Every baby develops at a slightly different pace, but generally the sequence of development is similar. In the table below are basic milestones typical at different ages. Remember each child develops at a different pace, and individual babies may be advanced in a certain area, e.g, grabbing and mouthing, yet a bit slower in other areas e.g. sitting/crawling. If your child is lagging behind significantly please consult the paediatrician: the sooner delays are picked up, the quicker we can intervene to find a diagnosis and treatment.
Some tips on development:
Appropriate stimulation and gentle encouragement in a loving environment are so important from a young age, yet at all ages “overstimulation” and over-expectation can do more trouble than good.
Celebrate and enjoy the milestones, rather than feeling pressured that your child should be reaching them. With my first child I was so anxious for him to reach each milestone that it felt like a box-ticking exercise! By the time I got to my last child, I had so few expectations that each milestone felt like a wonderful miracle! This was way more enjoyable than feeling the pressure!
Try not to compare your child too much with other children. Each child is different and develops at a slightly different pace and may have different “strengths” coming through at different ages. Remember- as long as they are not outside of the normal scope- the timing of reaching early developmental milestones will not be an indication of their future academic or sporting prowess!
A child may seem to “stagnate” in their development every now and again- but often this is followed by a major “leap” in development,. Therefore, do not stress too quickly if development has stood still for a while- the little brain is busy planning great advances! Also, a time of irritability and sleep disruption may accompany rapid development.
If you do suspect an issue, please discuss this with your baby clinic professional or doctor immediately in case intervention is needed.
Developmental milestones : 0 months – 12 months
Age
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Hearing and Language Development
Visual Development
Personal/Social
Birth
Very little head control
Hands are closed and grasp reflex present
Startles to loud noises
Eyes close in response to bright light
Best distance of vision is about 30 cm away
Black and white vision
Cries
6 weeks
Moderate amount of head control
Can make tight fists
Places hands in mouth
Responds to sounds by calming, startling or crying
Starts making cooing sounds
May follow slow moving objects through 90 degrees
Begins to smile in response to familiar face or voice
3 months
Very little head lag
Can lift upper body and head when lying on tummy
Leg kicking and stretching
Standing reflex develops (pushes down on a surface with legs when held up)
Hands held loosely
Inspects hands and grasps objects that are place within hands
Can bring hands together
Recognises and responds to parents
Coos and gurgles
Blows bubbles
Follows objects moving up to 180 degrees in the field of vision
Smiles spontaneously
Develops facial expressions to show basic emotions
Recognises mother’s face and scent
6 months
Supports head well
Can support upper body with hands when lying on stomach
Sits with support
Can roll over
Reaches for and grasps objects
Places objects in mouth
Transfers objects from hand to hand
Responds vocally when spoken to
Uses sounds such as squealing or laughter to express emotions
Uses repetitive monosyllabic sounds like bababa
Can move eyes in all directions
Recognises toys
9 months
Sits without support
Crawls on stomach and then on hands and knees
Starts to pull body into a standing position
Can pick up, shake and drop small objects
Grasps food and places in mouth
Holds a bottle
Begins to point
Starts imitating sounds
Stranger anxiety – Knows and trusts a limited number of caregivers
Recognises own name
12 months
Cruises around furniture
Starts to walk (walking may take up to 18 months)
Begins to throw objects
Good pincer grip
Holds 2 objects and bangs together
Still mouths a lot
Speaks 2-3 words
Makes sounds at toys
Picks up tiny things from the ground
Searches for hidden or fallen toys (Object permanence)
Waves goodbye
Points
Shakes head
Development Milestones : 0 – 12 months
Developmental milestones : 15 months – 36 months
Age
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Language
Visual Development
Personal/Social
15 months
Walks steadily
Starts to climb
Stacks 2- 3 blocks
Speaks 3-4 words
Has temper tantrums when frustrated
Becomes attached to a soft toy or other object
18 months
Walks steadily
Runs
Throws ball underhand
Kicks
Scribbles
Stacks 3-4 blocks
Speaks 6-8 words
May have some 2 word phrases
As above
Starts to use fork and spoon
“Reads” picture books on his own
24 months
Runs
Jumps with 2 feet
Walks down stairs one foot at a time
stacks 6 blocks
Scribbles
May still use both left and right hands to draw
Names at least 6 body parts
Uses 2-3 word sentences
Half of speech understandable
Starts to learn some colours
Adult visual acuity
Asks “why?”
Begins to show interest in playing with other children but finds it difficult to share. Play is often in parallel
