Baby developmental milestones: birth to six months

All children will develop at their own pace and should be allowed to do so. These guidelines are designed to give new parents a range of time that their infant should be accomplishing certain tasks within a reasonable amount of time. Some children will develop faster, some will be slower, however if there are significant delays, parents should consult with their pediatrician to see if further testing is needed.

During the first month of life, babies should be able to react to sounds around them. They should be able to focus or stare at people’s faces or large black or white objects that are directly in front of their face. They also should be attempting to hold their head up when placed on their stomach. Some things that they will be starting to accomplish at this age are to be able to track objects with their eyes to some extent and coo and smile when reacting to parent’s voices or other pleasant stimuli.

By the time an infant has reached two months of age they should be able to follow and track objects that are moved in their visual field. They should start holding their heads up for short periods of time and they usually have found their hands by this time. They will start smiling and may even laugh at times and will start to be able to hold their head up for even longer periods of time.

At three months of age an infant should be able to recognize his or her parents faces and their scents. They should also be able to recognize voices by this age as well. By this time, babies are starting to be able to coo, laugh, smile and blow bubbles. This is the age that most infants start to turn over and are able to lift their head and shoulders and hold them up when lying on their stomach.

When a baby has reaches four months of age, they really start to gain their personality and start smiling and laughing even more often. They are able to grasp and hold on to their toys for short periods of time. They start rolling over from their stomach to their back and then from their back to their tummy. They will react to loud noises and will turn their heads toward them. At this age they will usually start to try to mimic sounds such as da da. This is the age that most babies start eating solid baby foods.

At five months of age an infant starts to be able to play with their hands and their feet. They may start putting their hands or fists in their mouths or try to put their toes in their mouth. They are able to roll over in all directions very easily and are quite mobile. Infants at this age are able to put weight on their legs when they are supported at the waist or in a baby walker or exersaucer. This is the age when babies try to put everything in their mouths.

By six months of age, an infant can usually start to sit by themselves for very short periods of time without support. They start to lunge backward or forward when on their tummy which is a precursor to crawling. At this age they tend to coo and babble a lot, trying to mimic all the sounds that are around them. They recognize their names at this age. They are able to turn and recognize certain sounds and people’s voices. They will react to certain people’s voices such as their parents. Infants are able to grasp toys and move them from one hand to another, playing with them for several minutes at a time by this age.

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October 25, 2008 | Filed Under Baby development