Health Topics for Child Health and Development

UI Children's Hospital

UI Family Care Centers

Divisions Within the Department of Pediatrics

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

2-month-old child

A baby grows and begins to socialize during the second month of life. The most exciting event for parents at this time may be seeing their baby smile. Smiles are associated with pleasure and parents. Their smiles increase when parents coo, cuddle, smile back, and pick them up. Although all children are unique, new growth and development milestones will typically occur by the end of 2 months.

The typical 2-month-old's motor skills include:

• holding head up for a few minutes at a 45-degree angle when lying on tummy (the baby's head still bobs when sitting)
• grasping voluntarily
• twisting the body, and cycling the arms and legs and
• moving objects placed in the hands to the mouth for sucking

The 2-month-old's language skills include:

• cooing and showing interest in sounds and
• crying is still the baby's primary way to vocalize

The 2-month-old's mental abilities include:

• startling or showing facial responses to sounds
• smiling in response to parent's cooing or change in facial expression
• staring for long periods at surroundings
• anticipating movement of objects by showing excitement and
• knowing a few voices, people, tastes, proximity, and objects

The 2-month-old's social traits include:

• showing distress and delight
• calming themselves with sucking
• quieting with cuddling or holding with familiar voices or familiar faces
• staying awake longer if interacting with people
• sleeping as long as 7 hours at night, and is awake as long as 10 hours a day
• feeding only one time during the night and
• enjoying a bath

Give your baby lots of love. You can never spoil a newborn. Keep your baby safe from suffocation. Remove electrical and drapery cords, chains, and small objects from the baby's reach. Have baby sleep on his or her back or side unless you have been told otherwise by your healthcare provider.

Be sure your baby receives the first DTaP, polio, Hepatitis B, Hib and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) immunizations now.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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