Developmental Milestones for 1-Year-Old & Health Delay Signs

After a baby’s first birthday, the rate of growth begins to slow down.

Doctors use milestones to tell if a toddler is developing as expected. There’s a wide range of what’s considered normal, so some children may gain skills earlier or later than others. 

Your baby is now a toddler and is very active.  If your toddler isn’t walking yet, he or she will soon. Walking offers chances for exploring areas that were previously out of reach, and for practicing independence. Toddlers who were born prematurely may reach milestones later. Always talk with your doctor about your child’s progress.

Movement Milestones

• Gets to sitting position without assistance
• Crawls forward on belly by pulling with arms and pushing with legs
• Assumes hands-and-knees position
• Creeps on hands and knees supporting trunk on hands and knees
• Gets from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position
• Pulls self up to stand
• Walks holding on to furniture
• Stands momentarily without support
• May walk two or three steps without support

Milestones In Hand and Finger Skills

• Uses pincer grasp
• Bangs two cubes together
• Puts objects into a container
• Takes objects out of a container
• Lets objects go voluntarily
• Pokes with his/her index finger
• Tries to imitate scribbling

Language Milestones

• Pays increasing attention to speech
• Responds to simple verbal requests
• Responds to “no”
• Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no”
• Babbles with inflection
• Says “dada” and “mama”
• Uses exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”
• Tries to imitate words

Cognitive Milestones

• Explores objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
• Finds hidden objects easily
• Looks at the correct picture when the image is named
• Imitates gestures
• Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from a cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver)

Social and Emotional Milestones

• Shy or anxious with strangers
• Cries when mother or father leaves
• Enjoys imitating people during play
• Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys
• Tests parental responses to his actions during feedings (What do you do when he refuses a food group?)
• Tests parental responses to his behavior (What do you do if he cries after you leave the room?)
• May be fearful in some situations
• Prefers mother and/or regular caregiver over all others
• Repeats sounds or gestures for attention
• Finger-feeds himself
• Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed

Developmental Health Watch

Each baby develops in his own manner, so it’s impossible to tell exactly when your child will perfect a given skill. Although the developmental milestones listed in this book will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child gets older, don’t be alarmed if his development takes a slightly different course. Alert your pediatrician if your baby displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay in the eight-to twelve-month age range.

• Does not crawl
• Drags one side of the body while crawling (for over one month)
• Cannot stand when supported
• Does not search for objects that are hidden while he watches
• Says no single words (“mama” or “dada”)
• Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
• Does not point to objects or pictures

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