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Infant Development by Month
by Brooke Nichols
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Infant Development by Month
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The First, Second and Third Months
During the first three months of a baby's life they may be doing things like focusing on a parent's face, smiling back and possibly making some cooing sounds. A baby at this age may be able to lift their head for a bit while lying on the stomach until they reach the point of being able to hold the head up at 90 degrees. At this age, babies learn to stabilize the head when held upright. During the second and third months, a baby may try to lift up the chest while lying on the stomach, begin to roll over, and grasp or reach for small objects. Toward the end of this three month period, a baby may smile frequently, laugh, make cooing sounds and respond to the sound of their parents' voices.
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The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Months
During this time, a baby should be actively smiling, laughing and verbalizing more sounds. They begin to put weight on their legs when held in a standing position. Babies may start to sit alone without support at this age and learn more about their environment as they reach for toys or become upset when a toy is taken away. Babies at this age are more physically active as they roll over or sit, and may begin to pull themselves up on furniture in attempts to stand. As babies grasp objects with their entire hand at this point, they may also practice their fine motor skills and be able to pick up tiny objects (such as a small cracker) with their pointer finger and thumb.
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The Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Months
During this time, babies may begin feeding themselves finger foods if they are able to sit without support, look for things that they drop on floor and pick them up. These older babies frequently make cooing and gooing sounds as they interact with their world. Babies should be crawling during these months, pulling themselves up from sitting to standing with support and passing toys from one hand to the other. Babies at this age begin to play interactive games such as "peek-a-boo" or "pat-a-cake" and may say what sounds like "mama" or "dada".
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The Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Month
During this time, babies are very mobile while crawling, standing and walking with support while playing with toys and experimenting with other objects. Babies at this age learn to use a cup instead of a bottle, verbalize more and are eating finger foods and solids. They play interactive games and may understand one word verbal instructions with simple gestures such as "more" or "give." They may begin to stand alone and master walking.
