Mental development, also known as cognitive development, involves the use of memory, language, reasoning and thinking. Your baby may not appear to have much mental capacity, especially at a very early age, but he is actually making daily mental connections about his world. Knowing his developmental milestones can help you to get the most out of his mental development.
Birth to 4 Months
Beginning at birth, your baby will start using her brain to make connections in the world around her. Her vision will gradually come into focus, and soon after, she will be able to focus on moving objects. She will be able to recognize your voice and may begin uttering different sounds. By the time she is 4 months old, she will be able to anticipate events such as feeding time.
4 to 6 Months
Between 4 and 6 months of age, your baby will experience significant mental development. He will be able to recognize faces and react to your facial expressions. He may respond to familiar sounds, such as his name. His attention span is increasing and so is his memory as he absorbs information. He will discover cause and effect, most likely by accident at first, when he realizes something moves when he touches it.
6 to 8 Months
At 6 months of age, your baby might start throwing things on the floor just to see you pick them up. This is her way of experimenting with purposeful cause and effect. By the time she is 8 months old, she will be able to tell how close or far something is from her. She will also learn that inanimate objects can be moved if she uses physical force to move them.
8 to 12 Months
Between 8 and 12 months of age, your baby will learn object permanence according to American Academy of Pediatrics. This means that he will be able to understand that objects are still there even if he cannot see them. He will also be able to imitate gestures and actions and respond to simple directions. He will begin to understand physical properties and understand how things fit together, such as a collection of blocks in a bucket. His growing curiosity may cause him to drop or throw things just to observe what happens, allowing him to get an idea of what bounces or rolls and what doesn't.
Encouraging Development
To encourage your baby's mental development, provide a lot of opportunities for her to use her senses. Show her different colors, and allow her to feel different textures. Talk to her often, even if it's just to explain what you are doing throughout the day. Read her stories, play her music and provide her with age-appropriate safe toys to explore with. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses that loving attention from you is one of the best ways to build her mental skills.
