What are the developmental milestone 0 to 12 months?

mother kids play together
As a first-time mom, I’m always wondering what to expect on my baby’s first year of his life and how to know if his development is on target.

I learned that achieving early developmental milestones is absolutely critical for my little ones. Throughout the first 6 months, he will develop the ability to hold their own head up, roll over, grasp items and manipulate objects, sit independently, begin to communicate, and much more… Each of these skills are vital building blocks on the path towards crawling, standing, walking, talking, eating independently, drawing, writing and many other vital life skills.

So we should make sure our little ones’ development is optimal. Keep in mind that all babies are different and every baby grows at their own pace. Not meeting all the milestones at the suggested month is not abnormal, but it’s important to remain attentive.

There are ways we can help ensure our baby hits every milestone (even if they currently hate doing activities like tummy time). Below are some developmental benchmarks in the life of a baby from birth to 12-month-old. 

baby development

Developmental Milestones: 0-12 months (DOWNLOAD RESOURSE)

Month

Gross Motor

Fine Motor

Communication

By 3 Months

♥ Keeps head in middle of body and kicks legs when on back
♥ Lifts head to 45 - 90 degrees when lying on tummy
♥ Rolls from side to back
♥ Can hold head upright when held in sitting

♥ Brings hands to mouth and middle of body
♥ Hands mostly open and thumbs are out
♥ Reaches for and bats toys
♥ Can hold toy briefly

♥ Turns head towards sounds and voices
♥ Coos and smiles
♥ Different cries to indicate pain, hunger or tiredness
♥ May start to giggle at 3 months.

By 6 Months

♥ Lifts head and brings both feet to mouth when lying on back
♥ Lifts head and chest off ground and will reach for toy with one arm when on
 tummy
♥ Rolls from tummy to back and may roll
 from back to tummy (4-7 months)
♥ Bounces on legs when held in standing
♥ Uses hands to support self when sitting

♥ Holds a toy in both hands at the same time
♥ Passes toys between hands and will bang/pat/suck toys
♥ Holds smaller toys with palm, fingers and thumb (radial palmar grasp)
♥ Uses raking motion to get small
 items

♥ Starting to use consonant sounds in babble. Eg. da, da.
♥ Has a variety of sounds to express feelings (babbling, blowing raspberries, squealing)
♥ Reacts to sudden noises
♥ Takes turns talking to people
♥ May start to respond to their name

By 9 Months

♥ Sits independently and plays with toys
♥ Can get into sitting from tummy or back
♥ May commando crawl or crawl on hands and knees
♥ Can stand with support and may start cruising (taking side steps) along furniture
♥ May walk with 2 hands held

♥ Points and pokes with index finger
♥ Holds blocks using thumb and fingers (radial-digital grasp)
♥ Purposefully drops toys
♥ Shakes/bangs/ manipulates toys

♥ Uses a variety of syllable combinations when babbling. Eg. Bababba.
♥ Looks at familiar objects and people when named
♥ Uses simples gestures, such as shakes head for no and raises hands to be picked up

By 12 Months

♥ Crawls with alternating arm and leg movements
♥ Pulls self to stand and cruises along furniture. Stands alone briefly
♥ May walk independently (10-15 months)
♥ Moves in and out of lying/sitting/ standing freely

♥ Pokes/points with index finger only
♥ Picks up small items with thumb
 and index finger (pincer grasp)
♥ Drops items into containers
♥ Attempts to stack 2 blocks
♥ Scribbles with fisted hand

♥ Knows and turns to own name
♥ Understands simple instructions such as "Come to mummy"
♥ May have a few words
♥ Uses gestures to communicate with you. Eg points, makes sounds or nods/shakes head

Baby Toys Recommendation by Ages - Hahaland (DOWNLOAD NOW)

Tag: baby; baby development; development; developmental milestone

Recommend articles for baby development:
1. How To Help Your Baby Learn To Crawl?
2. Baby Tummy Time Tips and Tricks
3. How To Improve Hand Eye Coordination
4. Baby Toys For Development and Stimulation by Months

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