeters
only and he’ll respond with a sudden outstretching of the arms as if to catch
hold on something. This reflex is tested by your pediatrician as soon as your
baby is born.
The Rooting reflex
Stroking the corner of your baby’s mouth will result in the lowering of the
lower lip and turning of the face towards the side of the stroke. This reflex
appears at birth and disappears between 4 and 6 months. Obviously, this reflex
is designed to help your baby learn to feed!
The Sucking reflex
Place the tip of one finger in your baby’s mouth and she’ll respond by
vigorously sucking your finger. Wow – those babies can suck!
Grasp reflex
Place one finger in your baby’s palm or on the sole of her foot, and your baby
will respond by flexing her fingers or curling her toes. The Grasp reflex
usually disappears between 3 and 6 months.
Communication and Cognition
Again, by the time your baby is 6 weeks old, she should be able to:
• Turn her head toward bright lights
• Turn her head toward the sound of your voice
• Recognize her bottle or your breast
• Respond to your shaking a rattle or bell nearby
• Make cooing or gurgling sounds
• Smile in response to your smile (every parent’s favorite moment!)
• Communicate her hunger, fear, or discomfort (through crying or through her
facial expressions)
• React to ‘Peek-a-boo’ games
Read our Diary Of A New Mum and discover what happens when Jessica-Ann comes
home from the hospital and during her first year at home. This fun read is
perfect for new mums and experienced mums alike! New episodes weekly. Diary Of A New Mum
Diary of a New Mum Week 33
A Baby Cage In which I purchase a play-pen and wait to see how Jessica-Ann will react...
You'll be amazed at how much equipment you will need for your newborn
baby! Here we help you to think through and plan for your requirement. De-cluttering Before
The Baby Comes Home
Make sure you know your rights so that you can use your maternity or paternity
leave to good advantage. Maternity And
Paternity Leave
Surprising numbers of parents get their baby's nurseries wrong - filling them
with pretty accessories but often leaving out the real essentials! Don't fall
into these traps... Nursery Do's and Don'ts
What do you need to buy for your baby's first clothes and bedding? A Basic Layette
If there is one parenting issue which causes the most anxiety, disruption and
unhappiness, it is baby sleep problems! Establishing a good sleep routine from
the very beginning can be crucial to a peaceful and happy family. Baby SleepLots NEW!
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your baby's
development in the first year. Baby Stages
Print, cut and assemble a mobile to decorate the baby's room - or make
use of matching room signs, door hangers, photo frames and more! Room Decorations To Print
Everything from nursery mobiles and cut-outs to birth announcements and baby
shower invitations and scrapbook paper! Baby Printables
