First Year
BABY DEVELOPMENT: THE FIRST YEAR
By Hillary Kruger, M.D.
Babies grow and develop dramatically during the first year. These
changes are unique to each child and yet highly predictable at the same
time. Here's a look at many of the developmental milestones you can
expect during the first 12 months:
Birth to 3 monthsStudies
on infants have documented what parents have known for generations:
Newborn babies like to be held and to look at faces. If your baby
consistently does not like to be held or gazes away from your face much
of the time, this behavior warrants further evaluation. Your child
should also use her right and left sides equally. If your baby shows an
early hand preference, or other unequal movements, it could be a sign
of weakness on one side and should also be further evaluated.
Newborn
babies typically have the appearance of being curled up. But as they
adjust to life outside of the womb, they begin to stretch and move.
Your newborn's hands will typically be held in closed fists and he'll
have a tight grasp reflex. A baby will usually begin to open the hands
increasingly after he's 2 months-old. It's around this time that babies
develop a real social smile in response to another smiling person. They
also acquire the ability to visually track an object moving from side
to side. Head control is also becoming well-established at 2 months. By
3 months, a baby who's placed on her stomach will be able to lift his
head and chest up. Your 3 month-old should also be able to grasp a
rattle.
4 to 7 monthsAt 4 months, your baby's hands
should be loosely open much of the time. She'll also begin actively
reaching for toys set near her. By 6 months, watch as she begins to
pass a toy from hand to hand and figures out how to hold her bottle,and
other items using both hands. She'll start cooing at 4 months,
progressing to some single syllable babbling sounds at 6 months.
Between 5 to 7 months she'll start sitting on her own, which eventually
leads to crawling.
8 to 12 months With the new
establishment of object permanence, babies will look for an object that
you hide while they are watching. By 8 months your baby develops a
heightened awareness of the special relationship with parents and
caregivers. As a result, some babies, but not all, may experience some
anxiety when in a new setting and with unfamiliar people.
At
around 9 months of age, babies are beginning to pull to stand. After a
baby is secure in standing, he or she will begin to take steps while
holding on. A 9 month-old also plays more actively with toys, exploring
them less with the mouth and more with the hands. Multiple-syllable
babbling will progress to jargoning with the emergence of the first
true word at around 12 months of age. About half of all babies walk by
themselves at around the time of their first birthday. The fine motor
pincer grasp, which allows your baby to use his thumb and forefinger to
pick up small objects, also develops by one year. By 16 months, your
baby should be walking independently.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child's development they should be discussed with your pediatrician.
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About The Author
Hillary Kruger, M.D. is Co-director of Behavioral and Developmental
Pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center, in Brooklyn, New York.
