Babies are called newborns during their first month of life. Although your newborn sleeps a lot, powerful changes are occurring in the  five major areas of development.

Physical Development

Don't be alarmed if your newborn loses some weight shortly after birth. This weight usually is regained within 10 to 12 days.

Most newborns gain about 4 oz (113.4 g) to 8 oz (226.8 g) per week and grow about 0.5 in. (1.27 cm) to 1 in. (2.54 cm) in the first month.

Cognitive Development

Cognition is the ability to think, learn, and remember. Your newborn's brain is developing rapidly, building essential connections, called synapses, between its 100 billion brain cells. You promote synapse growth every time you interact with your baby.

Emotional & Social Development

Your newborn quickly learns to communicate. At first, instinctual behaviors, such as crying when uncomfortable, are your baby's ways to signal his or her needs. Soon your newborn starts to subtly communicate and interact with you. For example, your baby's eyes will track your movements; his or her face will brighten when you cuddle and talk soothingly. Even at a few days old, your baby may attempt to mimic you sticking out your tongue.

Language Development

Your newborn is listening to and absorbing the basic and distinct sounds of language. This process forms the foundation for speech.


Sensory & Motor Development

Your newborn quickly learns to recognize your face, the sound of your voice, and how you smell. Your newborn's sense of touch is especially developed, particularly around the mouth. Likewise, your baby has a strong sense of smell. After a few days, your newborn hears fairly well and responds most noticeably to high-pitched and loud sounds. Your baby recognizes and prefers sweet tastes to those that are sour, bitter, or salty. Vision is developing rapidly but is believed to be the weakest of the senses. Motor skills are mostly controlled by reflexes, such as the rooting reflex, which is a turn of the head in the direction of a touch on the cheek. Hands are tightly fisted when alert.