Baby Development

Baby Development

As parents, you might worry if your baby’s growth is normal or if he is missing on something important. The American Academy of Pediatrics has laid out developmental milestones for babies. This can be a resourceful guide to monitor your children’s growth and development.

We have a month-by-month guide to check on your baby’s development. In the first 3 months, most babies turn their heads towards the direction of external sounds, show proper latching on to breast or feeding bottle in coordination with sucking and swallowing during feeds, respond to touch and other movements such as rocking or swaddling, track objects when moved from side to side, make sounds like cooing or babbling, open and close palms, bring hands to mouth, kick with legs, watch faces closely and make eye contact, when on tummy, lift head and chest up and try to push arms against the lying down surface, try to use hands and eyes together and smile at faces.

Between 4 to 7 months, babies become familiar with faces and sounds of the parents and caregivers.  Their motor and sensory developments are on a spree and by the end of seven months they must be able to roll from tummy to back and from back to tummy, show happiness when not hungry or sleepy, reach for objects and grab them using both hands, explore objects with hands and mouth, when on tummy, move forwards and backwards using arms and legs, show interest in toys that make sounds, respond to voices by imitating or babbling, show reaction to different tones of voices, make effort to reach objects which are out of reach, feel excited while playing interactive games like peek-a-boo, support his weight with legs when held and sits with support.

By the first year, it may seem your baby has grown much since he was born. His ability to observe and respond to people, objects and sensory stimuli has been steadily increasing and there is much to happen between 8 to 12 months. Learn everything about your baby’s development.