How to Know if Your Baby Is Developing Normally
Make sure your baby's gross motor skills are developing normally., Watch the development of your baby's fine motor skills., Observe your baby's speech and language developments., Track your baby's cognitive development., Monitor your baby's...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure your baby's gross motor skills are developing normally.
Motor skills are the movements that happen when the baby's brain, nervous system and muscles all work together.
Gross motor skills refer to the big movements such as rolling and sitting up.
If your baby is developing normally, you should identify the following developments according to this approximate timeline:
Month One:
Held standing, will make small stepping motions Lying chest down, will raise hips and draw up knees Months two to three:
Kicks out with straightened legs when lying on back Pushes up and raises head when on belly Can roll from side to back Months four to six:
Can roll from back to front and front to back Can sit with support, holds head up and back straight Can easily hold up chest and head when pushing up Months seven to nine:
Can sit without support Will bounce up and down when held standing Can pull themselves up and remain standing without assistance May begin to crawl or scoot around on bottom Months ten to twelve:
Remains standing when hand is held Crawls or scoots quickly on floor Begins to take several steps before falling Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. -
Step 2: Watch the development of your baby's fine motor skills.
Motor skills are the movements that happen when the baby's brain, nervous system and muscles all work together.
Fine motor skills involve small movements, such as those of the fingers, toes, wrists, mouth and tongue.
If your baby if developing normally, you should notice the following milestones:
Month One:
Hands usually in tight fists Clenches your finger when it touches the palm Months two to three:
Hands more frequently held in an open position Reaches for objects Grabs, holds and shakes rattles or small toys Months four to six:
Brings hands up and into mouth Picks up and hold one object while gazing at another Transfers objects from one hand to another Reach for objects with a raking grasp (fingers to palm) Months seven to nine:
Begins to use a pincer grasp with thumb and index finger Places objects into a container and removes them Picks up small objects Holds a cracker and brings to mouth Months ten to twelve:
Holds and makes marks with crayons Will observe and then stack 2 or 3 blocks Turns pages in a book Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , The speech and language center of a baby's brain starts to develop from a very young age.
If your baby is developing normally, you should observe the following milestones as the baby grows:
Months Two to Three:
Coos and vocalizes, especially when talked to Months four to six:
Babbles repeated consonants, like ba-ba and ma-ma Vocalizes when talked to or sung to Recognizes own name Will cry when spoken to harshly Months seven to nine:
Stops play and pays attention when name called out May apply short sounds like ma-ma or da-da to parents Nonverbal communication like waving or shaking head “no” Babbles during play Months ten to twelve:
Hands over toy upon request Imitates speech sounds like moo, ruff-ruff Uses mama or dada specifically for parents Will recognize familiar objects by name Imitates names of familiar objects Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , Cognitive development refers to a baby's growing ability to process information about the world around them.
If your baby is developing normally, you should be able to identify the following cognitive milestones:
Month one:
Startles or alerts to sound of rattle.
Can be calmed when picked up and held.
Months two to three:
Follows moving objects with eyes Looks with eyes for source of sounds Looks around at new surroundings Months four to six:
Recognizes and reaches for toys Looks at objects while holding them Turns eyes and head to sounds and voices Months seven to nine:
Plays games like finding a hidden toy or peek-a-boo Gazes at self and touches image in mirror Begins to imitate sounds Recognizes facial expressions Months ten to twelve:
Searches for and uncovers toy that was seen hidden.
Opens covers on boxes to explore inside Looks at pictures in a picture book Uses index finger to point at objects Understands simple commands like “no” or “give me” Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , Adaptive development refers to the growing ability of an infant/child to function independently and become self-sufficient.
In the early days of normal adaptive development, you should start to notice your baby doing the following:
Month one:
Makes sucking movements when lips are touched Opens and closes mouth to accept nipple for feeding Establishes eye contact.
