During the first year of life, your baby will grow and develop at an amazing speed. Her weight will double by 5 to 6 months, and triple by her first birthday. And she is constantly learning. Some of her major achievements—called developmental milestones—should include rolling over, sitting up, standing, and possibly walking. And your heart will most likely melt at the sound of her first “mama” or “dada.”
But keep in mind that no two babies are exactly alike. Your baby will develop at her own pace. Most babies reach certain milestones at similar ages. However, it’s not unusual for a healthy, “normal” baby to fall behind in some areas or race ahead in others.
The following milestones are only guidelines.* Your baby's doctor will evaluate your baby’s development at each well-baby visit. But remember that you know your baby best. Always talk to the doctor if you think your baby is lagging behind in one or more areas of development.
If your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), you need to look at the milestone guidelines a little differently. The age at which your baby is expected to reach various milestones is based on her due date, not her birthday. So if your baby was born two months early, she will most likely achieve milestones two months later than the guidelines below predict.
By the end of their first month, most babies:
- Make jerky arm movements
- Bring hands near face
- Keep hands in tight fists
- Move head from side to side while lying on stomach
- Focus on objects 8 to 12 inches away
- Prefer human faces over other shapes
- Recognize some sounds, including parents’ voices
- Startle at loud noises
By the end of their third month, most babies:
- Raise head and chest when lying on stomach
- Support head well
- Kick when lying on stomach or back
- Push down on legs when feet placed on firm surface
- Open and shut hands
- Bring hands to mouth
- Grab and shake hand toys
- Follow moving object with eyes
- Smile at familiar faces
- Begin to babble
- Enjoy playing with other people
By the end of their seventh month, most babies:
- Roll over both ways (stomach to back and back to stomach)
- Sit up, first with, then without, support of hands
- Reach for object with hand, using raking grasp
- Transfer objects from one hand to the other
- Support whole weight on legs when held upright
- Laugh and squeal
- Respond to own name
- Babble chains of consonants (ba-ba-ba-ba-ba)
- Distinguish emotions by tone of voice
- Explore objects with hands and by putting them in the mouth
- Find partially hidden objects (so enjoy playing peek-a-boo)
By their first birthday, most babies:
- Sit without assistance
- Get into hands-and-knees position
- Crawl
- Pull self up to stand
- Walk holding onto furniture, and possibly a few steps without support
- Use pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger)
- Finger-feed themselves
- Say “dada” and “mama”
- Use exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”
- Try to imitate words
- Respond to “no” and simple verbal requests
- Use simple gestures, such as shaking head “no” and waving bye-bye
- Explore objects in many ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
- Begin to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair)
- Find hidden objects easily
- Look at correct picture when image is named
By their second birthday, most children:
- Walk alone
- Pull toys behind them while walking
- Carry large toy or several toys while walking
- Begin to run
- Kick a ball
- Climb on and off furniture without help
- Walk up and down stairs while holding on
- Scribble with crayon
- Build tower of four blocks or more
- Recognize names of familiar people, objects and body parts
- Say several single words (by 15 to 18 months)
- Use simple phrases (by 18 to 24 months)
- Use two- to four-word sentences (“want snack”)
- Follow simple instructions
- Begin to sort objects by shapes and colors
- Begin to play make-believe
- Imitate behavior of others
For additional information, contact the American Academy of Pediatrics.
