Touchy feely fingers – discovering new surfaces and sensations
The palmar grasp reflex will have led to your baby’s hand often being closed when touching objects (this reflex will gradually be becoming integrated). You might have noticed that your baby’s hands are open, move often and that they have explored moving in different ways. Now it's time to start noticing their fingers when their hands are on a surface – you might see this during tummy time or when you're holding them.
Moving fingers and more control
Initially, your baby will use both of their hands together and will move their fingers together rather than individually when grasping or exploring an object.
Your baby will be starting to have some control of the movement of their arms and hands, although this might not be accurate first time yet.[1]
Touch and learning: about the world and themselves
Touch is one of the first senses to develop and your baby will use touch, particularly with their mouth, to explore toys and objects.
As their physical skills develop they will begin to use their hands to touch and explore themselves, clothes and surfaces,[2] and when they feel something different, they'll move their fingers to explore the feeling further.[2]
This will help your baby to develop their awareness of their body, as they feel their hands and fingers on different features and body areas. It will also help them to learn about various surfaces and, gradually, your baby will begin to make links between the way that things feel and how they look.
They're picking up how to pick up!
Your baby develops their physical skills from their head to their toes and from the centre of their body to their extremities, so it will take some time and lots of movement for your baby to develop the skills to move and manipulate objects with their fingers.
During the months ahead, they will learn to pick up an object by holding it with their fingers in their palm, then they will be able to use their fingers to pull smaller objects towards their palm to be able to grasp them.
References:
[1] Sugden, D & Wade, M. (2013) Clinics in developmental medicine. Typical and atypical motor development. London: Mac Keith Press.
[2] Task Oriented Movement Therapy (undated) Foundation manual behaviours: Newborn to 5 months. [Online] Available at: Foundation Manual Behaviors: Newborn to 5 months | Task Oriented Movement Therapy (skillsforaction.com). Accessed on: 25th October 2021.