From birth to 12 months an infant's development, personality and skills change drastically. Many parents worry their baby is not developing at an appropriate pace; they may compare their infant to other babies of a similar age. However, it's worth noting that each infant develops at a different pace, and "normal" development encompasses a wide range of skills.
Types of Infant Developmental Skills
Medline Plus lists five areas of infant development, including gross motor, fine motor, social, language and sensory skills. Gross motor skills include physical development such as sitting, crawling and walking. Fine motor skills include holding a spoon and using the thumb and forefinger to pick up an object. Language skills include understanding words, making sounds and learning to say words. Sensory skills encompass smelling, hearing, seeing, touching and tasting, and social skills include interacting or playing with other adults and children.
Birth to Three Months
In the first 3 months of life, infants will likely accomplish skills such as focusing on a face, lifting their head 45 to 90 degrees when lying on their tummy, smiling spontaneously, responding to a bell or loud noise in some way, laughing out loud, bringing their hands together and following an object from side to side, according to Heidi Murkoff et al. in her book "What to Expect the First Year." A 3-month-old infant may even be able to hold his head upright, roll over, bear some weight on his legs, raise his chest with his arms when lying on his tummy, reach for an object, grasp a rattle or make a vowel-consonant sound, according to Murkoff.
Four to Six Months
According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, by 6 months of age most babies will be able to roll over, sit alone, begin to babble, laugh, grasp an object, concentrate on a toy, clap their hands, bear some weight on their legs and raise their head when lying down. Murkoff et al. suggests a 6 month old should be able to keep her head level with her body when pulled to a sitting position and make a vowel-consonant sound. By the end of 6 months, some infants may even be able to creep or crawl, pull themselves up to a standing position, pick up an object with their thumb and forefinger and say mama or dada.
Six to Nine Months
Between the ages of 6 and 9 months, Medline Plus lists several skills an infant will likely be able to accomplish, including crawling, walking holding onto an adult's hand, sitting for long periods of time, pulling to a standing position, babbling, blowing "raspberries" and laughing. Murkoff et al. states that some 9-month-old babies can even drink from a cup, stand alone, say one word other than mama or dada, respond to a one-step command, pick up an object with their thumb and forefinger, walk holding onto furniture, clap their hands, play peekaboo, get into a sitting position from their stomach and roll a ball.
Nine to Twelve Months
Medline Plus states that between 9 and 12 months an infant will begin to stand alone, take steps, imitate sounds and respond to verbal commands. Language development may include shaking head "no," waving bye-bye, pointing to an object and saying mama or dada, according to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Murkoff et al. suggests that some 12-month-old infants may even be able to say three words other than mama or dada, walk well and "talk" using baby jargon or gibberish.
References
- Medline Plus: Infant and Newborn Development
- "What to Expect the First Year"; Heidi Murkoff et al.; 2003
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research: What Happens from 4 to 6 Months?
- Medline Plus: Infant - Newborn Development