Months two to three:
Seeks attention when frustrated or distressed Recognizes familiar faces Gazes at and brings hands to mouth Months four to six:
Holds out arms to be picked up Ingests and swallows pureed foods Recognizes and holds bottle May become anxious in unfamiliar situations Months seven to nine:
Picks up finger food and feeds themselves Shows parent separation anxiety, especially with mother Recognizes and becomes shy around strangers Holds a cup by the handle Months ten to twelve:
Removes shoes, socks, hat Helps with dressing by extending arms or legs Feeds themselves with finger food for part of the meal Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , Infant development is a process in which infants learn new skills over time.
This development usually occurs in a predictable manner: for example, babies usually learn to sit before they stand, and babble before they learn first words.
Infants learn many skills over a short time but just like adults, some babies are better at some things than others.
For instance, some will tend to talk a little earlier than average, while others will learn how to walk before their peers.
Since development varies from infant to infant, it is most useful to look at how things are progressing over time, rather than as a single snapshot.
A common way to evaluate progress is by developmental milestones.
These describe the approximate age at which babies learn distinctive skills, like following an object with their eyes, or reaching out to grab a block. , Anticipating the usual sequence of developmental milestones allows parents to help babies learn.
For instance, when your infant seems ready to crawl, more floor time and calling her to crawl towards you gives her lots of opportunities to practice.
Babies beginning to reach for objects should be offered lots of things to grab.
Studies have shown that when parents who are familiar with the expected course of infant development express concerns, they are very frequently correct.
They often become aware of any problems sooner than the health care provider.
In most cases, early recognition of a developmental concern can enable more timely management, therefore the ability to recognize whether your child is on track or not is important. , Developmental skills are grouped into a number of categories; keep in mind that these categories often overlap or are very inter-related.
Motor development refers to physical skills requiring muscle use and coordination.
There are two types.
Gross motor refers to larger muscles and muscle groups that enable the baby to learn things like crawling and walking.
Fine motor skills are those requiring coordinated use of the small muscles of the hands.
Examples of normal fine motor developments include reaching and grasping objects, and transferring something from one hand to another.
Speech and language development includes two main components.
Receptive language is the understanding of language.
This may include written communication, but in the case of babies it refers to understanding what is spoken.
Expressive language development in babies enables them to use expression and spoken words to communicate or express thoughts.
Cognitive development refers to higher levels of thinking and understanding.
Babies, like everyone else, receive information from all of their senses (vision, hearing, etc.) and then process it into a response or action.
Examples of normal cognitive developments include turning the head towards a familiar sound or voice, inspecting a new environment, and holding out the arms to be picked up.
Adaptive development (which includes aspects of social-emotional development) includes skills that involved in the early stages of becoming independent and self-sufficient.
Examples of normal adaptive developments are the ability to coordinate swallowing and breathing, sleeping through the night, holding the bottle, self-calming, and self-feeding finger foods. , Following your baby’s developmental progress is exciting and reassuring.It's a good idea to keep a diary of when your baby reaches certain developmental milestones, as this can be a family keepsake, but it can also help to identify any patterns of developmental problems.
If problems arise, the diary can provide useful information to your baby’s health provider.
If your baby reaches the expected age for a certain developmental milestone, but shows no signs of progress, it may be a cause for a concern.
However, it's important that you take any extenuating circumstances (such as prematurity) into account and get the baby checked out by a doctor before you jump to any conclusions.
Things that you should report to your baby’s doctor as possible developmental delays (if your baby is at the right approximate age for them) are as follows:
The baby doesn't respond to loud sounds.
The baby doesn't follow moving objects with their eyes.
The baby cannot push themselves up with their arms.
The baby chokes or gags with feeding.
The baby generally does not seem to respond to you as expected for their age. , The timetable for babies born prematurely may be delayed according to the degree of prematurity.
Remember that continued development of new skills is often more important than looking at a single snapshot in time.
For example, a baby will usually start to pick up finger food and feed themselves between the ages of seven to nine months.
However, a baby who was born two months premature may not start to do this until nine to eleven months of age.
Given the degree of prematurity, this is completely normal and still means that the baby is on track for normal development. -
Step 3: Observe your baby's speech and language developments.
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Step 4: Track your baby's cognitive development.
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Step 5: Monitor your baby's development in terms of adaptive skills.
