Verified and reviewed by: Midwife Maria Midstam

In this five-part series, you will be able to read about premature babies and the neonatal unit.

Child development in weeks 36-42

When the child is born in weeks 36-42 it is often full-term or close to full-term. Now a new phase begins where the child has longer wakefulness periods - a perfect opportunity to get to know each other.

Further development of the brain

The development of the child's brain is ongoing. At this point, the majority of brain cells are already produced, but fine-tuning continues intensively. The brain grows and develops rapidly until around two years of age.

Eyesight matures slowly

Sight is the sense that takes the longest to mature. Even after the child reaches full maturity, vision continues to develop.

• Newborns see most clearly at a distance of 20-30 cm, which corresponds to the distance between the parent's face and the child's position at the breast.

• Looking at the parent's face gives sufficient visual stimulation in the beginning.

Sleep and environment

The child can now sleep despite minor disturbances in the environment. Sleep patterns gradually become more stable as the baby adjusts to life outside the womb.

Movement and coordination

When the child reaches full term, it also develops motor skills:

• The child can control their movements better and bring your hands to your mouth.

• The grasping reflex becomes stronger, and the child starts grabbing hold of things.

• For short periods, the child may raise your head, which is strengthened by continued training during waking hours.

Summary - this is happening now:

Brain development:

Brain cells are mostly fully formed but continue to be fine-tuned until around the age of two.

The vision:

Matures slowly and develops even after birth. Newborns see most clearly at 20-30 cm distance.

Sleep:

The child can sleep despite noise and movement in the environment.

Motor skills:

The child may bring their hands to their mouth, grasp things and start lifting their head for short periods.

Parental contact:

Longer periods of wakefulness mean that you as a parent have more opportunities for eye contact and closeness.