Developmental Milestones
Developmental Milestones For Your Baby
Developmental milestones are important because they allow parents to chart their child’s progress against what most other babies are achieving at the same timeframe. With that said, remember that no baby is the same in every way and that some events might happen earlier or later in time. This is just a “guide.” If you have concerns, be sure to speak with your child’s doctor about your concerns
Your Baby At 2 Months Old
Baby Suffers A Stroke (In some cases this can happen before delivery or after)
Umbilical Cord Issues: Umbilical cord problems can lead to HIE because the umbilical cord is essential for the baby’s survival. As some have noted, the umbilical cord can be seen as the baby’s lifeline, and rightfully so. One of the biggest areas of concern with umbilical cord problems deals with cord compression. Cord compression can be seen in umbilical cord prolapse (link to Umbilical Cord Prolapse Page). Cord prolapse is a medical condition in which the umbilical cord drops out of the uterus before the baby. Compression can also occur with a knotted umbilical cord (just as the name suggests) and nuchal cord (umbilical cord wrapped around the baby’s neck).
Shoulder Dystocia: During shoulder dystocia not only can the baby suffer injury to their arm and or hand, an injury to the brain can occur due to a compressed umbilical cord.
Social Behaviors
Tries to look and focus on parent
Starts to smile at people
Sucking on hands and bringing hands to mouth
Communication
Turns head towards sounds
Starts to make cooing and gurgling sounds
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Starts to follow things with their eyes
Pays attention to faces and facial movements
Cries and fussy when getting bored
Physical Development
Can hold head up when lying on stomach
Smoother movement with arms and legs
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Baby At 4 Months Old
Social Behaviors
Spontaneous smiling, especially in the presence of other people
Copies the facial movements of others
May start crying when playtime stops with others
Communication
Babbles with expression and copies other sounds heard
When hungry, tired, or in pain will start to cry
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Responds to affection
Will communicate when happy and sad
Reaches for a toy with one hand
Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
Closely watches faces
Can recognize familiar people at a distance
Physical Development
Brings hands to mouth
Rolls over on stomach and back
Can hold head in a steady fashion without support
Pushes up on elbows when on stomach
Can recognize familiar people at a distance
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Baby At 6 Months Old
Social Behaviors
Plays now with others, especially parents
Can tell if someone is a stranger
Seems happy and responds to other people’s emotions
Likes to see self in a mirror
Communication
Responds now to sounds by making the same sound
Recognizes and responds to name
Begins to make consonant sounds
Shows joy and displeasure with sounds
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Brings things to mouth
Starts to pass things from one hand to another
Looks around at things nearby
Tries to reach for things that are out of reach…driven by curiosity
Physical Development
Starts to sit without support
Rolls over in all directions
When standing uses legs to support weight…bouncing begins
Moves back and forward and may start crawling backwards then forward
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Baby At 9 Months Old
Social Behaviors
Clingy with familiar adults
Developing favorite toys
Afraid of strangers
Communication
Starts to understand what “no” means
Copies the gestures and sounds of others
Starts to point at things with fingers
Starts to make different sounds like “mamma”
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Looks for things he/she sees you hiding
Plays peak-a-boo
Watches the direction something takes as it falls
Puts things in mouth
Begins to move things smoothly from one hand to another
Places things between thumb and index finger
Physical Development
Gets into a sitting position
Crawls
Pulls up to stand
Holds on to things to stand
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Baby At 1 Year Old
Social Behavior
Nervous or shy with strangers
Has favorite people and things
Cries when mom and dad leaves
Fear is exhibited in certain situations
Hands you a book when want to hear a story
Puts out arm and leg when helped getting dressed
Plays peak-a-boo and pat-a-cake
Communication
Responds to simple spoken requests
Starts to wave hand and shake head
Starts saying “mama” and “dada”
Tries to say the words you say
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Easily finds hidden things
Starts to shake, bang, and throw things
Identifies the right thing when it is named usually though eye contact
Starts to use things correctly i.e. brush, uses a cup correctly
Begins to bang things together
Can let things go without help
Puts things in a container and takes out of container
Uses index finger to point
Can start to follow simple directions
Physical Development
Can move to the standing position without help
May standup alone
May take a few steps without help
