Development: By 3 months or soon thereafter

At about three months of age, your baby's skills will start to increase rapidly. He or she will interact and communicate with you more and more.

By three months or soon after a baby should be able to do the following:

Focus on and enjoy watching others.
Smile spontaneously and at the sound of the mother's voice.
Turn his or her head toward sound.
Listen to music.
Enjoy playing with others.
Imitate sounds.
Babble.
Imitate facial expressions.
Recognize familiar objects, such as a bottle.
Begin to develop hand-eye coordination, grabbing and batting at objects within sight and bringing his or her hands to his or her mouth.
Grasp and shake toys.
Open and shut hands.
Sit for a brief time with support.
Stretch legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back.
Support upper body with arms when lying on stomach.
Push down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface.
Bob head forward when held sitting.

Babies develop at different rates. If your baby does not presently have all of the skills listed, it doesn't always mean she has a problem or is slow to develop. But if your baby has developed few or none of the skills listed, you should discuss this with your baby's doctor or nurse practitioner.