While physical growth and development is extremely important, it is vital to pay attention to your baby's intellectual development as well. Babies' brains grow and develop rapidly during their first year of life, and there are many things you can do to monitor and encourage your child's intellectual growth.
Vocal
Newborns typically make few noises other than crying to communicate feelings of hunger, pain or discomfort. By the time your baby is two or three months old, you will likely notice a difference in his cries depending on what he needs or wants. He will also begin to make other noises and respond to familiar voices. Within the first three months of life, most babies begin to babble, coo and laugh. Many babies begin to say distinct single-syllable words by six or seven months of age. Most babies have a vocabulary of at least a few words that they use in context by their first birthday, and they will imitate other words and sounds regularly.
Social
Infants begin recognizing their parents by sight within the first month or two of life. By the time your baby is three or four months old, it is likely she will smile and coo at familiar people. Most babies begin to recognize their own image in a mirror by six months of age and may point or smile at their reflection. Your baby will likely learn to recognize her name by turning her head or babbling when you call her at six or seven months old. By nine months old, most babies learn to recognize pleasure and displeasure and will begin responding to simple commands. Simple interactive games involving toys and hands will likely start to interest your baby by the time she is ten months old. Infants begin showing affection to familiar people within the first year of life.
Recognition
Most babies start to look around for sounds early in life by the time they are a month or two old. They begin to follow objects with their eyes and will usually start reaching for objects by four months of age. Your baby may learn to recognize familiar images in photos and books by ten or eleven months of age and will learn to distinguish between his toys within the first year of life. He will also begin understanding that he should look for a toy or object in the place where he last saw it before his first birthday.
Activities
Talking and singing to your baby from the moment of birth is important so that she learns to recognize your voice and be soothed by it. Providing your baby with colorful interactive toys that light up or make noise is an excellent way to encourage intellectual development during the first year of life. By the time your baby is six or seven months old you can start pointing to her body parts and naming them so that she learns to associate pointing with naming an object. Simple interactive games involving toys and hands, such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake, will likely start to interest your baby by the time she is ten months old.
Considerations
All babies grow and develop at different rates. It is important not to compare your infant with other parents' children or get discouraged if your baby does not reach certain milestones exactly when you expect him to reach them. Proper nutrition is extremely important to your baby's development. A 1994 study published in the "Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition" found that breast-fed infants had higher results on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development than formula-fed babies did. If you have concerns about your baby's development, consult with your pediatrician.
