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Your eight-month-old is now nearing the big one! Feeling nostalgic about how the last eight months have flown by? An eight-month-old can now combine their motor skills with their sensory awareness to explore and seek adventures. Their healthy growth accelerates their ability to move and coordinate. Your baby will now try to communicate with you much better and use words and language. Their curious little minds will raise their awareness of the environment around them and their antics will leave you amused on more occasions than one.
Video: 8 Months Old Baby Milestones
8 Months Old Development Milestones Chart
| ACHIEVED DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES | EMERGING DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES |
| Supports weight on both legs when upright | Stands holding support |
| Tracks moving objects | Tries to follow and catch moving objects |
| Manipulates objects by passing them between hands | Develops finer control of fingers for complex movements |
| Speaks words of simple syllables such as ‘M’, ‘D’, and ‘B.’ | Improves on the range of spoken syllables |
| Understands basic repetitive instructions | Can understand a wider range of unique instructions |
| Says “mama” and “dada” to any parent | Uses the correct noun for each parent |
| Develops pincer grasp | Can use hand to grab objects |
| Displays separation anxiety | Becomes more enduring about separation |
| Gets into crawling position quite easily | Attempts getting into standing position on his own |
| Understands the purpose of personal objects | Remembers objects in the house |
Major Milestones of 8 Months Old Baby
Your eight-month-old inching towards their first birthday just got a lot busier than before. Curiosity takes over from the moment they are awake, and every little thing piques their interest. It is time to baby-proof your house as many things could find their way into their tiny mouths. As far as diet is concerned, your baby is developing taste and demands certain kinds of solid foods. Your baby is crawling really fast, even trying to stand up with support and doing some incredible things that you would want to capture in your memory forever. She may now refer to her parents as “mama” and “dada” even if it is to the wrong parent!
Cognitive Development
Cognitive abilities pertain to the baby’s intellectual prowess, development of the brain and ability to comprehend things around her.
- Linguistic Skills
Your baby can now speak basic syllables with “B’,’M’ and ‘D’. She can associate basic nouns to things and even respond to names of her siblings.
- Curiosity
Constantly on the move, your baby will detect, investigate everything from household stuff to toys. Your baby will grab things, probe deeply to understand their functionality and try to decipher things.
- Comprehends Basic Instructions
Your baby will learn and recall basic instructions and iteration used repeatedly. For example:- if you say “No” shaking your head, she will understand that it something that is not meant to be done and obey you.
- Track Objects
Try dropping the ball and watch with awe when your baby trails the object until it stops moving. At this stage, infants develop capabilities to foresee the path of falling or moving objects.
- Pointing to Things with the Index Finger
Your baby will now use their index finger to point at objects that interest them.
- Testing Reasons and Outcomes
Your baby will not try to get to the bottom of any object by testing it to its limits. This could involve throwing them, hitting them or banging them. They love to get a response to their reactions, and you might see your little one dropping off her bottle very frequently.
- Relating Objects
Your baby will not associate objects with their purpose. For, e.g.: even if you offer an empty cup, she may put it in her mouth. If you swaddle your baby in a blanket, he will fall asleep.
Physical Development
These developments relate to the gross motor skills, dexterity of the muscles and physical strength.
- Sits without Support & Bear Weight When Held Upright
Your baby will now get into the sitting position effortlessly and also stand upright with her weight balanced on her legs when you support.
- Develops Pincer Grasp
This is the ability to grasp an object using the first two fingers and thumb. Increase in arm strength and muscle growth enable the baby to pick up an object manipulate it and drop it.
- Chew Food
Your baby will have her first few teeth by now and will try to chew on foods. Try giving foods which are boiled and not raw. They will work on their reflexes to mince food inside their mouth.
- Rolls in both directions and crawls
Your baby can do a 180-degree flip on either side when placed on her tummy. Between seven to ten months babies crawl at an effortless speed.
- Improved Vision
Enhanced vision aids your baby to judge the distance between two objects and coordinate their vision with their limb muscles. They can judge where they are crawling towards and evade obstacles.
Social and Emotional Development Milestones
Your baby will now become more involved socially and emotionally. These accomplishments show her social skills, emotional disposition and attitude towards people.
- Separation Pangs
Your baby will show emotions of sadness or anxiety upon separation from a toy they dearly love or a person who has been very close to them.
- Heart-warming Greetings
Your baby will smile or let out a chortle on seeing you or a close relative or friend when they arrive. They understand the importance of certain individuals in the family unit or friend’s circle.
- Signs of Empathy
Your baby will empathise with her peers especially when they cry. You could spot a grim or sad look on their face when they see someone like them in distress.
Communication Skills
- You may find your baby to be a budding Einstein with them using hand and arm gestures to communicate.
- This is in addition to their linguistic skills where they use basic syllables. Your baby will try and stretch his or her arms when they want to be picked up.
- Your baby will now understand the importance of the word “No”.
- Keep talking to your child and engage in conversations to help them enhance their comprehending abilities.
When to Consult a Doctor?
Here are some red flags that indicate some impediments in your child’s development:
- Unable to Sit without Assistance
If your baby does not sit on their own even when you help them, then it could indicate some disorder. You must seek medical advice if you notice flaws in her posture or she topples on being propped up.
- Stiff Muscles
When you place your baby straight and upright, their legs must push the ground naturally. If their arms and legs curled up tight, then it is a cause for concern.
- Makes no Sound or Noises
Your baby may not use words or muffled figures of speech, but they need to make simple sounds to exercise their vocal chords. If your infant is awfully or abnormally quiet and you seldom hear any sounds from her, then it could indicate a serious developmental delay.
- Does not Recognise Familiar Faces
Failure to recognise familiar faces like grandparents, primary caregivers could indicate a neurological disorder. Babies like these are detached and not sociable.
- Has a Poor Gaze
If your baby has trouble focusing on things, struggles to look for the source of sound or unable to track even slow-moving objects then you need to consult a doctor.
Tips to Help Your Child Achieve 8-month Milestones
You can support your baby to achieve the milestones that need to accomplish at each stage with some dedicated effort. Indulge in stimulative and conducive activities to help them grow better.
- Interactive Play Sessions
Engage in conversations with your baby and involve them in activities that will stimulate their curiosity and thought process to decipher information and enhance her cognitive abilities.
- Give Names to Objects and Individuals
Assign names to toys and introduce individuals as you would want them to be addressed. This will assist in the object-noun association, and your baby will eventually learn it.
- Story-time
Read stories from brightly illustrated books. Point out each word and to improve her vision and ability to recognize colours.
- Increase Social Interaction
Involve yourself in social groups and meet new people to help your baby hone her social skills and enhance memory. This will also help to reduce stranger anxiety.
- Play Games that Encourage Crawling
Crawling is an important activity to strengthen muscles. So introduce games like peekaboo or throwing and catching a ball to help them learn to walk.
Your eight-month-old baby would have a significant amount of accomplishments to her credit. You could nurture her skills by being hands-on and involving yourself in activities that will stimulate growth to aid her development faster.
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