👀 Sensory development and body awareness

What to notice as senses develop

• Newborns usually see close faces most clearly, roughly 20–30 cm away. High-contrast patterns can catch their attention.
• Over the early months, babies become better at following faces and objects. Colour vision and depth perception develop gradually.
• Hearing develops before birth, but responses to voices and sounds vary. Ask your maternity team about hearing screening and any follow-up.
• Gentle touch and familiar voices can be reassuring. Skin-to-skin is an option for either parent while fully awake; keep baby's face visible, nose and mouth clear, and chin away from their chest.
• A clean floor mat, securely positioned baby-safe mirror and easy-to-grasp toys are enough. Check for loose parts and damaged surfaces.

Help your baby explore

1. 1. Start with your face and voice

   Hold your baby comfortably with their head supported. Talk softly from nearby and give them time to look. Avoid strong lights or loud sounds close to their face.

2. 2. Make room for hands and feet

   As your baby notices their hands and later reaches for their feet, allow comfortable, unrestricted movement during awake play. These discoveries do not follow an exact calendar.

3. 3. Offer one thing to explore

   Move a simple toy slowly within view or place it within reach as reaching develops. Let your baby look, touch and try again without directing every movement.

4. 4. Use safe floor time

   Offer short, awake, supervised tummy-time sessions, building up as tolerated. Use a baby-safe mirror during play. For sleep, return baby to their back on a flat, firm surface in their own separate, clear sleep space. Keep blankets and toys out and remove hats indoors.

5. 5. Try gentle hiding games

   Later in infancy, play peekaboo or partly hide a toy. Understanding that things still exist out of sight develops gradually; comfort your baby if separation upsets them.

Classic mistakes

• ❌ Offering everything at once Bright toys, loud music and several people talking can be too much. Looking away, fussing or becoming still may mean your baby needs a quieter moment.
• ❌ Treating milestones as deadlines Development varies, but concerns deserve attention. If your baby seems not to respond to sound, has difficulty following faces or loses a skill, speak with your local primary health centre or a paediatric clinician and bring their child health record.

Same topic

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• 💬 Building language through everyday conversation
• ️ Encouraging free movement
• 🍳 Eating well while caring for a baby

Read next

• 👀 Supporting your newborn's visual development
• 📚 Language and early reading: helping your baby communicate
• 🫂 Dad skin-to-skin: building your own bond