Babies grow at an amazingly fast rate during their first year of life. In addition to babies’ Physical Growth in height and weight, babies also go through major achievement stages, referred to as developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are easily identifiable skills that the baby can perform, such as rolling over, sitting up, and walking. These milestones are usually classified into 3 categories: motor development, language development, and social/emotional development Babies tend to follow the same progression through these milestones; however, no two babies go through these milestones at exactly the same time. Babies also spend different amounts of time at each stage before moving on to the next stage.                     

During the first month of life most of babies’ behavior is reflexive, meaning their reactions are automatic. Later, as the nervous system develops, babies will put more thought into their actions. Some of the newborn reflexes are described below.

Mouthing reflexes:The sucking and swallowing reflexes. A baby will automatically begin to suck when his mouth or lips are touched.

The rooting reflex is when the baby turns his head toward your hand if his cheek is touched. This helps baby find the nipple for feeding. The rooting reflex begins to fade around 4 months.

Startle (Moro) reflex: The startle reflex occurs when a baby hears a loud noise or when he falls backwards, his arms and legs extend away from his body. This reflex is most noticeable during the first month and usually fades by 2 or 3 months.

Grasp reflex: A baby will grasp a finger or object when it is placed in the palm of his hand. This reflex is strongest during the first 2 months and usually fades by 5-6 months

Stepping reflex: Even though baby cannot support his own weight, if his feet are placed on a flat surface, he will begin to step one foot in front of the other. The stepping reflex usually disappears by 2 months.

By the end of the first month of life, most babies may display the following:

Raise head when on stomach

 Keep hands in tight fists

Focus 8-12 inches away, looks at objects and faces and prefers the human face over other patterns

Show a behavioral response when hearing a noise (such as eye blinking, acting startled, change in movements or (breathing rate)

From age 4-7 months, babies learn to coordinate their new perceptive abilities (including vision, touch, and hearing) and motor skills such as grasping, rolling over, sitting up, and may be even crawling.

By age 8 months, most babies can sit up without support

Crawling is important for the development of integrated communication between the 2 sides of the brain. Some babies never crawl but rather scoot on their bottoms or move on their stomachs, like an army crawl

Babies become increasingly more mobile during this stage; now is the time to childproof so baby can explore and discover without the possibility of injury. Baby gates are important to block off stairs or rooms that could be dangerous (such as bathrooms).

After crawling is mastered, babies begin to pull themselves up to a standing position. They then begin to take some steps while holding on to something for support. This will change into cruising around the furniture. As their balance improves, babies may gradually take a few steps without holding on. Many babies’ first steps are taken around 12 months, but earlier or later than this is completely normal.

After crawling is mastered, babies begin to pull themselves up to a standing position. They then begin to take some steps while holding on to something for support. This will change into cruising around the furniture. As their balance improves, babies may gradually take a few steps without holding on. Many babies’ first steps are taken around 12 months, but earlier or later than this is completely normal.

By the end of this stage, babies begin to use the pincer grasp, using the thumb and first or second finger to pick up small objects. As babies learn how to open fingers, they are able to drop and throw things. Babies also more thoroughly investigate objects by shaking them, banging them, and moving them from hand to hand. Babies are interested in objects with moving parts, such as wheels and things that open and close. They also like to poke their fingers through holes.

Babies also show a lot of growth in their language development during this period. They begin to make recognizable syllables like “ma” or “da,” which eventually turn into “mama” or “dada.” They can also imitate speech sounds they hear others make. By age 12 months, many babies say at least one word (other than mama and dada) clearly. They understand the meaning of no and begin to follow simple commands. Babies communicate nonverbally by pointing, crawling, or gesturing toward desired objects. The can also initiate and play gesture games, such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.

Babies learn object permanence, the concept that an object still exists when taken out of their sight, during this stage. For example, if a toy is hidden under a blanket, babies will pick up the blanket and search for it. Babies also learn that objects have functions besides being just something to chew on or bang with (such as a hair brush or phone).

Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety usually begin during this period and are a normal part of babies’ emotional development. Separation anxiety occurs when parents leave a babies’ sight, resulting in great distress with fussing and crying. Separation anxiety usually peaks between age 9-18 months and fades before their 2-year birthday. Stranger anxiety is a reaction of distress when an infant encounters a stranger.

By the end of this period, most babies have reached the following milestones

Motor skills

Get in and out of a sitting position independently

Get on hands-and-knees position and crawl

Pull self up to standing position, walk holding on to furniture, stand without support and, eventually, take a few steps without support and begin to walk

Use pincer grasp (thumb and first finger)

Place objects into container and take them out of container Begin to do more functional activities, such as hold a spoon or turn pages in a book

Language skills

Say “mama” and “dada” and use these terms specifically referring to a parent

Use exclamations such as “oh-oh!”

Try to imitate words and may say first word

Use simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no” or waving for “bye-bye”

Play interactive gesture games, such as pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo

Social/Emotional skills

Easily find hidden objects

Use objects correctly such as holding phone up to ear or drinking from a cup

Shy around strangers

Cry when mom or dad leaves

The first year of life is an amazing time for babies. They usually triple their birthweight and are about 28-32 inches tall by their first birthday. The once dependent baby who relied on reflexes to act and respond has become more independent and can move at will. Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, picking up objects, and standing are usually mastered in the first year. They may even be taking a few steps on their own. Babies can now use gestures, different cries, and some simple words to communicate their wants and needs. They have developed a relationship with their parents and caretakers and engage in purposeful two-way interactions. The next stage is toddlerhood, where babies further develop their walking, talking, and thinking.