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Birth-2 Month Developmental Milestones

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2-4 Month Developmental Milestones

Movement and physical development

Normal development

  • Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
  • Makes smoother movements with arms and legs

Possible challenges from treatment

  • Less chance for tummy time and activity because of procedures and treatments
  • Tubes and hospital equipment can keep baby from moving normally
  • Children may not learn physical skills as fast as normal, especially rolling over, controlling head and upper body, and learning hand/eye coordination

Ways to help

  • If your treatment center has one, go to infant playtime to help baby learn physical skills.
  • Use a floor mat for tummy time and movement.
  • Put toys just out of reach to encourage rolling over.
  • Give toys with texture to get baby interested in grabbing and moving objects.
  • Use crib mobiles to keep baby alert and interested.
 

Language and communication

Normal development

  • Expresses emotions and needs through crying
  • Produces different cries for different reasons
  • Keeps brief eye contact during feeding
  • Watches the speaker’s mouth or eyes
  • Shows contentment or amusement by smiling and cooing
  • Calms down or smiles in response to a familiar voice
  • Moves or reacts to loud sounds or voices

Possible challenges from treatment

  • Less chance to relate to parents and caregivers because baby feels sick and tired.
  • Might be slow to develop language

Ways to help

  • Interact with your baby when he or she is awake and alert.
  • Smile
  • Sing
  • Read
  • Talk about what is happening in the room

Social and emotional

Normal development

  • Begins to smile at people
  • Can briefly calm herself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
  • Tries to look at parent

Possible challenges from treatment

  • Less interest in play
  • Fewer chances to relate and bond to parents and caregivers due to feeling sick and tired.
  • Feels stress from hospital lights, sounds, and people, changes in routines, and painful procedures
  • More fussy, irritable, and sensitive than normal
  • Might have sleep problems

Ways to help

  • Give baby attention during awake, alert times.
  • If baby is stressed, turn down lights, swaddle baby, and play quiet music or use a “white noise” machine.
  • Have a regular routine, if possible.
 

Thinking and learning

Normal development

  • Pays attention to faces
  • Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
  • Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change

Possible challenges from treatment

  • Hearing or vision may be impacted, making it more difficult for newborns to follow sounds and sights
  • Might be slow to develop early visual discrimination and thinking skills

Ways to help

  • Hold your baby while talking to them
  • Act excited and smile when your baby makes sounds
  • Allow your baby to look at themselves in a baby safe mirror
  • Show your baby high-contrast (black-white-and red) pictures and talk about them
  • Shake rattles above your baby’s head and slowly move the rattle from side to side, while smiling brightly and cheering on any attempts to follow the rattle
Next
2-4 Month Developmental Milestones

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