Developmental Milestones for Babies & Health Delays Signs

Understanding your child’s changing growth and development milestones is an important part of parenting.

Growth and development include not only the physical changes that occur from infancy to adolescence, but also some of the changes in emotions, personality, behavior, thinking, and speech that children develop as they begin to understand and interact with the world around them.

As infants and children progress through a series of growth stages, they may encounter common physical or emotional challenges. We also share some of the developmental delays to be mindful of so that you can discuss your baby’s developments with your pediatrician.

Milestones at 1 Month

Movement Milestones

• Makes jerky, quivering arm thrusts
• Brings hands within range of eyes and mouth
• Moves head from side to side while lying on stomach
• Head flops backward if unsupported
• Keeps hands in tight fists
• Strong reflex movements
• Visual and Hearing Milestones
• Focuses 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.4 cm) away
• Eyes wander and occasionally cross
• Prefers black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
• Prefers the human face to all other patterns
• Hearing is fully mature
• Recognizes some sounds
• May turn toward familiar sounds and voices

Smell and Touch Milestones

• Prefers sweet smells
• Avoids bitter or acidic smells
• Recognizes the scent of his own mother’s breastmilk
• Prefers soft to coarse sensations
• Dislikes rough or abrupt handling

Developmental Health Watch

If, during the second, third, or fourth weeks of your baby’s life, she shows any of the following signs of developmental delay, notify your pediatrician.

• Sucks poorly and feeds slowly
• Doesn’t blink when shown a bright light
• Doesn’t focus and follow a nearby object moving side to side
• Rarely moves arms and legs; seems stiff
• Seems excessively loose in the limbs, or floppy
• Lower jaw trembles constantly, even when not crying or excited
• Doesn’t respond to loud sounds

Milestones at 3 Months

Movement Milestones

• Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
• Supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach
• Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back
• Opens and shuts hands
• Pushes down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
• Brings hand to mouth
• Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands
• Grasps and shakes hand toys

Visual and Hearing Milestones

• Watches faces intently
• Follows moving objects
• Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
• Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
• Smiles at the sound of your voice
• Begins to babble
• Begins to imitate some sounds
• Turns head toward direction of sound

Social and Emotional Milestones

• Begins to develop a social smile
• Enjoys playing with other people and may cry when playing stops
• Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body
• Imitates some movements and facial expressions

Developmental Health Watch

Although each baby develops in her own individual way and at her own rate, failure to reach certain milestones may signal medical or developmental problems requiring special attention. If you notice any of the following warning signs in your infant at this age, discuss them with your pediatrician.

• Doesn’t seem to respond to loud sounds
• Doesn’t notice her hands by two months
• Doesn’t smile at the sound of your voice by two months
• Doesn’t follow moving objects with her eyes by two to three months
• Doesn’t grasp and hold objects by three months
• Doesn’t smile at people by three months
• Cannot support her head well at three months
• Doesn’t reach for and grasp toys by three to four months
• Doesn’t babble by three to four months
• Doesn’t bring objects to her mouth by four months
• Begins babbling, but doesn’t try to imitate any of your sounds by four months
• Doesn’t push down with her legs when her feet are placed on a firm surface by four months
• Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions
• Crosses her eyes most of the time (Occasional crossing of the eyes is normal in these first months.)
• Doesn’t pay attention to new faces, or seems very frightened by new faces or surroundings
• Still has the tonic neck reflex at four to five months

Milestones at 7 Months

Movement Milestones

• Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
• Sits with, and then without, support of her hands
• Supports her whole weight on her legs
• Reaches with one hand
• Transfers object from hand to hand
• Uses raking grasp (not pincer)

Visual Milestones

• Develops full-color vision
• Distance vision matures
• The ability to track moving objects improves

Language Milestones

• Responds to own name
• Begins to respond to “no”
• Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice
• Responds to sound by making sounds
• Uses voice to express joy and displeasure
• Babbles chains of consonants

Cognitive Milestones

• Finds partially hidden object
• Explores with hands and mouth
• Struggles to get objects that are out of reach

Social and Emotional Milestones

• Enjoys social play
• Interested in mirror images
• Responds to other people’s expressions of emotion and appears joyful often

Developmental Health Watch

Because each baby develops in his own particular manner, it’s impossible to tell exactly when or how your child will perfect a given skill. The developmental milestones listed here give you a general idea of the changes you can expect, but don’t be alarmed if your own baby’s development takes a slightly different course. Alert your pediatrician, however, if your baby displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.

• Seems very stiff, with tight muscles
• Seems very floppy, like a rag doll
• His/her head still flops back when the body is pulled up to a sitting position
• Reaches with one hand only
• Refuses to cuddle
• Shows no affection for the person who cares for him
• Doesn’t seem to enjoy being around people
• One or both eyes consistently turn in or out
• Persistent tearing, eye drainage, or sensitivity to light
• Does not respond to sounds around him
• Has difficulty getting objects to his mouth
• Does not turn his head to locate sounds by four months
• Doesn’t roll over in either direction (front to back or back to front) by five months
• Seems inconsolable at night after five months
• Doesn’t smile spontaneously by five months
• Cannot sit with help by six months
• Does not laugh or make squealing sounds by six months
• Does not actively reach for objects by six to seven months
• Doesn’t follow objects with both eyes at near (1 foot) and far (6 feet) ranges by seven months
• Does not bear some weight on legs by seven months
• Does not try to attract attention through actions by seven months
• Does not babble by eight months
• Shows no interest in games of peekaboo by eight months

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