3 month old sometimes fists one hand

[Mogbd]

I have a 3 month-old son (just turning 3 months tomorrow!) who we had a rough start with when he was born- he was born at 38 weeks. The placenta for some unexplained reason stopped working and we had to have an emergency c-section. We had 2 MRIs before we left the NICU, the first showed some diffusion but the second MRI showed all the diffusion had cleared up.

He has been doing really well, has good neck control, doing mini- push-ups and rolling over from tummy to back.

When he turned 2 months though, I noticed he rested more on his right side making his right hand slightly immobile. He doesn't do that anymore but is more midline however, I feel he has more freedom moving the left hand more than the right. He can do everything he does with his left hand with the right, I just don't think it is more fluid. He also seems to "learn" things first with the left hand (e.g., putting hand to mouth, rubbing eyes) and then the right hand catches up later.

While he opens both hands, he still clenches the right hand (mostly with the thumb out) more often than the left especially when he is very excited on his activity mat or when we are breastfeeding and he is on his right side.

We checked with the neurologist but he didn't think anything was wrong with his hands but he noticed he had very mild spacticity in his legs. We are going for physical therapy and hoping it is nothing too serious and will pass soon.

My question is do babies' hands unfist at different times i.e., will the right hand eventually "catch up" or is this something to be more concerned about?
Thanks!

[Mogbd]

Thank you! You might just be right. He opens his right hand more these days and using it almost as well as he left.

[flipper336]

It sounds like your baby is doing just fine. Remember he is just learning how to do new things so he will use his dominant hand or foot to try it out first. So it sounds like your boy is going to be a lefty.
Don't worry about his right hand catching up and just enjoy him at that age or stage in his life. He will grow up and be in high school before you know it.