Development of gross motor skills in 1-month-old babies. Follow your baby’s milestones step by step.
Gross motor skill development allows your baby to improve their balance and coordination and use their larger muscles. These abilities will help your little one master certain movements, such as turning over, sitting up, creeping, crawling, walking, running, climbing, and jumping. Developing gross motor skills is also an important step towards developing fine motor skills.
Gross motor skill development: 1 month old
At this age:
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Your baby lifts their head a little when you hold them against your chest. However, they cannot control their head quite yet. If not supported, their head will fall forwards or backwards.
Remember that not all children develop the same skills at the same speed. The material on this website is for general information purposes only. In addition, the milestone ages given may vary from source to source. If you’re concerned about your child’s development, speak with a doctor.
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Your baby’s hands, arms, and legs are folded when they sleep. Their arms and legs move involuntarily when they are awake. Movements are jerky and uncoordinated.
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Your baby has a Moro reflex, which is triggered when they get startled. When this happens, they involuntarily fling out their arms, legs, and fingers, then quickly return them to a resting position.
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When your baby lies on their back and turns their head to one side (fencing position), they may exhibit the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (the arm and leg on the same side extend, while the limbs on the other side bend).
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They turn their head to clear their nose when lying on their stomach. They lift their head briefly, but can’t control the movement well. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends putting your baby on their stomach at least three times a day, for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
Over the next few weeks, your baby will begin to do the following:
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Briefly lift their head and turn it from side to side while lying on their tummy, especially if they see an interesting toy move in front of them.
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Unfold, lift, and move their arms and legs in different ways.
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Keep their head straight over their torso when supported in a seated position.
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Bring their hands to their mouth.
How can you help your child progress?
Every child is different and develops at their own pace. That said, you can help foster your baby’s development by using the Comfort, Play, and Teach parenting approach, which is designed to easily integrate in your daily routine. The table below shows simple, ageappropriate ways to help your child develop their gross motor skills.
Comfort
When you touch or gently caress your baby while feeding them, changing their diaper, or giving them a bath, | | they show you how they like to be touched by moving in response to your caress. |
When you gently massage baby’s arms, legs, and stomach, | | they sense that you’re trying to comfort them and start to discover where their body starts and ends. |
Teach
When you walk around the house, holding baby against your chest while supporting their head, | | they start to observe and discover the world around them, and move in ways that help them develop their sense of balance. |
When you put your little one on their tummy for a few minutes with toys in contrasting colours (black, white, and red) in front of them, | | they strengthen their neck muscles by briefly lifting their head to take in the world around them. |
Play
When you make small pedalling movements with baby’s legs during diaper changes, | | they discover how their legs can move and start to become aware of their body. |
When you watch your baby move, smile at them, or sing to them, | | |
| Scientific review: Josiane Caron Santha, occupational therapist
Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team
Updated: November 2025
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Photo: GettyImages/markgoddard
Resources and references
Note: The links to other websites are not updated regularly, and some URLs may have changed since publication. If a link is no longer valid, please use search engines to find the relevant information.
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American Academy of Pediatrics. “Developmental milestones: 1 Month.” Healthy Children. 2009. healthychildren.org
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“Bébé sur le ventre 101.” Bouger pour Grandir avec Josiane Caron Santha (podcast). 2023. josianecaronsantha.com
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Caron Santha, Josiane, and Solène Bourque. Bouger pour grandir : comprendre et favoriser le développement moteur des enfants (0–8 ans). Éditions Midi trente, 2023, 160 pp.
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Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. Physical Activity in Early Childhood: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Healthy Habits. 2011. child-encyclopedia.com
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Ferland, Francine. Le développement de l’enfant au quotidien : de 0 à 6 ans. 2nd ed., Éditions du CHU Sainte-Justine, 2018, 264 pp.
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Pathways.org. 1 Month Baby Motor Assessment for Typical Development. 2023. youtube.com
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Pathways. “Motor.” pathways.org
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Canadian Paediatric Society. “Your child’s development: What to expect.” Caring for Kids. 2019. caringforkids.cps.ca
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