|
Your baby within a few
days of birth will probably be able to lift head briefly when on the
tummy. He/She may possibly move his/her arms and legs on
both sides of the body equally well and may even focus on objects
within 8 to 15 inches. Below
is a chart summarizing month-by-month information of what your baby
may be doing for the next twelve months. These
information will reassure you if your baby is
ahead, average or below the normal baby's growth and
development. Please note that if your baby seems not
to have reached one or more of these milestones, check with the
doctor. In rare instances the delay could indicate a problem,
though in most cases it will turn out to be normal for your
baby. Premature infants generally reach milestones later than
others of the same birth age, often achieving them closer to their
adjusted age (the age they would be if they had been born at term),
and sometimes later. |
|
By the end of
the...
|
Your
Baby... |
What
to expect... |
|
First Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- lift head briefly when on stomach on a flat surface
- focus on a face
- respond to a bell in some way, such as startling, crying, quieting
- follow an object moved in an arch about 6 inches above face to the midline (straight ahead)
- on stomach, lift head 45 degrees
- vocalize in ways other than crying (e.g.: cooing)
- smile in response to your smile
- follow an object moved in an arch about 6 inches above the face past
the midline (straight ahead)
- on stomach, lift head 90 degrees
- hold head steady when upright
- bring both hands together
- smile spontaneously
- laugh out loud
- squeal in delight
- follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face for 180 degrees (from one side to the other)
|
Second Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- smile in response to your smile
- follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face to the
midline (straight ahead)
- respond to a bell in some way, such as startling, crying, quieting
(by 1.5 months)
- vocalize in ways other than crying (e.g. cooing)
- on stomach, lift head 45 degrees
- follow an object moved in an arch about 6 inches above the face past
the midline (straight ahead)
- smile spontaneously
- bring both hands together (2 2/3
months)
- on stomach, lift head 90 degrees (2¼ months)
- laugh out loud
- squeal in delight
- follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face for 180 degrees (from one side to the other)
- hold head steady when upright
- on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms
- roll over (one way)
- grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers
- pay attention to a raisin or other very small object
- reach for an object
- say ah-goo or similar vowel-consonant combination
|
|
Third Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- on stomach, lift head up 45 degrees (2 2/3
months)
- follow an object moved in an arch about 6 inches above the face past
the midline -- straight ahead (by 2½ months)
- laugh out loud
- on stomach, lift head up 90 degrees
- squeal in delight
- bring both hands together
- smile spontaneously
- follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face for 180 degrees
-- from one side to the other (by 3¼ months)
- hold head steady when upright
- on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms
- roll over (one way)
- grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers (3 1/3
months)
- pay attention to a raisin or other very small object (3 1/3
months)
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- reach for an object (3 2/3
months)
- keep head level with body when pulled to sitting
- turn in the direction of a voice, particularly mommy's
- say ah-goo or similar vowel-consonant combination
- razz (make a wet razzing sound)
|
|
|
|
Fourth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- on stomach, lift head up 90 degrees
- laugh out loud (3 2/3
months)
- follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face for 180 degrees
(from one side to the other)
- hold head steady when upright
- on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms
- roll over (one way)
- grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers
- pay attention to a raisin or other very small object
- reach for an object
- squeal in delight
- keep head level with body when pulled to sitting (4¼ months)
- turn in the direction of a voice, particularly mommy's
- say ah-goo or similar vowel-consonant combination
- razz (make a wet razzing sound by 4½ months)
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- sit without support
- object if you try to take a toy away
- turn in the direction of a voice
|
Fifth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- hold head steady when upright (by 4¼ months)
- on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms (by 4
1/3 months)
- roll over (one way)
- pay attention to a raisin or other very small object
- squeal in delight (4 2/3
months)
- reach for an object
- smile spontaneously
- grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers
- bear some weight on legs when held upright (5¼ months)
- keep head level with body when pulled to sitting
- say ah-goo or similar vowel-consonant combination
- razz (make a wet razzing sound by 4½ months)
- sit without support
- turn in the direction of a voice
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- stand holding on to someone or something
- feed himself or herself a cracker
- object if you try to take a toy away
- work to get to a toy out of reach
- pass a cube or other object from one hand to the other
- look for dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in fist
- babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga-ga,
ba-ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da
|
|
Sixth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- keep head level with body when pulled to sitting (6 1/3
months)
- say ah-goo or similar vowel-consonant combination
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- sit without support (by 6½ months)
- stand holding on to someone or something
- feed self a cracker
