- In the first three
months of a baby's life, there are behaviors and signs that are often referred to as red flags that pediatric health
professionals look for to indicate that a little one
may need a little bit of help. It's important to know what these developmental red flags are because if we can
identify the difficulties a little one is having early and provide treatment early, it can reduce the length of time that little one requires treatment, as well as reduce the
potential impact it might have on their development. As parents, it's important to know what these red flags are because you are literally
with your little one every minute of every day, so you're in the best position to notice if and when these occur. So in this video, I'm going to cover what
these red flags are. If you do notice that
your little one has any of these red flags, firstly, don't worry. It doesn't necessarily mean
that there is something wrong. All it means is that they should go and see a health professional for a little bit of an
assessment just to be sure. So let's talk about the red
flags for a three-month old. Now, remember if your
baby was born prematurely, it's based on their corrected age, so when they are three
months corrected age, not the date that they were born. The gross and fine motor red
flags are limited head control. So if your little one isn't
able to lift their head to 45 degrees or 90 degrees
when they're in tummy time and they're unable to support their head when you are holding them and providing support
around their ribcage. The second one is that
they are constantly turning their head to one side. So they have a strong preference to look in one direction. At three months of age, your little one should be
able to easily turn their head from one side to the other. So if you hold a toy above their face and you'd go from one side to the other, they should be able to
follow that moving toy. If your little one is constantly looking in the one direction, it may indicate that they
have positional torticollis, which is a tightening of the neck muscle. And that's preventing them from being able to turn their head. Often, if your little one does
have positional torticollis, you will notice that their
head tilts to the side and their chin tucks down. And you often see this in photos. So you might want to go back and look at your little one's photos and see if they've
constantly got their head in the same position. Now, if your little one
does have a preference to look in one direction and is unable to turn their
head in the other direction, then it is important to
go get that checked out because if it's not treated and it is positional torticollis, it can affect their body posture, it can also result in
them favoring one side, and it can also lead to
a flat spot developing on the back of their head. So the other red flag is
a flat spot developing on the back of their head. Now at birth, you will notice that your little
one's head is a bit funny, but typically, the unusual shape resolves by six to eight weeks. But if you notice after this point in time that your little one does
have a flat spot developing on the back of their head, it's important to go to a
pediatric physiotherapist who can provide some
advice on some positioning and assess if there is
an underlying reason why that flat spot is developing. It's also really important
to rule out craniosynostosis, which is the early closures
of the sutures in the skull. And this can lead to the skull
developing an unusual shape, which can then restrict skull growth, and that can impact the developing brain. The next thing you want to look
out for is decreased movement or stiffness on one side of the body or in one arm or leg. So typically, at zero
to three months of age, your little one will be able
to use both hands freely. So they'll be reaching
out with both hands. They'll also be kicking with both feet. And at three months of age, they'll be able to turn their
head in both directions. If you notice that your little
one has increased stiffness in a leg or an arm or they're not able to
move one side of the body or they have a strong hand preference, then it is an indication
that you need to go in and check in with their pediatrician to see if there's a reason for that. The next thing you want to look
at is your little one's hand. So at three months of age, we want those hands to be open and that thumb to be out. So if you notice that your
little one's hand is fisted and that thumb is still
resting inside their palm, then you definitely want to go in and see a pediatric occupational therapist to see if there's ways that
you can get that thumb out. Because if that thumb and
that hand doesn't open, it's going be hard for
them to start to grab and play with toys, which they typically do
at four months of age. Now, before we cover the social
and communication red flags, make sure you click on
the free PDF document in the description box below as this will give you
invaluable peace of mind because you'll know when
to be expecting skills and when to be concerned. So the social and
communication red flags are, if your little one does not cry when they're uncomfortable or hungry. So babies cry to communicate with you what they want and need. They can't yet use words, but they are very efficient at crying. So if your little one
isn't indicating to you that they are hungry or
uncomfortable by crying, then that is a potential red flag. The next red flag is if the
little one doesn't notice or respond to loud noises. So newborns respond to
loud noises multiple ways. They might go quiet. They might look for that
noise by moving their eyes. And then when they're
able to move in their head in the direction of that noise, they might smile or they
might search for you when you start talking. They also respond to
loud noises by startling, and that is when they throw
back their hands, legs, and their head, and then bring them back into the middle of their
body and start to cry. If you notice that your
little one isn't responding to noise, then it is
definitely a time to go and get their hearing looked at. The next red flag is if the little one at three months of age
does not look at the carer. So by three months of age, you should be able to have a
little one look at the carer and sustain that eye contact. And they will also smile or coo in response to that interaction. So that also leads me
onto my next red flag, which is if your little one
is not smiling or cooing by three months of age. In regards to a zero to
three month's old vision, there is two things that we want to check. First, we want to make sure that the three month old is
able to track a moving toy. So when they're lying on their back, they should be able to
follow a toy from one side of their body all the way
over to the other side by following with their
eyes and their head. The next thing you want
to look out for is to see if the little one has an eye that is constantly turning in or out. So newborns will have eyes that are fleetingly appear cross eyed, but it shouldn't be constant. If it is, then it is an
indication that they need to go and get their vision assessed. Feeding red flags are that
your little one is unable to latch while nursing or bottle feeding, they're losing lots of liquid
out the side of their mouth when they're trying to feed, or they're appearing distressed
when they are feeding. In addition to knowing
what the red flags are, it is extremely helpful
for a new parent to know how a newborn communicates, and that is by using newborn cues. So if you want to help build a strong foundational
relationship with your little one, then make sure you check out this video. Also, if you want to know
some unusual behaviors that you're going to see in your newborn that are developmentally normal, then make sure you check out this video. Thanks for watching. Remember to click on
that free PDF document in the description box below. And I will see you next week, where I'll share more
parenting tips and tricks. (soothing music)
