The Development at 2 Months Old, Your Baby Can Smile & Interact!

The development of a 2-month-old baby is one of the times that all new parents look forward to after having a child. They expect their baby to give them a smile! The development of 2-month-old babies is very exciting, as the babies already smile when their parents interact with them.

In many instances, when parents stop interacting and teasing them, they will fuss and start to cry. Oh no!

So, mom and dad, get your cameras ready to record these sweet memories. In fact, their eyesight is also getting better at this age, there is a possibility that they recognize their parents.

This is also the best times for you to get your child used to holding toys that are textured as well as colorful. Let them familiarize with it and help with their development.

2 Month Old Infant Development: Physical¹

#1: Neck muscles and head control

A 2-month-old baby can lift his head up and hold it when you place him in a prone position.

#2: Better coordination

The movements of his legs and arms will be less jerky.

#3: Track movement 

He begins to be able to track people or objects of interest with his eyes. He will also pay more attention to the faces he sees.

#4: Self-soothe

At this point, he begins to have a stronger sucking reflex, it is at this phase that your baby will begin to suck his fingers as a way to calm himself.

2 Month Old Infant Development: Sensory

#1: Eyesight²

Your baby can see best at close distance, around 8 to 12 inches as his eyesight is still developing, he can also distinguish between colours and is easily attracted to bright colours or to objects of different shapes.

While he may have a little difficulty distinguishing between similar colour tones, you can already show toys, books, or pictures of objects in black and white.

#2: Hearing²

At the age of 2 months, a baby can already distinguish the voices he often hears. Like the voice of his mother and father. He can now listen well. When hearing something, especially your voice, he will respond by turning his face towards where the sound is coming from³.

The baby will also feel calm listening to your voice, which can help keep the little one in a good mood². So talk, sing, or babble away with your baby to help his development.

#3: First Smile¹

During this month, all your efforts will be rewarded with a radiant smile from your baby. The first smile is among a baby’s accomplishments that all parents look forward to with delight. In a way, this is a fair reward.

You have been changing diapers, breastfeeding, bathing, kissing and hugging them without getting any response from your baby.

However, one day, it happened. Your baby smiles, and you’re sure it’s a real smile, and not an expression of passing gas. You will be overjoyed with happiness even if you couldn’t sleep the night before. You can encourage your baby to smile by making funny faces or sounds. The older he gets, the more he will try to imitate you!

#4: Baby is still not sleeping through the night⁴

If your baby is now sleeping through the night, you are one of the lucky few. Most babies at the age of 2 months still wake up at night, therefore, your sleep will be disrupted.

But the good news is that he can already sleep for a longer period of time and stay awake for a longer period of time as well!

#5: Baby is getting more active

At 2 months old, babies will get more active⁵. They are already good at moving all their limbs, and they will move as if they can roll over!

Soon, maybe by the age of 3 months, your baby will be able to lie down on their belly⁵.

He can now control his movements better. You will be able to see more movement of the baby’s arms and legs compared to while he or she was newborn⁵. Beware if the baby grabs your hair, you may have a hard time getting his grasp untangled!

Health Checkups 

Your baby needs to go for a health checkup at six weeks to eight weeks of age to make sure he is healthy and growing well⁶. If you are worried about anything, now is a good time to express your concerns to the doctors.

You can take your baby to any clinic or go to the nearest mother and child government clinics (KKIA) to be examined by a doctor or midwife. The check-up will be similar to the test your baby goes through in the first week after birth.

The doctor or nurses will⁶:

• Weigh your baby and measure the length and circumference of your baby’s head
• Examine your baby’s eyes, heart, hips and testicles (for boys)
• Talk to you about the baby’s nutrition and development

Don’t forget to bring your baby’s health record book during postpartum checkups and when you bring your child for immunizations.

Vaccinations

Your baby will get his first immunization shot at birth⁷.

At this time as well, the doctor or paediatrician will briefly examine your baby before giving the immunization. Your baby’s vaccination may be delayed if he or she has a fever or is not feeling well.

But if your baby has a slight cough or cold, it shouldn’t be a problem because your baby can still receive the vaccine injection⁸.

Following the latest National Immunization Schedule is important to help ensure the well-being of your child9. You may also want to inquire about other additional vaccines from your doctor or paediatrician. 

Rotavirus Vaccine

Rotavirus is a virus that is easily spread among infants and children. The virus can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and severe abdominal pain10.

As a result, children infected with rotavirus become dehydrated and may need to be hospitalized. Hence, find out more about the rotavirus vaccine from your doctor in order to help protect them from getting infected.

The rotavirus vaccine contains weakened rotavirus for the purpose of its intake and allows babies to develop immunity without getting sick¹¹.

Note that the Rotavirus vaccines are given orally, not by injection¹¹.

Please refer to your doctor or paediatrician for more information about the vaccine.

Parents are advised to consult a doctor or paediatrician before deciding to give vaccines to their babies. It is important to understand the different ways to protect children from dangerous infections, as well as unwanted side effects of vaccines.

MY-ROT-00223 Jul/2022

REFERENCES:

1. UNICEF. Your baby’s developmental milestones at 2 months. Available From: https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/your-babys-developmental-milestones-2-months.  Last Accessed 22 Jun 2022.
2. KidsHealth.Your Newborn’s Hearing, Vision, and Other Senses. Available From: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sensenewborn.html?web_traffic_source=google%2Forganic. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.
3. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Age-Appropriate Speech and Hearing Milestones. Available from: https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/age-appropriate-speech-and-hearing-milestones. Last Accessed 22 Jun 2022.
4. Stanford Children’s Health. Infant Sleep. Available From: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=infant-sleep-90-P02237. Last Accessed 22 Jun 2022. 
5. eMedicineHealth. Infant Milestones Month to Month. Available From: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/infant_milestones/article_em.htm. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.
6. National Health Service (NHS). Your baby’s health and development reviews. Available From:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/height-weight-and-reviews/baby-reviews/. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Baby Vaccines at Birth. Available From: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/months-1-2.html. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccines When Your Child Is Sick. Available From: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/visit/sick-child.html. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.
9. Immunise4Life. The Malaysian National Immunisation Programme (NIP). Available from: https://immunise4life.my/the-malaysian-national-immunisation-programme-nip/.  Last Accessed 21 Jun 2022.
10. National Health Service (NHS). Rotavirus vaccine overview. Available From: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/rotavirus-vaccine/. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.
11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rotavirus Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know. Available From: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rotavirus/public/index.html. Last Accessed 23 May 2022.