The infant stage of child development starts at birth and lasts until age 1. This is an exciting time for both parents and the infant as it seems like there are developmental advances every day. Typical infant development is based on the milestones the medical community accepts as the norms for most infants by certain ages. Development milestones include visible changes like motor skills and mental advances.
Large Motor Skills
Large motor skills include the large muscles of the body and are seen in activities like holding up the head, rolling over, sitting and walking. By three months, infants typically lift their heads while on their stomach and by five months have good head control. Within four to six months infants roll over, and by six months they can sit up alone. Crawling starts between six and nine months as well as pulling themselves on to furniture and standing with support. Between nine and 12 months infants have balance while standing and start to walk alone.
Small Motor Skills
Small motor skills include actions like holding utensils, reaching and hand-eye coordination. Within the first three months, infants grasp for objects put in front of them and follow movement in front of their eyes and also follow an object for 180 degrees. Hand-eye coordination improves by six months, when infants can clap and move objects from hand to hand. Between six and nine months, infants fixate on objects and use more of their hand to pick things up. From nine to 12 months infants can show a preference for one hand, wave bye and turn book pages.
Language Skills
Language development involves receptive language, which is how well infants understand, and expressive language, which is how well infants speak. This type of development isn’t just about verbal skills; it also takes vision and hearing into consideration. During the first three months infants get quiet when they hear a voice and can recognize familiar voices. At first, crying is the only method of communication an infant has. By three months the cries become distinctive. Between four and six months infants laugh, and say “ahh” and one syllable words. From six to nine months infants respond to their name and combine syllables. From nine to 12 months infants imitate sounds and respond to verbal commands.
Significance
The first year of life is when much of the base for future development begins for children. It sets up the stages so that skills are learned and then built upon to grow physically and mentally. Delays or accidents during these 12 months can have long-term effects on the child. These typical infant development standards are to help parents and doctors identify potential problems early. For example, infants who are slow starters with large motor skills should be evaluated to make sure there aren’t underlying physical or health risks.
Considerations
Parents should be aware of the varying safety precautions to take as infants go through the developmental stages. As infants start to roll over, for example, greater care must be taken on changing tables. As infants progress to reaching and crawling, poisonous items should be locked and out of reach, and gates are needed by stairs, doors and kitchens. Parents also should remember that the guidelines for typical infant development are just guidelines, and only a doctor’s evaluation can determine if developmental delays are possible.
