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Parents look forward to their baby’s first steps, first smile and first few moments in the world. After the baby’s arrival, he undergoes many developmental milestones before turning one year old. As a parent, you need to be aware of these milestones to be able to deal with growth-related issues and also enjoy each phase of your tiny tot’s life till he turns one!
One to Six Months Old Baby Development Milestone Chart
Babies in the age group of one to six months undergo physical, psychological and cognitive development. This development occurs rapidly, and it is important for you to understand them as parents so that you can ensure your baby remains healthy and happy. This is where growth milestone charts come into the picture. They give a month-on-month developmental guide which comes in very handy for parents to keep track of their baby’s growth. Read on to know more about it.
The first few months for a baby are strange as well as exciting. Most infants go from complete dependency to developing motor and physical skills in a very short span. Refer to the table below for more details on the development of babies from 1 to 6 months of age.
| Baby’s Age | Achieved Skills (Majority of the babies can do) | Emerging Skills (Many babies can do) | Advanced Skills (Few Babies Can Do) |
| First Month | Your tiny newborn can distinguish between the smell of formula and breastmilk.
Your baby’s preferred mode of communication is crying. Your baby can stretch his legs and kick. |
If a baby is startled, they will pull their arms and legs in. This is called startle reflex.
Your baby’s eyesight is still developing, so she will try and focus on near objects. Your baby may hold his head up. |
Your newborn will start preferring sweet things and have a discerning taste. |
| Second Month | They can hold his head steady for longer when on their tummies or when upright.
Communication skills have improved to a few grunts, gurgles. His finger and toenails grow at a rapid rate. He can now notice circular shapes and can see colours better. |
Can try and close their fingers into a first
The hearing improves drastically, and he can hear better |
He can temporarily hold a stuffed toy when placed in his hands.
First hints of a smile. |
| Third Month | Your baby can kick his legs while lying on the back/belly.
He can hold his head up and focus on objects moving in his field of vision. The baby starts communicating like its a two-way conversation. |
He may start smiling and recognising | Your baby could start Rolling over on the back by himself. |
| Fourth Month | The baby can grasp toys more firmly.
Can roll over and sit up with some support. His vision improved and he can identify faces from a distance. |
Your baby’s weight would have doubled since birth.
His appetite will increase. Increased mobility and curiosity about the objects and people around. |
His communications skills improve to include cackles, grunts and the first sign of speech |
| Fifth Month | Your little one will make attempts to use his first word.
He will become a little experimental, and constantly push and touch things around him. |
Will be able to sit upright for long periods of time, but with some support.
He can hold his head up while lying on the stomach. |
Your baby will start crawling |
| Sixth Month | Your baby will recognise different faces.
The baby will laugh. He can see easily across the room, as his visual strength increases immensely. |
May develop a taste for different foods and textures.
You will start seeing the first few teeth in your baby’s mouth. He will start recognising his name and respond when people call him. |
Will start using support to stand up. |
In the next six months, your baby will develop some more skills and also master the ones he developed until month six. Let’s take a look at the baby development milestone chart of babies between seven and twelve months old.
Seven to Twelve Months Old Baby Development Milestone Chart
Once the child crosses the six-month mark, the growth spurt is so remarkable that it may become difficult for you to tackle certain situations. That’s when the development chart given below will come in handy.
| Baby’s Age | Achieved Skills (Majority of the babies can do) | Emerging Skills (Many babies can do) | Advanced Skills (Few Babies Can Do) |
| Seventh Month | Communications skills start refining, and your little bundle will imitate sounds.
The baby is now double his birth-weight. He can roll over from any side instead of just one. |
Will be able to recognise faces, and smile back at someone.
Your baby may become more curious and investigate objects he can hold, from all angles. |
Will be able to pull himself up and stand upright with support. |
| Eighth Month | The baby can roll and sit up unassisted, using his hands for support.
He can lean forward and pick up objects with one hand. He understands more words than before from your speech. |
The baby may start making sounds with simple words like, ‘pa’, ‘ba’, ‘ma’, etc.
Your baby now prepares to crawl. |
Your little one may start having the pincher’s grip and transfer objects from one hand to another. |
| Ninth Month | Will be enjoying solid food and will have preferences for things.
He can identify more smells if introduced by you. |
Your baby will develop cognitive abilities to link memories from a few days.
He may become more experimentative with his toys and can tap them on the floor or throw them. |
He will be able to communicate using single words and express a range of emotions from anger to happiness. |
| Tenth Month | Curiosity continues to grow as your infant starts noticing his surroundings.
Your baby moves continuously without getting tired for hours. |
He will be able to recognise people closest to him/her and remember things better.
If allowed, under supervision, your baby could do simple activities by himself, like brushing his hair. |
He may try to walk. |
| Eleventh Month | Your baby starts looking at mirrors and recognising himself and you.
He is delighted with the simplest of things like boxes and cartons. |
He will be able to express by saying ‘oh’ and ‘ah’.
The baby will try to stand up on his feet often. |
He will attempt to walk if he hasn’t already. |
| Twelfth Month | Your little one has crossed a major milestone at twelve months and can balance himself better.
He can sit and crawl all by himself. He is more curious about his surroundings, and now that he can move, he can explore better. |
Has a major food preference and discerning taste.
The baby can also start eating by himself using a spoon, his hands or a sippy cup/bottle. |
The baby’s physical activity increases with more playtime. |
Charting the physical, mental and psychological milestones, and using a growth chart for comparison will help you ensure your baby is developing appropriately. Guiding your tiny bundle of joy in a fast-paced world becomes critical, but it is also important for parents to talk, play and develop a bond with their infants during the first year. And then, every development milestone your baby achieves is sure to delight you!
Reference links –
- WebMD
- Emedicinehealth
- Babycenter
- TheBump
