What Is My Infant Learning?
Play is the chief way that infants learn how to move,
communicate, socialize, and understand their surroundings. And
during the first month of life, your baby will learn by interacting
with you.
One of the first things your baby will learn is to associate the
feel of your touch, the sound of your voice, and the sight of your
face with getting his or her needs for comfort and food met.
You can encourage your newborn to learn by stimulating your
newborn's senses in positive ways - with smiles, smoothing
sounds, and gentle caresses.
Even at this young age, newborns are ready to learn about the
world around them. A newborn loves to look at faces, especially
mom's. Likewise, in the first days and weeks of life, newborns
can recognize their mother's voice. Your infant will
respond to your voice (or other interesting sounds) by looking
alert and becoming less active. The baby may try to find out where
the sound is coming from by looking around and turning his or her
head.
When you smile and talk to your infant, your face and the sound
of your voice will become a familiar source of calm and comfort,
and your little one will learn to associate you with getting
nourishment, warmth, and soothing touch.
The "Rooting Reflex"
Babies are born with reflexes or programmed responses to certain
stimuli, such as touch. These reflexes help ensure survival. But
they also provide an opportunity for a baby to interact with the
world. For example, the rooting reflex is elicited by gently
stroking a newborn's cheek. The infant's response is to
turn head and mouth to that side, ready to eat. By the time
they're 3 weeks old, babies will turn toward the breast or
bottle not just out of a reflex, but because they've learned
that it's a source of food.
Ready to Learn
During the first month of life, your newborn will spend much of
the day sleeping or seeming drowsy. Over the next several weeks to
months, your baby will mature and be awake or alert for longer
periods of time. It's important to recognize when your
baby is alert and ready to learn and play and when the baby would
rather be left alone. A baby who is quiet and alert will be
attentive and responsive and interested in surroundings.
A baby who is awake but active (squirming, flapping arms,
or kicking legs) or fussing will be less able to focus on you. The
baby may seem agitated or start to cry when you try to get his or
her attention. These are signs that your baby may be getting
overstimulated.
Over the coming weeks and months, you'll learn to recognize
when your infant is ready to learn or overstimulated.
Encouraging Your Newborn to Learn
As you care for your newborn, he or she is learning to recognize
your touch, the sound of your voice, and the sight of your
face.
In the first few weeks you may want to introduce some simple,
age-appropriate toys that appeal to the senses of sight, hearing,
and touch, such as:
- rattles
- textured toys
- musical toys
- unbreakable crib mirrors
Try toys and mobiles with contrasting colors and patterns.
Strong contrasts (such as red, white, and black), curves, and
symmetry stimulate an infant's developing vision. As vision
improves and babies gain more control over their movements,
they'll interact more and more with their environment.
Some Other Ideas
Here are some other ideas for encouraging your newborn to learn
and play:
- Put on soothing music, and hold your baby, gently swaying to
the tune.
- Pick a soothing song or lullaby and softly sing it often to
your baby. The familiarity of the sound and words will have a
soothing effect, particularly during fussy times.
- Smile, stick out your tongue, and make other expressions for
your infant to study, learn, and imitate.
- Use a favorite toy for the infant to focus on and follow, or
shake a rattle for your infant to find.
- Let your baby spend some awake time on his or her tummy to
help strengthen the neck and shoulders. Always supervise your
infant during "tummy time" and be ready to help if he
or she gets tired or frustrated in this position. Never put an
infant to sleep on his or her stomach - babies should sleep on
their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death
syndrome).
- Talk to your baby.
Keep in mind that babies develop at different rates, and there
is a wide range of normal development. If you have any concerns
about your newborn's ability to see or hear, or your baby
doesn't seem to be developing well in other ways, talk with
your doctor.
Reviewed by:
Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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