TWO- TO THREE- MONTH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST (©Diane Bahr) Place a check mark next to the characteristics you see in your two- to three-month-old baby
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Typical 2- to 3- Month-Old Baby |
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| FEEDING/MOUTH DEVELOPMENT | ||||
| Begins to control suckling reflex (non-nutritive, front-back tongue movement, approximately 2 per second) | ||||
| Moves tongue with increasing skill in the mouth | ||||
| Sucks longer without a pause over time (different on bottle than breast) | ||||
| Brings hands together & to mouth when on stomach (by 2 months) & on back (by 3 months) | ||||
| Mouth, nose, & throat areas are growing/changing with easy nose breathing & mouth experiences | ||||
| Closes mouth during sleep & when mouth is inactive (nothing in mouth, not feeding, mouthing hands, or making vocal sounds) | ||||
| Rests tongue in the roof of the mouth to help maintain the broad palate shape | ||||
| Is free of tongue, lip, & cheek ties | ||||
| Follows parent’s or care provider’s movement with eyes | ||||
| Can match some pitch & duration of human voice | ||||
| Vocalizes in response to speech | ||||
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BODY DEVELOPMENT (Typical 2- to 3- Month-Old Baby) |
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When Held Upright (Typical 2-Month-Old) |
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| Holds head up steadily in line with body for a few minutes (1 to 2 months) | ||||
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When on the Stomach (Typical 2-Month-Old) |
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| Turns head to each side resting on the ear | ||||
| Lifts head for approximately 5 seconds (1 to 2 months) | ||||
| Lifts head briefly to a 45-degree angle while leaning on the upper chest & bending hips | ||||
| Lifts head in slight rotation, in the middle (midline), and/or with bobbing | ||||
| Uses vision along with head control | ||||
| Brings head/mouth to hand for calming | ||||
| Begins pushing body upward with arms | ||||
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When Turning Head & Body to Each Side (Typical-2-Month-Old) |
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| Turns body with full head turn to side when lying on back (log roll) | ||||
| Turns from side to back from each side (1 to 2 months) | ||||
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When on the Stomach (Typical 3-Month-Old) |
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| Rests arms symmetrically around the head | ||||
| Lifts the head in the middle (midline) at 45- to 90- degree angles without bobbing | ||||
| Shifts body weight from side-to-side as head moves to left or right (may roll to the side if body weight is adequately transferred) | ||||
| Visually tracks an object horizontally across 180 degrees while looking upward | ||||
| Props & bears weight on the forearms with elbows in line with or in front of the shoulders (crucial for shoulder development) | ||||
| Lifts the chest & lower the hips | ||||
| May make finger scratching movements or swimming motion with body & legs when seeing a toy | ||||
| Lowers head & shoulders when raising the hips (weight is shifted forward, minimal kicking occurs) | ||||
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When on the Back (Typical-2-Month-Old) |
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| Begins gaining control over moro/startle reflex | ||||
| Turns head to each side & lifts chin | ||||
| May assume fencing posture with head turning (arm reaching outward on face side, elbow bent on skull side – asymmetric tonic neck reflex/response) | ||||
| May swipe at toys on the side where head is turned | ||||
| May briefly hold an object placed in the hand but not attend to it | ||||
| Seldom has head in the middle (midline) | ||||
| May visually follow a preferred object from midline to each side & from each side to midline while beginning to use binocular vision | ||||
| Head control & vision work together | ||||
| Moves arms vigorously (1 to 2 months) | ||||
| May rest legs in a several positions (e.g., frog-legged position) | ||||
| Uses movement variations when kicking | ||||
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When on the Back (Typical 3-Month-Old) |
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| Moro/Startle reflex begins to disappear (become integrated by the brain) between 3 & 6 months | ||||
| Has head close to or in midline (middle of body), & begins to tuck chin toward chest & look downward | ||||
| Rotates head from side-to-side while lengthening back of neck (may turn body onto side) | ||||
| Looks at a toy in midline with increasing attention, & may swipe at it | ||||
| Visually follows a toy/face horizontally from side-to-side | ||||
| Typically has hands open with wrists & fingers spread | ||||
| Shows increase in hands & eyes working together (eye-hand coordination) | ||||
| Demonstrates increase in moving just enough for an activity (grading) & moving one body part separate from another (dissociation) | ||||
| Brings hands to the body in an increasingly coordinated manner, & begins to gain control over palmer grasp reflex/response | ||||
| Uses hands with increasing intention to explore mouth, body, clothing, & care-providers (body awareness & touch/tactile experience) | ||||
| Often has feet together for body awareness/touch experience (frog-legged position) | ||||
| Stretches hip, leg, knee, & ankle muscles when moving legs |
Primary References
•Bahr, D. (2018). Feed your baby and toddler right: Early eating and drinking skills encourage the best development. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
•Bahr, D. C., & Hillis, A. E. (2001). Neurological and anatomical bases. In D. C. Bahr Oral motor assessment and treatment: Ages and stages (pp. 1-41). USA: Pearson College Division.
•Bly, L. (1994). Motor skills acquisition in the first year: An illustrated guide to normal development. USA: Psychological Corp.
•Feldenkrais, M. (1972). Awareness through movement (Vol. 1977). New York: Harper and Row.
•Morris, S. E., & Klein, M. D. (2000). Pre-Feeding skills: A comprehensive resource for mealtime development. (2nd ed.)
. San Antonio, TX: Therapy Skill Builders.
•Neuro Restart (2019). Primitive reflexes. Retrieved from http://www.neurorestart.co.uk/primitive-reflexes/
•Vulpe, S. G. (1994). Vulpe assessment battery-revised: Developmental assessment, performance analysis, individualized programming for the atypical child. East Aurora, NY: Slosson Educational Publications.