Early development

When your baby is newly born, their brain is not mature enough to control skilled movement of their body.

Development starts at their head and then moves down their body. This means that your newborn baby can control their mouth, face, lips and tongue, with the rest following in time.

Your baby learns to control their neck before their shoulders, and their shoulders before their back. They can also control their arms before their hands and can control their hands before their fingers.

In any area of your baby’s body their gross motor skills develop before his fine motor skills. So, they will be able to bring their arms together before they learn how to pass a toy from hand to hand.