Newborns show brief, reflexive fixation on faces at birth, but sustained social eye contact and prolonged face-fixing typically emerge by about 6–8 weeks (≈2 months).
The mother of a newborn asks you when her child will start staring at her mother's face and when the newborn will begin raising her head during tummy time. The most common age for these milestones is which of the following?
Answer Options:
Newborn and 1 week are too early, as at this point infants have limited visual focus and head control. Two and three months correspond with more advanced motor skills. One month is the best answer, aligning with the expected timing for both eye contact and the initial head-lift during tummy time.
| Option | What It Tests / Implies | Why It’s Wrong Here |
|---|---|---|
| newborn | Reliance on primitive visual reflexes and Moro responses | Newborns focus best at 8–12 inches but lack sustained, purposeful gaze and voluntary head lift. |
| 1 week | Rapid early development of visual and motor control | At 1 week, infants still display largely reflexive movements; purposeful lifting and face fixation haven’t yet consolidated. |
| 2 months | Emergence of stronger head control and social engagement | By 2 months infants can lift chest during tummy time and track objects, but face-staring and initial head lift occur earlier. |
| 3 months | Advanced motor skills and interactive social smile | This is past the average—by 3 months most babies have sustained head control and social smiling well established. |
Infants typically begin purposeful face fixation and can lift their head 45° during tummy time at 1 month of age.
This item pits reflexive responses (present at birth) against voluntary milestone achievements. Test writers often include earlier reflex-based options (newborn, 1 week) and later advanced skills (2–3 months) to lure examinees who either over- or under-estimate the true 1-month average.
A 5-week-old infant is placed prone during well-child check. The mother notes her baby can briefly lift and hold the head at a 45° angle. At what age is this expected to emerge?
A. Newborn
B. 1 week
C. 1 month
D. 2 months
During a 6-week developmental screening, a parent asks when her baby will start to “stare” at faces. The pediatrician replies that sustained face fixation typically appears at approximately:
A. Birth
B. 1 week
C. 1 month
D. 3 months
During a well-baby checkup, a parent asks when she should expect her infant to begin making cooing sounds. The most common age for this developmental milestone is which of the following?
Discuss how factors such as premature birth, prenatal exposures, or individual temperament might shift the timing of face fixation and head-lifting milestones, and how you would counsel parents when variation occurs.
This question appears in Med-Challenger Pediatric Medicine Exam Review with CME
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