Developmental Milestones for Infants through Age 1
Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye" are all called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (crawling, walking, etc.).How your child plays, learns, speaks, and acts offer important clues about your child’s development.Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of each developmental phase. Take this information with you and talk with your child’s doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached and what to expect next.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for general development using standardized, validated tools at 9, 18, and 24 or 30 months and for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern. Ask your child’s doctor about your child’s developmental screening."Learn the signs. Act early." materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools.
If You’re Concerned – Act Early
Tell your child’s doctor or nurse if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay for this age, and talk with someone in your community who is familiar with services for young children in your area, such as Early Childhood CARES at (541) 346-2578.
Two Months:
What most babies do at this age:
Social and Emotional
Begins to smile at people
Can briefly calm himself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
Tries to look at parent
Language/Communication
Coos, makes gurgling sounds
Turns head toward sounds
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Pays attention to faces
Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change
Movement/Physical Development
Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
Makes smoother movements with arms and legs
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
Doesn’t respond to loud sounds
Doesn’t watch things as they move
Doesn’t smile at people
Doesn’t bring hands to mouth
Can’t hold head up when pushing up when on tummy
Four Months:
What most babies do at this age:
Social and Emotional
Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning
Language/Communication
Begins to babble
Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Lets you know if she is happy or sad
Responds to affection
Reaches for toy with one hand
Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
Watches faces closely
Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance
Movement/Physical Development
Holds head steady, unsupported
Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
May be able to roll over from tummy to back
Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys
Brings hands to mouth
When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
Doesn’t watch things as they move
Doesn’t smile at people
Can’t hold head steady
Doesn’t coo or make sounds
Doesn’t bring things to mouth
Doesn’t push down with legs when feet are placed on a hard surface
Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions
Six Months:
What most babies do at this age:
Social and Emotional
Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger
Likes to play with others, especially parents
Responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy
Likes to look at self in a mirror
Language/Communication
Responds to sounds by making sounds
Strings vowels together when babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”) and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds
Responds to own name
Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with “m,” “b”)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Looks around at things nearby
Brings things to mouth
Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach
Begins to pass things from one hand to the other
Movement/Physical Development
Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front)
Begins to sit without support
When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce
Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
Doesn’t try to get things that are in reach
Shows no affection for caregivers
Doesn’t respond to sounds around him
Has difficulty getting things to mouth
Doesn’t make vowel sounds (“ah”, “eh”, “oh”)
Doesn’t roll over in either direction
Doesn’t laugh or make squealing sounds
Seems very stiff, with tight muscles
Seems very floppy, like a rag doll
Nine Months:
What most babies do at this age:
Social and Emotional
May be afraid of strangers
May be clingy with familiar adults
Has favorite toys
Language/Communication
Understands “no”
Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
Copies sounds and gestures of others
Uses fingers to point at things
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Watches the path of something as it falls
Looksfor things he sees you hide
Plays peek-a-boo
Puts things in her mouth
Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger
Movement/Physical Development
Stands, holding on
Can get into sitting position
Sits without support
Pulls to stand
Crawls
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
Doesn’t bear weight on legs with support
Doesn’t sit with help
Doesn’t babble (“mama”, “baba”, “dada”)
Doesn’t play any games involving back-and-forth play
Doesn’t respond to own name
Doesn’t seem to recognize familiar people
Doesn’t look where you point
Doesn’t transfer toys from one hand to the other
One Year:
What most children do at this age:
Social and Emotional
Is shy or nervous with strangers
Cries when mom or dad leaves
Has favorite things and people
Shows fear in some situations
Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story
Repeats sounds or actions to get attention
Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing
Plays games such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”
Language/Communication
Responds to simple spoken requests
Uses simple gestures, like shaking head “no” or waving “bye-bye”
Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)
Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh!”
Tries to say words you say
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing
Finds hidden things easily
Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named
Copies gestures
Starts to use things correctly; for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair
Bangs two things together
Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container
Lets things go without help
Pokes with index(pointer) finger
Follows simple directions like “pick up the toy”
Movement/Physical Development
Gets to a sitting position without help
Pulls up to stand, walks holding on to furniture (“cruising”)
May take a few steps without holding on
May stand alone
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
Doesn’t crawl
Can’t stand when supported
Doesn’t search for things that she sees you hide
Doesn’t say single words like “mama” or “dada”
Doesn’t learn gestures like waving or shaking head
Doesn’t point to things
Loses skills he once had
Eighteen Months:
What most babies do at this age:
Social and Emotional
Likes to hand things to others as play
May have temper tantrums
May be afraid of strangers
Shows affection to familiar people
Plays simple pretend, such as feeding a doll
May cling to caregivers in new situations
Points to show others something interesting
Explores alone but with parent close by
Language/Communication
Says several single words
Says and shakes head “no”
Points to show someone what he wants
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Knows what ordinary things are for; for example, telephone, brush, spoon
Points to get the attention of others
Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed
Points to one body part
Scribbles on his own
Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures; for example, sits when you say “sit down”
Movement/Physical Development
Walks alone
May walk up steps and run
Pulls toys while walking
Can help undress herself
Drinks from a cup
Eats with a spoon
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
Doesn’t point to show things to others
Can’t walk
Doesn’t know what familiar things are for
Doesn’t copy others
Doesn’t gain new words
Doesn’t have at least 6 words
Doesn’t notice or mind when a caregiver leaves or returns
Loses skills he once had
www.cdc.gov Adapted from CARING FOR YOUR BABY AND YOUNG CHILD: BIRTH TO AGE 5, Fifth Edition, edited by Steven Shelov and Tanya Remer Altmann © 1991, 1993, 1998, 2004, 2009 by the American Academy of Pediatrics and BRIGHT FUTURES: GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH SUPERVISION OF INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS, Third Edition, edited by Joseph Hagan, Jr., Judith S. Shaw, and Paula M. Duncan, 2008, Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.