Summary Recap

In a Nutshell... Your Baby at 3 Months Old

Congratulations! Your baby is near the end of her first 0-3 months, and what an exciting ride it's been!! With your love, attentive care, and support, by the end of this period your newborn has likely mastered many amazing developmental milestones across all the learning domains. Developmental milestones are age-specific skills and functional abilities that babies and young children master as they grow and develop. Every developmental milestone has a "normal" range during which most children develop the skill, so it's important to note that your baby may achieve the various developmental milestones at different rates and times than other children her age.

From 0-3 months, you should develop an awareness of and look out for any major developmental red flags that you observe in your baby as she plays and interacts with people. If you notice any of the following traits or behaviors by the end of this period, be sure to discuss your concerns with your care provider as soon as possible.

Physical Development:

• Sucks poorly and feeds slowly.
• Lower jaw trembles constantly, even when not crying or excited.
• Rarely moves arms and legs; seems stiff with tight muscles.
• Seems excessively loose in the limbs; seems floppy, like a "rag doll".
• Doesn't grasp, hold, or bring objects (or hand) to her mouth.
• Can't support her head well and keep it steady.
• Can't hold head up when laying on her tummy.
• Doesn't push down with her legs when her feet are placed on a firm surface.

Cognitive Development:

• Doesn't blink when shown a bright light or follow moving objects with her eyes.
• Crosses her eyes most of the time or has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions.
• Doesn't respond to loud sounds or turn her head to locate sounds.
• Doesn't smile at the sound of familiar voices.

Social Emotional Development:

• Doesn't smile at the sound of familiar people or pay attention to faces.
• Still has the Moro reflex (startles in reaction to sudden stimuli).

Language Development:

• Doesn't babble, coo, or make sounds.
• Begins to babble, but doesn't try to imitate any of your sounds.

To review and check out all of your baby's achievements to date, click on her 0-3 month old developmental milestone list.