If you have clicked on this blog then I am sure you are a parent to a newborn or a caregiver to a newborn baby wondering what a newborn and one month old baby should be able to do, and what red flags to be on the lookout for? If so, then this blog is for you. After the much awaited arrival of your little bundle of joy, at first it may seem like your baby does nothing but eat, sleep, cry, and fill her diapers. But don’t worry by the end of the first month she will be much more alert and responsive.
1. Motor Movement
Since your baby’s nervous system is still developing, in the first 2 weeks your baby’s movements will be very jerky. His or her chin may quiver and the hands will tremble. Sudden movements and loud sounds will easily startle him or her. But by the end of the first month his muscle control will improve and give away to much smoother arm and leg movements.
At this age she will hold his or her hands clenched in tight fists and close to her body most of the time. Although his or her neck muscles are still weak and he or she relies on you supporting his or her head, he or she is able to pick it up for a few
seconds at a time and can turn it from side to side while being on her tummy.
2. Vision
For the vision, your baby’s vision is limited at birth. She will be able to see objects that are about 8 to 12 inches away and prefers to look at your face, black and white objects or high contrast color patterns. It is therefore advisable to be showing your baby this objects that are black, white, or of high contrast color patterns so that your babies vision may improve. Even as a newborn, your baby will occasionally make eye contact with you. At one month of age, she will begin to focus
on your face for longer periods of time. Although initially her smiles will be spontaneous, and will even happen while she’s sleeping, around a month she will start smiling in response to interactions with you. Her eyes may wander and occasionally cross. This is considered normal until 3 months of age.
3. Hearing
As a newborn, your baby’s hearing is fully mature. He will get startled by loud noises. When you speak, he will turn his head to search for you. Although crying is going to be the primary way that your baby communicates, you can expect to hear a variety of other noises: such as grunts, squeaks, sighs, sneezes and hiccups which are always considered to be normal up to around four months.
So what are the red flags that you should be on the lookout for?
Red flags are anything off with your baby. There are various redflags that you should be on the look out for and some of them are:
- If your baby has a weak sucking motion
You should check if during feeding and eating he or she does it very slowly. You should treat it as a redflag and visit a pediatrician who will advice you accordingly. - If your baby rarely moves the arms and legs and almost seems to have a stiff appearance. Although for the most part in first month of life the baby will have her hands clenched in fists and legs will be in a bent
position. We do expect to see her stretch the arms and legs out and move them around as well. - Additional red flags include your baby not responding to loud noises or not blinking when exposed to bright light. Your baby should be able to respond when there is loud noise or when exposed to bright light if she doesent please treat that as a redflag and seek medical advice.
- Sometimes the babies lower jaw will tremble when he cries or is excited, and that is normal. But if it trembles constantly even when the baby is calm, then have him evaluated. Let your doctor know if any of these are present, so that your baby can be checked for possible delays in development.
I am glad you read to the end on the expected milestones of a one month old baby and also the red flags to be on the lookout for. If you found this helpful kindly comment down on the comment section and also suggest on the topics you would love us to cover in future concerning parenting. Thanks for reading.