Sensory and Motor Skills Development
Newborns are born with all five senses, and they will quickly learn to recognize your face, your voice and your scent. After a few days, their hearing will be clear and they will be able to respond to sound. Their sense of taste is also acute, and they prefer sweet over sour and salty. Their sense of touch will be rapidly expanding, though at first they are most sensitive around the mouth. Their vision will clear up as the first few weeks pass. Motor skills are the baby’s nerves and muscles working in tandem. At first they will tightly ball their fists when alert, and they will begin to develop reflexes such as rooting.
Language Development
During the first month your baby will be rapidly absorbing each and every sound they hear, especially the voices of the people around them. This will help them form the foundation of developed speech, but during the first month they may only make slight sounds.
The best way to help your baby develop the five main developmental areas is to continue to have positive interactions with them. Take the time to play, talk and cuddle with them. They will continue to learn and develop as the months pass, but the changes that occur during the first month are perhaps the most noticeable.
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Growth and development, newborn. (2011, February 02). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/growth-and-development-newborn-topic-overview