- object if you try to take a toy away
- work to get to a toy out of reach
- pass a cube or other object from one hand to the other
- look for dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in fist
- turn in the direction of a voice
- babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga-ga,
ba-ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da (6 1/3
months)
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- say mama or dada indiscriminately
|
|
|
|
Seventh Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- sit without support
- feed self a cracker (6¼ months)
- razz ( make a wet razzing sound by 6½ months)
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- object if you try to take a toy away
- work to get to a toy out of reach
- pass a cube or other object from one hand to the other
- look for dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in fist
- turn in the direction of a voice (by 7 1/3
months)
- babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga-ga,
ba-ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da (6 1/3
months)
- play peekaboo (by 7¼ months)
- stand holding on to someone or something
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- say mama or dada indiscriminately
|
|
Eighth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- feed self a cracker
- pass a cube or other object from one hand to the other (usually by
8½ months)
- look for a dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in fist
- turn in the direction of a voice
- stand holding on to someone or something (8½ months)
- object if you try to take a toy away
- work to get a toy out of reach
- play peekaboo
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- say mama or dada indiscriminately
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- stand alone momentarily
- understand the word "no" (but not always obey it)
|
|
Ninth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- work to get a toy out of reach
- look for a dropped object
- pull up to standing position from sitting (by 9½ months)
- get into a sitting position from stomach (by 9 1/3
months)
- object if you try to take a toy away
- stand holding on to someone or something
- pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- say mama or dada indiscriminately
- play peekaboo
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- understand the word "no" (but not always obey it)
- "play ball" (roll ball back to you)
- drink from a cup independently
- pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefinger
- stand alone momentarily
- stand alone well
- say one word other than mama or dada
- respond to one-step command with gestures (give that to me - with
hand out)
|
|
|
|
Tenth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- stand holding on to someone or something
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- object if you try to take a toy away
- say mama or dada indiscriminately
- play peekaboo
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- understand the word "no" (but not always obey it)
- stand alone momentarily
- say dada (by 10 months) or mama (by 11 months) discriminately
- indicate wants in ways other than crying
- "play ball" (roll ball back to you)
- drink from a cup independently
- pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefinger
- stand alone well
- use immature jargoning (gibberish that sounds like baby is talking
in a made up foreign language)
- say one word other than mama or dada
- respond to one-step command with gestures (give that to me - with
hand out)
- walk well
|
|
Eleventh Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- understand the word "no" (but not always obey it)
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefinger
- stand alone momentarily
- say dada or mama discriminately
- say one word other than mama or dada
- stand alone well
- indicate wants in ways other than crying
- "play ball" (roll ball back to you)
- drink from a cup independently
- use immature jargoning (gibberish that sounds like baby is talking
in a made up foreign language)
- say three or more words other than mama or dada
- respond to one-step command without gestures (give that to me -
without hand out)
- walk well
|
|
Twelfth Month
|
should be able to
will probably be able to
may possibly be able to
may even be able to
|
- walk holding on to furniture (by 12 2/3
months)
- play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye (most children
accomplish these feats by 13 months)
- drink from a cup independently (many can't do this until 16½
months)
- pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefinger (by
12¼ months; many babies do not accomplish this until nearly 15
months)
- stand alone momentarily (many don't accomplish this until 13 months)
- say dada or mama discriminately (most will say at least one of these
by 14 months)
- say one word other than mama or dada (many won't say their first
word until 14 months or later)
- indicate wants in ways other than crying (many don't reach this
stage until past 14 months)
- "play ball" (roll ball back to you; many don't accomplish
this feat until 16 months)
- stand alone well (many don't reach this point until 14 months)
- use immature jargoning (gibberish that sounds like baby is talking
in a made up foreign language; half of all babies don't start
jargoning until after their first birthday, and many not until they
are 15 months old)
- walk well (3 out of 4 babies don't walk well until 13½ months, and
many not until considerably later; good crawlers maybe slower to walk;
when other development is normal, late walking is rarely a cause for
concern)
- say three or more words other than mama or dada (a good half of all
babies won't reach this stage until 13 months, and many not until 16
months)
- respond to one-step command without gestures (give that to me -
without hand out; most children won't reach this stage until after
their first birthday, many not until after 16 months)
|
|
*See the Acknowledgement and Links page
for the references.
|
| See
also: Our Baby
Baby Milestones
Toddler Development
Peaceful Parenting
|