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Step 6: Understand the general pattern of infant development.
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Step 7: Recognize the importance of developmental milestones.
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Step 8: Familiarize yourself with the categories of development.
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Step 9: Keep a diary to track your baby's developmental milestones.
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Step 10: Take prematurity into account when tracking development.
Detailed Guide
Motor skills are the movements that happen when the baby's brain, nervous system and muscles all work together.
Gross motor skills refer to the big movements such as rolling and sitting up.
If your baby is developing normally, you should identify the following developments according to this approximate timeline:
Month One:
Held standing, will make small stepping motions Lying chest down, will raise hips and draw up knees Months two to three:
Kicks out with straightened legs when lying on back Pushes up and raises head when on belly Can roll from side to back Months four to six:
Can roll from back to front and front to back Can sit with support, holds head up and back straight Can easily hold up chest and head when pushing up Months seven to nine:
Can sit without support Will bounce up and down when held standing Can pull themselves up and remain standing without assistance May begin to crawl or scoot around on bottom Months ten to twelve:
Remains standing when hand is held Crawls or scoots quickly on floor Begins to take several steps before falling Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment.
Motor skills are the movements that happen when the baby's brain, nervous system and muscles all work together.
Fine motor skills involve small movements, such as those of the fingers, toes, wrists, mouth and tongue.
If your baby if developing normally, you should notice the following milestones:
Month One:
Hands usually in tight fists Clenches your finger when it touches the palm Months two to three:
Hands more frequently held in an open position Reaches for objects Grabs, holds and shakes rattles or small toys Months four to six:
Brings hands up and into mouth Picks up and hold one object while gazing at another Transfers objects from one hand to another Reach for objects with a raking grasp (fingers to palm) Months seven to nine:
Begins to use a pincer grasp with thumb and index finger Places objects into a container and removes them Picks up small objects Holds a cracker and brings to mouth Months ten to twelve:
Holds and makes marks with crayons Will observe and then stack 2 or 3 blocks Turns pages in a book Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , The speech and language center of a baby's brain starts to develop from a very young age.
If your baby is developing normally, you should observe the following milestones as the baby grows:
Months Two to Three:
Coos and vocalizes, especially when talked to Months four to six:
Babbles repeated consonants, like ba-ba and ma-ma Vocalizes when talked to or sung to Recognizes own name Will cry when spoken to harshly Months seven to nine:
Stops play and pays attention when name called out May apply short sounds like ma-ma or da-da to parents Nonverbal communication like waving or shaking head “no” Babbles during play Months ten to twelve:
Hands over toy upon request Imitates speech sounds like moo, ruff-ruff Uses mama or dada specifically for parents Will recognize familiar objects by name Imitates names of familiar objects Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , Cognitive development refers to a baby's growing ability to process information about the world around them.
If your baby is developing normally, you should be able to identify the following cognitive milestones:
Month one:
Startles or alerts to sound of rattle.
Can be calmed when picked up and held.
Months two to three:
Follows moving objects with eyes Looks with eyes for source of sounds Looks around at new surroundings Months four to six:
Recognizes and reaches for toys Looks at objects while holding them Turns eyes and head to sounds and voices Months seven to nine:
Plays games like finding a hidden toy or peek-a-boo Gazes at self and touches image in mirror Begins to imitate sounds Recognizes facial expressions Months ten to twelve:
Searches for and uncovers toy that was seen hidden.
Opens covers on boxes to explore inside Looks at pictures in a picture book Uses index finger to point at objects Understands simple commands like “no” or “give me” Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , Adaptive development refers to the growing ability of an infant/child to function independently and become self-sufficient.
In the early days of normal adaptive development, you should start to notice your baby doing the following:
Month one:
Makes sucking movements when lips are touched Opens and closes mouth to accept nipple for feeding Establishes eye contact.
