Newborn baby development stages?

The newborn period covers the first 28 days after birth and is a critical time as the baby adapts to life outside the womb.

Physical development: Newborns are born with reflexes—sucking, rooting, grasping, Moro (startle), and stepping reflexes are some of them. In the first weeks, they cannot hold their head up and movements are involuntary. Visual acuity is around 20-30 cm and they focus most on faces, especially their parents' faces.

Sensory development: Loud noises startle them; they can distinguish their mother's voice from other sounds. Their sense of taste is developed—they prefer sweet and react to bitter. They begin to recognize their mother through smell.

Social-emotional development: Babies cannot smile consciously at this stage (first social smile usually appears at 6-8 weeks). They express needs through crying and develop a sense of security through skin-to-skin contact.

Communication: Apart from crying, they can make some sounds, but meaningful vocalizations haven't started yet. Talking to and making eye contact with your baby forms the foundation of language development.

During this period, the most important thing is to respond sensitively and consistently to the baby's basic needs (feeding, diaper changes, sleep, temperature).