Babies are born with reflexes. A reflex is a move made without choosing to. Doctors check a newborn's reflexes to see whether the brain and nervous system are working well. When a palm is stroked, the fingers close tight. That is the grasp reflex. It lasts until a baby is about 5 to 6 months old, and then it fades away.

A cheek is touched, and the baby turns toward the touch. The mouth opens. This is the rooting reflex, and it helps the baby find food. It goes away at about 4 to 6 months. A loud sound or a sudden move makes a baby stretch out its arms and legs. Then it pulls them back in. This is the startle reflex.

Newborns see best up close. They focus on things about 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) away, about as far as a parent's face. They like to look at faces and at black-and-white patterns. For the first two months, the eyes are not well coordinated and may seem to wander or look crossed. This is usually normal.

Babies cry more in their first 3 months than at any other time. After that, crying gets better. A cry is how a baby tells the people nearby what it needs. It might be food, a hug, a clean diaper or sleep. A familiar, gentle voice can calm a crying baby. A baby also learns that a cry brings food, comfort and company.

Talking starts long before words. Up to about 4 months, babies coo. They make soft sounds like oooo. Later they babble, making strings of sounds like tata. Serve and return is a back-and-forth between a baby and a caring person, like a game of tennis. The baby coos or babbles, the other person answers, and the baby learns.

New babies sleep a lot, and most are asleep more than awake. As of November 2026, a common guide is 14 to 17 hours a day, and anywhere from about 8 to 18 hours can be normal. They wake up often to eat. Their tummies are tiny and cannot hold much milk at once, so they do not sleep through the night.

Babies slowly gain control of their heads. By 2 months, many can lift them when lying on their stomachs. Around 6 months, many roll from front to back. They push up on straight arms and lean on their hands to sit with support. Between about 9 months and a year, babies pull themselves up to stand. Some may crawl, too.

Babies begin to understand words before they say them. They learn words like cup and shoe, and they respond to simple requests. In the second half of the first year they enjoy peek-a-boo. By around 12 months they find hidden objects easily. Around their first birthday, many babies say one or two simple words, such as hi, dog, Dada or Mama.

Words to know

• reflex: unchosen move
• rooting: finding food
• babble: string of sounds
• startle: jump at once
• crawl: move on knees

The short version

Babies are born with reflexes, moves they make without choosing to, such as gripping a finger and turning toward a touch on the cheek. They also cry to say what they need, sleep many hours, and learn to coo, babble, roll, sit and say first words over their first year.

Quick facts

• Newborns grip when a palm is stroked; the grasp reflex lasts until about 5 to 6 months.
• Doctors check a newborn's reflexes to see whether the brain and nervous system are working well.
• Babies cry more in their first 3 months than at any other time.
• Newborns focus best on things about 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) away.
• Around their first birthday, many babies say one or two simple words.