When Will My Baby Stop Holding Her Hands in a Fist?

When my daughter was first born, I was excited about having the opportunity to finally hold her hand -- to allow her to grip my fingers in her tiny palm. I remember the first time I touched my pinkie to her palm and felt the vibrant, long-awaited warmth of her hand. But one thing surprised me -- she always had her hands in a fist. Sometimes it was tightly clenched, and other times, it was slightly opened. It was at least a month before I saw her holding her hands out with her palm open and her fingers spread.

Babies release their fingers from a fist position at some point during the first few months of life. Here are some facts worth knowing about this often-overlooked developmental milestone.

1. It signals a new phase in the baby's development. When your baby stops holding her hands in a fist, it's a sign that she's entered a new phase in her physical and neurological development. Those fists are a trademark of the fetal and newborn developmental phase, but older babies tend to have their fingers spread at least some of the time.

2. It signals the beginning of other early milestones. At around the time your baby stops holding her hands in a fist, she will also begin briefly holding a rattle when it is placed in her hand. When she starts keeping her hands unfisted most of the time, she'll begin batting at objects and begin to hold items voluntarily.

3. Unfisting usually happens at around 2 months of age.

Some babies stop holding their hands in a fist at birth, or almost immediately thereafter. However, this is not the norm. More commonly, a baby starts unfisting her hands at around 4 weeks of age, keeping them unfisted half the time by 8 weeks.

4. It may take up to four months. Babies with typical, healthy development may sometimes take until 4 months of age before they stop holding their hands in a fisted position most of the time. The vast majority of babies will keep their fingers spread apart most of the time after the four-month mark.

5. Special-needs babies take longer to develop.

If your baby was born premature, she may need more time to develop the muscular and neurological strength to release her hands from a newborn's involuntary fist. The amount of time this takes will depend on how premature your baby was. If your non-preterm baby doesn't release her hands from a fist by four months, bring it up with her pediatrician. It's possible that an undiagnosed problem is hindering her development.