This webpage is intended for members of the UK general public. Designed and funded by Novartis in partnership with key experts.

Visit your GP

if your baby is 3 months of age AND:

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Tracking your baby’s movements, also known as motor developmental milestones, in the first few months of life is particularly important.

Seeing your baby grow and develop is a fascinating experience – from birth onwards you will have plenty of exciting ‘firsts’ to look forward to in the coming months.

Watch this video to see babies demonstrating 3 movements typical of 3 month olds1,2

If your baby is 3 months of age and: 1–3

Circle 1 Cannot raise their head when on their tummy Divider Circle 2 Has floppy arms and legs Divider Circle 3 Is not reaching for things

Circle 1

Cannot raise their head when on their tummy

Circle 2

Has floppy arms and legs

Circle 3

Is not reaching for things

You should see your GP

Remember, children develop at different rates, so there may be nothing to worry about.3 However, if you have any concerns about your baby’s movements, see your GP.

Movements by 3 months

What movements should I expect my baby to make by 3 months of age?

Icon 1

Raising their head when lying on their tummy1,2

You can easily check this milestone during ‘tummy time’

Icon 2

Kicking their legs and waving their arms when on their back1,2

When awake, their arms and legs should not be ‘floppy’

Icon 3

Reaching for things1,2

You can check this by putting an object or toy just out of reach on the floor or on their play mat

If you have any concerns, act now and see your GP to discuss your baby’s movement

Movement milestones1-5

Tracking your baby’s movements is an important way to check their health and development. Remember, children develop at different rates, so there may be nothing to worry about. However, if you have any concerns about your baby’s movements, see your GP.

Circle 1Month old
Circle 2Months old
Circle 3Months old

When lying on their front, baby can briefly lift their head

Can move hands to their face and mouth

Startle reflex – when baby is startled, such as a loud noise, they throw out their arms and spread their fingers

When lying on their front, baby can lift their head and move it side to side – may also use arms to push off of the ground

When lying on their back, baby can move and wriggle their arms and legs. As development continues these movements will become smoother

Can briefly hold a toy that is placed in their hands

When lying on their front, baby can lift their head and chest

When lying on their back, baby waves their arms and kicks their legs

Beginning to reach out for toys and deliberately grasps and holds items

Circle 1Month old

When laying on their front, baby can briefly lift their head

Can move hands to their face and mouth

Startle reflex – when baby is startled, such as a loud noise, they throw out their arms and spread their fingers

Circle 2Months old

When laying on their front, baby can lift their head and move it side to side – may also use arms to push off of the ground

When laying on their back, baby can move and wriggle their arms and legs. As development continues these movements will become smoother

Can briefly hold a toy that is placed in their hands

Circle 3Months old

When lying on their front, baby can lift their head and chest

When lying on their back, baby waves their arms and kicks their legs

Beginning to reach out for toys and deliberately grasps and holds items

Every baby is unique. This table illustrates typical development patterns and the exact age to show these skills for individual babies may differ.

Figure adapted from data in: Hadders-Algra, M. 2018, Cambs NHS, NCT, Healthy Children and Help Me Grow.1-5

Download the movement milestone timeline

Movement milestone timeline
Download the milestone cards

MILESTONE CARDS

Think 3 at 3 months

It is important to track your baby’s movements and check they are hitting their movement milestones by 3 months of age.

See your GP to discuss your baby’s movement if your baby is 3 months of age and:1,2

Talk to your GP about your concerns

If you find your baby is not showing the 3 movements shown in the video above, it could simply mean that they are late in the normal age range for reaching these movement milestones. However, in some rare cases, delays in reaching such milestones could be down to other causes, such as neuromuscular disease.6,7

If you have any concerns, it is important to make sure and speak to your GP.

This conversation guide contains some tips on
talking to your GP about your concerns

CONVERSATION GUIDE
NEWBORN SCREENING

WHY IS NEWBORN SCREENING IMPORTANT?

Fast diagnosis of neuromuscular disease is vital as damage occurring before treatment can be irreversible for genetic conditions such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).8,9 SMA is a serious condition that causes problems with movement as it makes the muscles weaker.10 The condition gets worse over time, but there are treatments available to help manage the symptoms.10

However, there is no national newborn screening (NBS) programme for SMA in the UK so monitoring movement milestones, looking out for the symptoms and speaking to your GP if you have any concerns are very important.

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Approximately one child every 5 days is born with SMA in the UK, leading to around 70 new cases each year.11

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NBS can enable early detection and diagnosis of genetic conditions like SMA, leading to faster access to potentially lifesaving treatments.

How does the UK compare to other countries’ NBS programmes?

The UK’s NBS programme currently tests for just nine out of a potential 64 severe diseases, down in 23rd place out of 32 European countries for the number of conditions screened for.12

Click below to view the current status of NBS for SMA across Europe13

SMA NBS ALLIANCE MAP

REFERENCES

1. Hadders-Algra M. Neuroscience and Beiobehavioral Reviews. 2018(90):411-427. 2. Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust. Child Development milestones. Available at: https://www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk/advice/childhood-development/milestones. Date accessed: August 2024. 3. NCT. Your baby’s development: physical stages. Available at: https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/games-and-play/your-babys-development-physical-stages. Date accessed: August 2024. 4. Healthy Children, American Academy of Pediatrics. Is your baby’s physical development on track? Available at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Is-Your-Babys-Physical-Development-on-Track.aspx. Date accessed: August 2024. 5. Help me grow MM. Motor Developmental Milestones. Available at: https://helpmegrowmn.org/HMG/DevelopMilestone/MotorMilestones/index.html. Date accessed: August 2024. 6. Physio. Delayed Milestones. Available at: https://www.physio.co.uk/what-we-treat/paediatric/problems/neurological-problems/delayed-milestones.php. Date accessed: August 2024. 7. McDonald CM. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2012(3):495-563. 8. Lin CW, et al. Pediatr Neurol. 2015;53:293–300. 9. Govoni A, et al. Mol Neurobiol. 2018;55(8):6307–18. 10. NHS. Spinal Muscular Atrophy Overview. May 2020. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/spinal-muscular-atrophy-sma/. Date accessed: August 2024. 11. Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK. What is 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy? 2021. Available at: https://smauk.org.uk/what-is-5q-sma. Date accessed: August 2024. 12. Charles River Associates. CRA Insights: A landscape assessment of newborn screening (NBS) in Europe. February 2024. Available at: https://www.crai.com/insights-events/publications/cra-insights-a-landscape-assessment-of-newborn-screening-nbs-in-europe/. Date accessed: August 2024. 13. SMA NBS Alliance. Status map. Available at: https://www.sma-screening-alliance.org/map. Date accessed: August 2024.