Your Child's Developmental Milestones
Developmental milestones are a set of skills or tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. It is important to realize that all children grow and develop at different rates. Pediatricians use guidelines to help evaluate how a child is developing.
Here is an easy and helpful summary of when your child should reaching developmental milestones. If your child is not meeting these milestones, it is important to have him or her evaluated by your doctor to determine whether any further testing or interventions are necessary.
Age |
Gross motor |
Fine motor |
Language |
Social |
1 month |
Raises head from prone position |
Visually fixates Clenches fists tightly Brings hands to mouth and face |
Alerts to sounds |
Turns to regard observer’s face |
2 month |
Lifts chest off table |
Brings hands to midline Tracks 180 degrees No longer clenches fists tightly |
Coos in response |
Social smile |
3 month |
Uses forearms to push up Holds head and chest up |
Holds hands open Holds object placed in hands |
Babbles randomly |
Anticipates feedings Reaches for familiar objects |
4 month |
Rolls over front to back Achieves head control Supports on wrist |
Reaches out for object with both hands
|
Laughs aloud |
Enjoys looking around |
5 month |
Rolls back to front |
Transfers Reaches out unilaterally |
Blows raspberries |
|
6 month |
Sits when placed Helps hold a bottle |
Raking grasp |
Babbles rhythmically |
Stranger anxiety |
7 month |
Gets in to sitting posture by self |
|
Responds to sound indirectly |
|
8 month |
Commando crawl |
Finger feeds |
“Dada” indiscriminately |
|
9 month |
Lateral propping Pulls to stand Crawls with legs underneath belly cruises |
Immature pincer grasp Holds bottle Throws objects |
“Mama” indiscriminately Understands own name |
Gesture games “pat-a-cake” Waves “bye-bye” |
10 month |
Walks when both hands held |
|
Responds to sound directly |
|
11 month |
Walks with one hand held |
|
One word plus “mama/dada” specifically |
|
12 month |
Walks alone Posterior propping |
Drinks from sippy cup Marks paper with crayon Mature pincher grasp |
Follows one step command with gesture 2 other words Babbles with inflection |
Enjoys imitating Cooperates with dressing |
You may also be interested in:
Your Baby’s First Fever: What to Do?
When to Introduce Solid Foods to Your Baby
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