Your baby's brain is like a sponge, absorbing information about the world around her at an amazing rate. Cognitive development begins at birth with attachment and trust in you. By the time she's a year old, your baby will have developed a variety of skills related to language, visual recognition, memory and reasoning. Interacting with your baby may seem like child's play, but it's actually an important part of enhancing cognitive development.
Sensorimotor Development
"Sensorimotor" is a term coined by psychologist Jean Piaget, says childcare expert, Dr. Benjamin Spock. The phrase describes the two main phases of cognitive development in infants: sensory perception, or seeing, tasting and feeling; and motor skills, or how the baby reacts to his or her environment. An example where both collide, says Dr. Spock, is the classic game of baby dropping her spoon from her highchair. Of course, being rewarded by your retrieval of the object contributes to her thinking and reasoning skills as well since this represents a prime example of cause and effect.
Three Months
For the first three months of life, infants aren't very mobile. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, states that by the age of three months, your baby will be able to lift her head and support herself on her arms while lying on her stomach. She will also reach for objects and grasp them with her hands, paving the way toward eye-hand coordination. She will visually track moving objects and focus on people and things at a distance. She will recognize familiar sounds and begin to imitate them.
Seven Months
Most parents surround their infants with brightly colored objects but, according to the CDC, your baby hasn't possessed full color vision until now. She can also "read" your facial and vocal expressions and use her own voice to respond. In fact, this age is marked by an interest in social interaction. Cognitive development improves with exploring objects with hands and mouth and the ability to find hidden objects. Your baby will also respond to her own name and understand the meaning of "no."
One Year
By the time your baby has reached one year of age, she can correctly match pictures with verbal cues. Handling objects takes on intensity with shaking, banging and tossing them. Speech transcends from babbling to imitating words while using tonal inflection. The CDC also notes that your baby is likely to address you as "mama" or "dada" at this time.
Developmental Delays
Every baby develops at a different pace, so you can't predict when a particular cognitive skill will appear in your child. However, significant delays may be a cause for concern. According to the CDC, approximately one in 110 infants in the U.S. have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you're concerned about your child's development, see your pediatrician. The CDC has published a helpful guide for parents on developmental screening.
