Tracking Your Baby's Growth: Essential Developmental Milestones
Infants are constantly learning and developing their physical and mental skills well before they can talk or even walk. Knowing the developmental milestones for babies can help you see whether your child is on track for their age range.
But what are developmental milestones, exactly? Why do they matter, and how are they measured? We'll answer these questions ahead and go over key milestones to look out for based on your infant's age.
What Are Infant Developmental Milestones?
Infant development milestones track a child's progress during the first year of life, including physical growth, balance, coordination, eating, hearing, vision, and communication.
Why Track Infant Milestones?
Tracking developmental milestones (and knowing which ones to look out for) can give parents an idea of where their baby should be at each stage.
If a milestone is missed or the child has a delay in reaching it, a healthcare provider might recommend monitoring it or suggest some sort of early intervention. An intervention could be ways to encourage crawling at home, new foods to try, or a vision test.
Key Baby Developmental Milestones by Age
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) breaks down key baby development milestones at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months of age.
2-Month Baby Developmental Milestones
Physical: At 2 months of age, your baby may be able to hold up their head, open their hands, or control their arms and legs.
Cognitive: They might watch people move around or look at an object for several seconds.
Social and emotional: Around 2 months, infants may stare at their parents' faces or appear happy when their loved ones approach.
Language and communication: A 2-month-old might start responding to loud sounds or make new noises other than crying.
4-Month Baby Developmental Milestones
Physical: At 4 months, most infants can hold their heads up, grasp a toy, control their arms, and push up onto their elbows from a tummy-down position.
Cognitive: You might notice your child staring at their hands or opening their mouth when a bottle or breast is within their eyesight.
Social and emotional: A 4-month-old baby may begin smiling at familiar faces or making sounds to get your attention.
Language and communication: Infants in this stage of language development start making cooing noises and turning their heads when they hear a familiar voice.
6-Month Baby Developmental Milestones
Physical: By 6 months, many babies can roll over, and they may use their hands as support when sitting.
Cognitive: Cognitive milestones at this stage may include reaching for objects, putting things in their mouth, or keeping their lips closed when they're done eating.
Social and emotional: A 6-month-old may begin recognizing more people or laughing when interacting with others.
Language and communication: Around 6 months, infants might communicate more "conversationally," taking turns making noises with family members, like squealing, cooing, or blowing raspberries.
9-Month Baby Developmental Milestones
Physical: A 9-month-old baby will likely be able to sit on the floor without support, transfer a toy from one hand to the other, or use their hands to pull food closer.
Cognitive: At this stage, you might notice your child searching for things when they go out of sight or clapping two objects together.
Social and emotional: Your child may show a wider variety of facial expressions (angry, surprised, happy, etc.), look in the direction of their name being called, or play peek-a-boo. They might also seem more shy around unfamiliar people or react with tears or reaching when a parent leaves the room.
Language and communication: Around 9 months, babies begin making more babbling noises and have first words like "babababa" (bottle), "mamamama" (mama), or "dadadada" (dad). They might also start lifting their arms when they want to be picked up.
12-Month Child Developmental Milestones
Physical: By their first birthday, most children have improved their fine motor skills. They might pick up tiny things with their thumb and forefinger, like food crumbs, or drink from a cup while someone else holds it. Many 1-year-olds can pull themselves up to a standing position or walk around while holding onto furniture.
Cognitive: A 12-month-old may look for objects you've hidden or put things in containers, like a toy in a toy bin.
Social and emotional: At this stage, children start playing more interactive games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.
Language and communication: A 1-year-old may have names for their parents (like "mama" and "dada"), start waving goodbye, or stop briefly when they hear the word "no."
Keep in mind that every kid is different. Your baby might be right on track (or even early) with several key milestones and a couple of months late on others. Some variation is normal, so try not to stress too much about milestones. Your pediatrician can give you more personalized insight.
Supporting Your Infant's Development With Interaction and Play
You can support your infant's development and help them reach these milestones moments through interaction, stage-appropriate activities, and play.
How to Encourage Developmental Baby Milestones at Home
A big way to boost your baby's language, communication, emotional, and social skills during those first few months is to make eye contact with them, express emotions on your face, and talk a lot. Some parents "narrate" their lives—"Mommy is changing your diaper, then we'll fill your bottle," for example.
You can also help your child's physical development and motor skills by doing lots of tummy time starting at the newborn stage. This can build strength in the arms and neck and lead to rolling over by around 6 months.
Toys and Books for Infant Development
Toys and books can help too. Yes, books! Even before your baby can talk or understand words, their hearing, vision, and language skills are forming. Black-and-white contrast books or cards can be good for the first few months, as the colors are easier to see while eyesight is still developing.
Maisonette is a family brand founded by moms. In addition to children's clothing and maternity wear, we have a curated collection of infant and toddler development products, including toys for pretend play, cognitive development activities, and resources to help you explore cooperative play, all designed to support your child at home.
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDD). (2024). Important Milestones: Your Child By One Year. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