Months two to three:
Seeks attention when frustrated or distressed Recognizes familiar faces Gazes at and brings hands to mouth Months four to six:
Holds out arms to be picked up Ingests and swallows pureed foods Recognizes and holds bottle May become anxious in unfamiliar situations Months seven to nine:
Picks up finger food and feeds themselves Shows parent separation anxiety, especially with mother Recognizes and becomes shy around strangers Holds a cup by the handle Months ten to twelve:
Removes shoes, socks, hat Helps with dressing by extending arms or legs Feeds themselves with finger food for part of the meal Note:
Keep in mind that this is just an approximate timeline; some babies will develop slower or faster than the times indicated, especially if they were born premature.
It's more important to track how your baby is progressing over time, rather than assessing his/her skills at a given moment. , Infant development is a process in which infants learn new skills over time.
This development usually occurs in a predictable manner: for example, babies usually learn to sit before they stand, and babble before they learn first words.
Infants learn many skills over a short time but just like adults, some babies are better at some things than others.
For instance, some will tend to talk a little earlier than average, while others will learn how to walk before their peers.
Since development varies from infant to infant, it is most useful to look at how things are progressing over time, rather than as a single snapshot.
A common way to evaluate progress is by developmental milestones.
These describe the approximate age at which babies learn distinctive skills, like following an object with their eyes, or reaching out to grab a block. , Anticipating the usual sequence of developmental milestones allows parents to help babies learn.
For instance, when your infant seems ready to crawl, more floor time and calling her to crawl towards you gives her lots of opportunities to practice.
Babies beginning to reach for objects should be offered lots of things to grab.
Studies have shown that when parents who are familiar with the expected course of infant development express concerns, they are very frequently correct.
They often become aware of any problems sooner than the health care provider.
In most cases, early recognition of a developmental concern can enable more timely management, therefore the ability to recognize whether your child is on track or not is important. , Developmental skills are grouped into a number of categories; keep in mind that these categories often overlap or are very inter-related.
Motor development refers to physical skills requiring muscle use and coordination.
There are two types.
Gross motor refers to larger muscles and muscle groups that enable the baby to learn things like crawling and walking.
Fine motor skills are those requiring coordinated use of the small muscles of the hands.
Examples of normal fine motor developments include reaching and grasping objects, and transferring something from one hand to another.
Speech and language development includes two main components.
Receptive language is the understanding of language.
This may include written communication, but in the case of babies it refers to understanding what is spoken.
Expressive language development in babies enables them to use expression and spoken words to communicate or express thoughts.
Cognitive development refers to higher levels of thinking and understanding.
Babies, like everyone else, receive information from all of their senses (vision, hearing, etc.) and then process it into a response or action.
Examples of normal cognitive developments include turning the head towards a familiar sound or voice, inspecting a new environment, and holding out the arms to be picked up.
Adaptive development (which includes aspects of social-emotional development) includes skills that involved in the early stages of becoming independent and self-sufficient.
Examples of normal adaptive developments are the ability to coordinate swallowing and breathing, sleeping through the night, holding the bottle, self-calming, and self-feeding finger foods. , Following your baby’s developmental progress is exciting and reassuring.It's a good idea to keep a diary of when your baby reaches certain developmental milestones, as this can be a family keepsake, but it can also help to identify any patterns of developmental problems.
If problems arise, the diary can provide useful information to your baby’s health provider.
If your baby reaches the expected age for a certain developmental milestone, but shows no signs of progress, it may be a cause for a concern.
However, it's important that you take any extenuating circumstances (such as prematurity) into account and get the baby checked out by a doctor before you jump to any conclusions.
Things that you should report to your baby’s doctor as possible developmental delays (if your baby is at the right approximate age for them) are as follows:
The baby doesn't respond to loud sounds.
The baby doesn't follow moving objects with their eyes.
The baby cannot push themselves up with their arms.
The baby chokes or gags with feeding.
The baby generally does not seem to respond to you as expected for their age. , The timetable for babies born prematurely may be delayed according to the degree of prematurity.
Remember that continued development of new skills is often more important than looking at a single snapshot in time.
For example, a baby will usually start to pick up finger food and feed themselves between the ages of seven to nine months.
However, a baby who was born two months premature may not start to do this until nine to eleven months of age.
Given the degree of prematurity, this is completely normal and still means that the baby is on track for normal development.
About the Author
Andrea Moore
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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