When do babies realize their hands

Those first steps are possible because of changes that have taken place in the brain and the spinal cord. Babies' sensory development generally follows a typical pattern: Vision. At 1 month of age, babies can see about 30 cm 12 in. Babies this age especially enjoy looking at the human face and bright contrasting colours. At 2 months of age, babies begin to be able to follow a toy or other object when it is moved in front of their face.

At 3 to 4 months, babies can focus on an object or your smiling face from 1 m 1. At 7 to 12 months, a baby's vision is the same as an adult's vision. At 1 month of age, babies strongly prefer the sound of the human voice.

Hearing is the same as an adult's hearing. They recognize the voice of their caregiver, even when they are in another room. At 2 months of age, babies begin to coo and make sounds, such as ooh and ahh.

At 4 months, babies often amuse themselves with babbling and are beginning to understand that tone of voice means different things. At 6 or 7 months, babies start copying the sounds they hear spoken.

Babies may not be able to say the words they are hearing yet, but they can understand many of the words you say. At 12 months, babies are working hard to master language, and soon they may say their first word. Babies of all ages have a well-developed sense of touch. They often prefer soft, gentle touches and cuddles. Some Other Ideas Other ideas for encouraging your baby to learn and play: Gently clap your baby's hands together or stretch arms crossed, out wide, or overhead.

Gently move your baby's legs as if pedaling a bicycle. Use a favorite toy for your baby to focus on and follow, or shake a rattle for your infant to find. While awake, let your baby spend some 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 a baby to sleep on his or her stomach. Infants should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome SIDS.

Make different facial expressions for your baby to imitate. Talk to your baby and let your baby respond.

Read to your baby. It's only natural that he finds his own hands, right there in front of him, fascinating as well. At 2 months your baby's vision has improved a lot. He can see things that are farther away and see greater detail, thanks to his developing brain and his stronger eye muscles.

A 2- to 3-month-old will sometimes stare at his mother's face and not be able to look away until she moves. The same fixation can occur with his own hands, says Altmann.

Your baby will soon be so visually aware that he'll appreciate seeing things that are new and different. If you hold up a brand-new rattle, for example, his eyes may widen and he may gaze at it longer than he would if you held up a familiar toy. A baby who stares at his hands is simply gaining visual ability and the coordination to bring his hands together — and is getting ready for even bigger developmental tricks.

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. Since birth, babies start to learn about their bodies through sucking and grasping.

Practice this with your baby by showing them and making noise with a rattle. First, its sound will get their attention and then they will focus on the object. As they see the rattle, they will follow its movement and try to reach it with their hands.

Once your baby gets the toy, they will begin to notice their own hands. When your baby is about ten weeks old, they will begin to discover the use of their hands. They will then begin to move their hands towards the object in order to reach it. Here is when your little one will understand that they have control over what they can touch and grasp.