Infant Developmental Milestones Month By Month: Here's What You Can Expect For 0-12 Months

Having a baby is exciting! Seeing your child grow and learn is one of the most rewarding things in life.

Did you know that most babies of a particular age group can do the same skills? According to our expert Dr. Joey Cuayo-Estanislao, these skills are called developmental milestones, and pediatricians use them to check if a baby is growing up as expected.

Here’s a quick rundown of the developmental milestones you can expect each month.

First Month

Your baby’s senses are not well-developed yet, according to TheBump.com. But they are already using them to make sense of their new world outside the womb.

Some of your infant’s milestones include:

• Recognizing faces
• Seeing bold, black-and-white patterns
• Recognizing sounds, especially your voice
• Bringing their hands close to their eyes and mouth

Second Month

Your baby’s eyesight and vision start to improve this month. Milestones this month include:

• Turning their head to sounds
• Tracking objects and faces
• Starting to smile at people
• Holding up their head during “tummy time” (when they are lying on their stomach)

Third Month

Your baby starts learning emotional skills. Milestones this month include:

• Having different cries for different needs, such as discomfort, sleep, hunger, or diaper change
• Distinguishing your face from others
• Clenching and opening their fists
• Tracking and recognizing objects and faces at a distance
• Swiping at things dangling in front of them
• Starting to enjoy playing with people (and crying when the playing stops)

Fourth Month

Your baby gains more head and neck control. Milestones this month include:

• Chuckling (but not laughing)
• Holding their head up without support
• Pushing their self up on their elbows during tummy time
• Copying facial expressions

Fifth Month

Your baby develops skills that may seem small but are the foundations for bigger skills later. Milestones this month include:

• Babbling
• Starting to recognize and differentiate colors
• Entertaining themself for short periods

Sixth Month

Your baby’s mobility leaps. Milestones this month include:

• Rolling over from their tummy to back (if they have not done so around months 4 and 5)
• Reaching for the object or toy they want
• Exploring objects or toys by putting them in their mouth
• Enjoying their reflection in the mirror
• Passing things from one hand to their other hand
• Starting to understand simple words
• Creeping or pushing their self around on their stomach along the floor
• Sitting with support by leaning on their hands

Seventh Month

Your baby starts to take an interest in the things around them. They manipulate objects to learn more about them.

Milestones this month include:

• Dropping things on the floor (and enjoying it, too)
• Understanding and processing many different sounds
• Starting to copy sounds and gestures
• Looking for objects that are partially hidden

Eighth Month

Your baby’s mobility continues to improve. You should consider babyproofing your house!

Milestones this month include:

• Starting to crawl
• Standing with support, usually holding onto furniture
• Starting to lean over or bend down to pick up objects on the floor

Ninth Month

Your baby develops language and communication skills. According to babycenter.com, milestones this month include:

• Making lots of different sounds, such as “mamamama” and “dadadada”
• Displaying their preferred toys
• Becoming wary of strangers
• Becoming clingy to people they know
• Responding to their name
• Pointing at things with their finger
• Playing peekaboo and other simple games
• “Raking” food towards their self
• Getting into a sitting position from standing without assistance
• Starting to sit without support
• Banging, shaking, and throwing things
• Beginning to understand object permanence (items that are out of their eyesight are not necessarily gone forever)
• Looking for objects dropped out of sight

Tenth Month

Your baby’s mobility continues to improve. Your baby starts walking (or at least prepares for it).

Milestones this month include:

• Starting to use pointer finger and thumb to pick up small objects (“pincer grasp”)
• Displaying signs of separation anxiety or crying and becoming upset when you leave the room
• Starting to feed themself small bits or slices of finger food
• Starting to cruise or walking along while holding onto furniture

11th Month

Your baby’s curiosity and sense of adventure intensify. Your baby wants to explore other areas of the house. 
This is the last month of your child as a baby. Milestones this month include:

• Crawling up the stairs
• Attempting to climb up furniture, like chairs or shelves
• Attempting speech by making sounds with different tones and pitches

12th Month

Congratulations, your baby is now a toddler! Your baby’s language, movement, and cognitive skills develop further. Milestones this month include:

• Waving “bye-bye”
• Shaking their head “no”
• Beginning to respond to “no”
• Starting to use things the right way, like brushing their hair and drinking from a cup
• Saying their first word or two (“dada” or “mama”)
• Mastering the pincer grasp
• Starting to cruise along furniture (if they have not started already)
• Pulling their self up on furniture to stand
• Standing still unsupported for a minute or two
• Toddling, or take a few short steps (though it is okay if your child does not do this yet)

Conclusion

You have 12 exciting months ahead of you! Enjoy them as much as you can!

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