Holds on to furniture/things to walk
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Child At 18 Months Old (1 ½ Years Old)
Social Behavior
Hands things to others while playing
May still be afraid of strangers
Temper tantrums
Shows affection to familiar people
Plays simple pretend
Might cling to caregivers when faced with a new situation
Points and shows others something interesting
Starts to explore alone but has parents close by
Communication
Starts saying single words
Can say no and shakes head
Points at something to show he/she wants it
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Understands what ordinary things are for i.e. toothbrush, fork, comb, cup, etc…
Shows interest in a stuffed animal by pretending to feed and care for it
Begins to scribble
Follows one step verbal commands i.e. “sit down”
Physical Development
Starts to run and walk up steps
Can help undress self
Drinks from a cup and eats with a spoon
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Child At 2 Years Old
Social Behavior
Starts to copy others especially adults and older children
Shows even more independence
Gets excited to play with older children
Displays defiant behavior (being told no and does it anyway)
Communication
Knows the names of familiar people and body parts
Can say simple sentences with 2-4 words
Now follows simple instructions
Will repeat words overheard in conversations
Points to familiar things in a book
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Starts to name things in a book i.e. dog, cat, bird, car, etc.…
Plays make believe games
Completes sentences with rhymes in familiar books
Begins to sort shapes and colors
Finds things when hidden even under 2 or 3 covers
Builds towers with 4 or more blocks
Follows 2 step directions i.e. pick up shoes and place in closet
May start to use one hand more than the other
Physical Development
Can kick a ball
Stands on tip toes
Climbs up and down furniture with no help
Walks up and down stairs holding on
Can copy straight lines and circles
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Child At 3 Years Old
Social Behavior
Copies friends and adults
Takes turns in games
Understands concern when a friend is crying
Displays affection for friends without being told
Understand mine, yours, etc.….
Displays a wide range of emotions now
Might get upset when routine is changed
Will separate from mom and dad
Dresses his/herself
Communication
Can name most familiar things
Can say the name of a friend
Knows first name, age, and sex
Understand words like “in, on, and under…”
Can carry on a conversation with 2-3-word sentences
Talks with strangers with some understanding of the conversation
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Plays make-believe now with doll, toys and stuffed animals
Plays with puzzles with 3-4 pieces
Understand what 2 means
Can work toys with moving parts i.e. button, levers, switches, etc.
Can work toys with moving parts i.e. button, levers, switches, etc.
Turns pages in a book one page at a time
Can build towers with block using 6 or more blocks
Turns door handles and can unscrew jar lids
Physical Development
Runs easily now
No problems climbing
Pedals a tricycle
Walks up and down stairs with one foot in front of the other
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Child At 4 Years Old
Social Development
Plays mom and dad
Not afraid of doing new things
More creative with make-believe
Rather play with other children than alone
Cooperates and plays with other children
Starts to talk about what he/she likes
Knows what is real and make-believe
Communication
Can say first and last name
Starts to learn basic rules of grammar
Sings basic songs and poems
Tells stories
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Names some colors and numbers
Understands counting
Can draw a person with 2-4 body parts
Begins to understand same and different
Uses scissors
Plays card and board games
Guesses what may happen next in a book
Physical Development
Most of the time can catch a bounced ball
Stands on one foot and can hop for 2 seconds
Cuts (with supervision), pour own food
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Your Child At 5 Years Old
Social Development
Looking to please friends
Agreeing with the rules most of the time
Awareness of gender
Likes to sing, dance, act
Wants to be like friends
Can be sometimes demanding and sometimes cooperative
Knows what is real vs. make-believe
Communication
Speaks clearly
Can say name and address
Knows tenses i.e. mom will be at the party
Cognitive (thinking and problem solving)
Draws a person with 6 or more body parts
Counts 10 or more things
Can print some letters and numbers
Copies geometric shapes
Understand things used everyday i.e. money, food, etc.….
Physical Development
Hops and might be able to skip
Doing somersault
Using a fork, spoon, and sometimes a table knife
Uses toilet by him/herself
Swings and climbs
Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
If as a parent you have concerns regarding your child not performing the above actions, be sure to explain your concerns to your child’s doctor. Taking early action can be helpful in getting the treatment necessary. Your doctor may do an assessment and refer out to the appropriate specialist if needed.
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