DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

Please remember that milestones are just a guide.  Your baby is a unique individual andy may achieve milestones faster or slower than the average.  Of course there will always be a small number of children who do have a developmental delay.  Be guided by your health professional if you are concerned. 

Gross Motor (big movements) = control and use of large muscles such as sitting, walking and running

Fine Moter (small movements) = Control and use of small muscles such as holding a rattle, picking up objects with thumb and finger

Vision (seeing) = Ability to see objects both near and far and being able to recognise what these objects are

Hearing and Speech (communication) = Ability to hear and interpret what is being said.  Being able to understand and learn language

Social Behaviour & Play (friendship) =  Learning what is socially acceptable behaviour such as sharing, eating, taking turns and establishing friendships

YOUR BABY’S DEVELOPMENT – THE FIRST MONTHS OF DISCOVERY

YOUR BABY’S EYES

Vision is one of your baby’s most precious senses.  Babies learn more about the world through their sight than through all of their other senses combined.  As a new parent, you can do alot to encourage your baby’s visual development and growth.  At birth, your baby will be able to see patterns of light and dark, but specific objects are probably blurred.  During the first four months of life, your baby should begin to follow slow moving objects and to direct his or her hand movements.  Try these suggestions:

*Change the location of your baby’s cot or basinette.  Looking at the same scenery becomes boring even for a baby

*Try hanging a mobile above your baby’s nappy change table to provide movement.  Babies learn to control their eye movements by observing gentle movement

*Provide a variety of safe objects whitin baby’s focus

*Talk and sing to your baby as you move about the room.  Your baby will learn to associate movements, distances and directions with vision and hearing

Source:  Your Baby’s Eyes:  Mill Park Optometrists

AFTER BIRTH, YOUR BABY IS IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO:

*Hear and respond to noises

*Grip your finger tightly – grasp reflex

*Suck vigorously – sucking reflex

*Make walking movements when held on a hard surface  – walking reflex

*Turn toward you when you stroke his/her cheek – rooting reflex

ONE MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 1 month old, your baby may be able to:

*Life head briefly when lying on stomach

*Enjoys the security of hearing parents voices

*Babies will use their well developed sense of smell, and especially love the scent of parents

*Focus on your face when feeding

*Respond to a small bell being rung by tracking with eyes

*Turns head toward you when you speak

TWO MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 2 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Smile

*Begins to make cooing noises and enjoys communicating and company

*Lifts head when lying on tummy.  Tummy time is important to strengthen baby’s neck muscles which helps to prepare them for crawling, pushing up, rolling over, sitting up and eventually standing

*Grasps a rattle for a few seconds if put into hand

*Stimulation by your miling and talking will fascinate and delight your baby

Reminder:  If your baby has not been immunised at 6 weeks, immunisations will now be due at 2 months

THREE MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 3 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Smile and coo

*Beginning to have head control

*Enjoys looking at brightly coloured objects

*Plays with hands

*Holds a small toy for a few seconds

FOUR MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 4 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Lifts head up 90 degrees when on stomach

*Greater movement and freedom, stretching and reaching

*Curiosity for everything happening around them

*Raises self up supported by the arms, when lying on tummy

*Laughs out loud, enjoys different stimulation

*Holds head steady when held upright to view the world

*Rolls over in one direction

*Reaches out for an object

*May start on foods

Reminder:  Your baby is due for immunisations at 4 months

FIVE MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 5 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Hold head steady when upright

*Keeps head level with body when pulled into a sitting position

*Pays attention to a small object

*Squeals with delight

SIX MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 6 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Laugh, chuckle and squeal aloud and screams with delight

*Uses whold hand to grasp objects and can pass them from one hand to the other

*Moves eyes in unison and turns head and eyes toward something

*Plays with feet and hands

*Manipulates small objects

*Wary of strangers

If your baby hasn’t yet started to eat food, now is the time to start.  By six months of age baby’s iron stores are very depleted, so an iron enriched rice cereal would be the first food of choice

Reminder:  Your baby is due for immunisations at 6 months

SEVEN MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 7 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Puts weight on legs when uprigt

*Sits with minimal support

*Looks for a dropped object

*Babbles, combines vowels and consonants such as ma ma, da da

*Feeds self with finger foods

*Begins to crawl

EIGHT MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 8 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Stand up whilst holding onto something firmly

*Gets self into a sitting position from stomach

*Picks up a small object with hand

*Turns around in the direction of a familiar voice

*Moves self towards an out of reach toy

NINE MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 9 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Looks for an object that has dropped out of view

*Pulls self into a standing position

*Picks up a small object using finger and thumb (pincer grip)

*Waves good bye

*Cruises around the furniture

TEN MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 10 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Moves around furniture

*Understands the word “no” but does not always obey

*Stands alone for a few seconds

*Uses the word Dada to get father’s attention

*Holds a sipper cup to drink from

ELEVEN MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 11 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Says the word Mama to attract your attention

*Stands by self

*May start to take first steps

*Responds tosimple commands not accompanied by gestures

*Says words other than Mama and Dadda

TWELVE MONTH OLD MILESTONES

At 12 months old, your baby may be able to:

*Indicates wants in ways other than crying

*Stands by self

*May take first steps

*Waves good bye to familiar faces

*Rolls a ball back to you

*Says Mama and Dadda with discrimination

Reminder:  Your baby is due for immunisations at 12 months

The growth and devlopment of your baby through his/her first year of life will have been an amazing journey.  Your eyes will remain wide open with wonder for the years beyond

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