Stronger neck muscles, weaker reflexes
At this age, if you put your son on his stomach, he will raise his head and shoulders and look forward, while leaning on his hands. If you hold your son in your arms, you will notice his neck muscles are stronger and his head tilts less.
At the same time, you may notice that some of his innate reflexes are losing their hold. The walking or dancing reflex — the reflex to move his feet when held above a solid surface, such as your lap — will be replaced by conscious actions [1].
The grasping reflex is also weakening [2], the baby’s hands are not clenched into fists, and he no longer holds your finger as strongly as before. But he can purposefully reach for the toy and, perhaps, even grab it.
His own hands entertain him even: he examines them, brings them to his eyes, puts them in his mouth. Therefore, it is very important now to cut your nails regularly.
Some babies enthusiastically suck their thumb for long periods of time. Pediatricians do not see this as a problem, at least until the baby's teeth begin to come in — then sucking can affect the formation of a bite. But for most infants, this habit passes on its own by six to seven months [3]. So nothing needs to be done now. Just keep an eye on the cleanliness of his hands and the length of his nails.
