Infant Milestones: the first year

The following information is to be used as a guide to and at the discretion of the end-user and should not replace a doctor’s opinion.

Milestones: 1-3 months

Milestones for months 1 to 3 include:

  • Ability to raise head and chest when laying on stomach
  • Stretches arms out and kicks when laying on back
  • Smiles purposefully
  • Enjoys playing with other people
  • Can follow a moving object with eyes
  • Ability to open and shut hands and bring hands to mouth
  • Ability to grasp and shake a toy
  • Communication includes facial expressions and body movement, coo’s and babbles
  • Begins to imitate some sounds and expressions
  • Begins to recognize toys and people from a distance
  • Hand-eye coordination improving

Milestones: 4-7 months

Milestones for months 4 to 7 include:

  • Uses hands and mouth to explore
  • Can find a partially hidden object
  • Attempts to get objects that are out of their reach
  • Can roll from back to tummy and tummy to back
  • Can sit by self for a short time, with or without hands and sit in a highchair
  • Ability to transfer toys between hands, point and reach for objects
  • Communication includes using more variety of sounds and pitches; uses sound to reflect moods, babbles to get attention and can imitate sounds better
  • Play becomes more intentional

Milestones: 8-12 months

Milestones for months 8 to 12 include:

  • Can move to a sitting position and crawling position on his/her own
  • Crawling
  • Sitting independently
  • Pull up, stand and walk while holding onto furniture; may even take a few steps independently
  • Grasp objects with thumb and first finger; can finger feed themselves
  • Place toys into containers and take them out; find toys that are hidden
  • Communication includes saying mama and dada, oh-oh, shaking head yes or no and imitating other sounds; may even say their first word
  • Uncomfortable around strangers and cries when mom or dad leaves
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