Early Childhood Development

Assessment of a newborn baby that is scored at 1 minute after birth and 5 minutes after birth and includes checking the newborn’s heart rate, respiratory rate, muscle tone, reflex irritability, response to foot slap and skin color.

A newborn baby makes a sudden movement when you extend and adduct the extremities, this reflex should disappear by age 4 months.

Turn the head of a newborn baby to one side then the baby should extend arm and leg on that side, this reflex should disappear by 5 months of age.

When you touch the newborn baby’s cheek, then baby should turn their head to that side and open their mouth, this reflex should disappear by 6 months of age.

Newborn baby makes sucking movements when anything touches lips or tongue, this reflex should disappear by 6 months of age.

When a newborn’s foot sole is stroked, the toes hyperextend and fan outward, this reflex should disappear by 3 months of age.

Newborn grasps at an object placed in hands, this reflex is usually only present from 6 weeks of age to 3 months of age.

Head control by 2 months of age. Lifting up head briefly by 3 months of age. Holding head up 90 degrees from prone by 4 months of age. Rolling both ways and sitting with support by 6 months of age. Sitting unsupported by 7 months of age. Pulling up to a standing position by 8 months of age. Crawling by 9 months of age. Walking unassisted by 15 months of age.

Purposeful reaching and grasping using the whole hand by 5 months of age. Hold an object by 6 months of age. Drink from a cup by 9 months of age. Make scribbles with a writing object by 12 months of age.

Soft spots on the newborn infant’s skull where the skull has not fused together yet. The posterior fontanel should close by 4 months of age and the anterior fontanel should close by 18 months of age.