by Melissa Clark Vickers
April 24, 2012
A first smile. A first step. A first word. These are the milestones that parents are eager to share with family and friends. But they are not the only milestones your baby will achieve that first year. Each month, your baby will master important skills that serve as the building blocks for continued growth and development.
Throughout your baby’s first year, growth and development are measured in inches, pounds, and milestones—predictable skills that all normal children are expected to achieve at some point in time. Knowing when children typically achieve various milestones can help parents recognize developmental delays early on and seek appropriate care.
Your child’s health care provider will discuss various milestones with you during your child’s check-ups to ensure that your child is growing as expected. Developmental milestones are divided into five categories:
- Gross motor skills. These skills involve the body’s large muscles (trunk, arms, legs, and neck). Examples of gross motor skills include controlling the head, sitting, standing, walking, running, jumping, and riding a bike.
- Fine motor skills. These skills require precision movements of the hands and fingers: picking up a pea, writing with a pen or pencil, painting a picture, or playing a flute.
- Language skills. Early language skills include communicating through facial expressions, body movements, crying, cooing, and laughing. Babies build on these early skills to develop the ability to communicate with words.
- Social and play skills. These skills are essential to interacting and playing together, as well as solving problems collaboratively. They include giving, sharing, taking turns, and engaging others in play.
- Cognitive skills. Your child’s ability to solve problems, adapt to new situations, and know right from wrong are examples of cognitive development.
The following chart highlights the major milestones you’ll likely see from your baby during the first year. Don’t be surprised if your baby is ahead of schedule in some areas or lags behind in others. While it is tempting to compare your baby to other babies you know, it is important to remember that every child develops at her own pace.
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES
0–2 MONTHS
Gross motor skills
- Sucks, swallows, and breathes while feeding
- Shows strong reflexes—rooting (turns head and seeks breast) and palmer grasp (closes hand around a finger)
- Lifts head momentarily about 45 degrees when lying on stomach
- Relaxes arms and legs from the tight fetal position
Fine motor skills
- Holds hands in tight fists, then begins to uncurl fingers
- Attempts to hold a rattle
Language skills
- Recognizes familiar voices (parents, siblings, caregiver)
- Cries generically (hasn’t yet developed different cries for “I’m hungry” versus “I’m lonely”)
Social and play skills
- Responds to calming actions, such as rocking, singing, or babywearing
- Has short periods of wakefulness
- Follows/tracks parents with eyes (sees most clearly around eight inches or the distance between a mom’s and baby’s face when breastfeeding)
Cognitive skills
- Assumes that expressions of distress will be followed by comfort
- Begins to develop trust
- Fusses if needs are not met quickly enough
- Reacts to sounds
- Realizes cues generate predictable responses
Developmental tip: Engage in skin-to-skin and eye-to-eye contact; massage your baby (learn how here); carry her in your arms or in a sling; feed her on request (at the first sign of hunger).
Feeding tip: Small, frequent breastfeedings (at least eight feedings in each 24 hours) will ensure that your baby is getting enough to eat and help you build a good milk supply.
Watch your baby for cues that she’s getting hungry—she may smack her lips or suck on her hands. Crying is a late sign of hunger. Don’t wait for your baby to cry before offering the breast; it’s harder for a crying baby to latch on well.
2–4 MONTHS
Gross motor skills
- Lifts head higher than bottom
- Rolls from back to side, tummy to side
- Bears weight on legs when held upright
- Rests on forearms when lying on stomach
- Lifts head and chest when lying on stomach
- Stretches legs and kicks when lying on stomach
Fine motor skills
- Plays with hands in front of face
- Holds onto the hair and clothes of anyone nearby
- Holds rattle
- Bats at dangling objects with hands
Language skills
- Makes a variety of sounds—single vowel sounds, screeches
- Coos, squeals, and gurgles
- Says “ooh-ooh” and “aah-aah”
- Communicates through body movements—waving arms and legs, opening up hands
- Blows bubbles
Social and play skills
- Smiles and shows emotions—happiness and sadness
- Laughs
- Cries according to need (for example, has a distinct cry for “I’m hungry” versus “I’m lonely”)
- Self-calms by sucking on hands
- Loves human faces, maintains eye contact and mimics facial gestures
Cognitive skills
- Recognizes cause and effect
- Realizes actions cause others to react—a smile generates a smile in return
- Turns head toward sound made at ear level
- Shows boredom by crying or fussing if there are no changes in activity
- Realizes objects have names
Developmental tip: Hold your baby on your chest so she can peer over your shoulder; provide ample tummy time to improve neck control; play with your baby’s hands; have “conversations” with your baby—make sounds and encourage your baby to repeat them; read books with large, colorful pictures.
Feeding tip: Expect growth spurts during which your baby will want to breastfeed more often. This is nature’s way of bumping up your milk supply to meet your growing baby’s needs.
