What should my baby do in the first month after birth?

A review of the skills that a one-month-old baby should have.

As we already know, the process of human development is somewhat complex and heterogeneous, with the physical and mental evolution and maturation of each of us being different and occurring at different speeds. However, it has been observed that although there are individual differences, as a general rule there are different skills and abilities that tend to be achieved around a certain age. This occurs practically from birth, and different evolutionary milestones can be found as early as the first month.

This can sometimes generate certain anxieties, especially for new parents, as they analyze whether their baby's development is normative or shows some kind of alteration. And in this anxiety, it is often pretended to observe behaviors or aspects that in reality correspond to much more advanced levels. That is why in this article we intend to make a brief mention of the evolutionary milestones that a baby usually has fulfilled at the end of the first month of life..

What should a one-month-old baby be able to do?

The human being, like the rest of animals, is wonderful. From the very first moment he is born, we are facing a being with an enormous potential that will end up going far and mastering tremendously complex and demanding skills, even if he ignores the large number of processes involved. But this will require a deep and prolonged process of maturation and development, in which he/she will graduallyin which he or she will gradually learn and acquire skills.

Many parents ask themselves: "What should my baby do in the first month of life? In this case, we are talking about a practically newborn baby. And already in this period, parents, relatives and professionals who deal with them will be able to see how they will begin to perform different behaviors and actions.

So, what can be expected during this time of birth? what can be expected during this period of development after birth? We are going to see it in different sections.

1. Movement

Babies' muscles are still very underdeveloped and their ability to move is very limited. During the first month of life, movement is usually minimal, limited to head movements (it will need to be supported against something) with which it even follows sounds and may even lift it briefly. She can move her hands towards her face and usually keeps them clenched.

Jerky movements of the arms and legs are also common, and this is a stage in which a great many biologically programmed reflexes can be observed. Eye control is not yet complete.

2. Reflexes

Although they would actually be part of the ability to move, reflexes are a very particular element since they are movements that are performed instinctively and innately.. Most of them will be lost with time.

In a one-month-old baby, we can find reflexes such as blinking at light or biceps or knee contraction reflexes (also called patellar) in the presence of biceps or patella taps. We can also see the flight reflex, in which the leg has a certain flexion in response to a painful sensation. One of the best known is the grasping reflex, which causes the baby to grasp something in the palm of the hand when it touches it.

There is also the Babinski reflex, in which the fingers are stretched and turned inward.reflex, in which the toes stretch and turn inward when the external edge of the foot is pressed, or the Moro reflex, in which, when faced with loud noises, legs and hands are extended and then the arms shrink, forming a small barrier as if to protect the body.

3. Auditory perception

The sense of hearing exists in the human being since before birth, being the correct hearing from birth. But this does not imply that he is able to recognize them. It will be towards the end of the first month of life when we will see how our baby begins to recognize sounds such as our voice. begins to recognize sounds such as our voice..

4. Visual perception

Vision is a sense that, unlike hearing, takes a little longer to finish developing. During the first month of life it is expected that the infant will be able to focus on items up to a maximum of about 25 cm away. They also seem to be able to recognize the contrast between black and white. It is usual for the gaze to focus rather on the outer contours of objects, unless they are moving.unless they show movement.

5. The sense of taste

Taste, like hearing, is a sense of early development. Sweet, salty, sour and bitter are recognizable within a few hours after birth.. In the first months and during infancy, there is a preference for sweetness (in the case of a one-month-old child, milk).

6. Emotionality

It is obvious that a baby experiences different emotions. However, it must be taken into account that many of the emotions that as adults we consider basic contain cognitive and learned aspects that a one-month-old child still lacks.

It is considered that the emotions that are first manifested and that are already in this vital stage are surprise, pleasure, discomfort or pain, and interest.. Other emotions such as joy or sadness do not usually appear clearly until months later.

7. Sleep

It is well known that babies spend most of their time sleeping or eating.. In fact, they can usually spend up to twenty hours a day sleeping, out of which they go out in cycles of about four hours to feed.

The high number of hours a baby can sleep is not something to be concerned about (unless he or she is not active, does not eat or cry), but is normal and healthy. Deep sleep, which occupies the majority of infant sleep and is linked to the development of the brain, is especially important.

8. Communication

A baby's basic form of communication, as most of you already know, is crying. However, you may also notice how some of the children of this age are beginning to be able to use a and o, although we are not yet dealing with babbling.although this is not yet a babble.

9. Socialization

The socialization capacity of a one-month-old baby is minimal, and in fact it could not be considered as such because its actions do not obey an attempt to communicate with its peers and there is not even the differentiation between self and others yet. However, it can be observed that children of this age have a preference for the visualization of human faces. have a preference for the visualization of human facesThis is what most frequently captures their attention. Very precocious children may even begin to use the social smile, although this is more characteristic of the second month of life.

Bibliographical references:

• American Academy of Pediatrics (2006). Caring for your toddler: birth to age five. Bantam Books.
• Delval, J. (2004). El desarrollo humano. Siglo XXI: Madrid.