Is Your Baby on Track?

From their very first breath, children are constantly developing and changing. While it’s easy to appreciate that they’re physically getting bigger, other milestones—like smiling or laughing for the first time—are important indicators of how your little one is developing mentally and emotionally.

In addition to getting vaccines and tracking their growth, regular wellness visits with your child’s doctor are important for gauging how your little one is doing developmentally. It’s helpful to track and share with the doctor what new behaviors or skills your baby is displaying.

Some significant milestones to watch for include:

3-4 months: Turns their head towards bright color and lights, moves both eyes in the same direction together, recognizes bottle or breast, reacts to sudden sounds and voices, makes cooing sounds, makes fists with both hands, grasps toys or hair, wiggles and kicks arms and legs, lifts head and chest when on stomach, smiles

6 months: Turns toward the source of normal sound, reaches for objects and picks them up, switches toys from one hand to the other, plays with their toes, helps hold bottle during feeding, recognizes familiar faces, babble, rolls from tummy to back, and sits up using their hands for help.

9 months: Recognizes and responds to their name, able to sit without assistance, able to “pincer grasp” small items, a new sense of stranger danger will keep them firmly attached to your hip during most waking hours. 

12 months: Pulls to standing position, crawls, drinks from a cup, plays peek-a-boo and patty cake, waves bye-bye, holds out arms and legs while being dressed, puts objects in a container, stack two blocks, uses 3 or more words consistently (especially Mama and Dada)

15 months: Can follow simple directions, feeds themselves with their fingers, walks a few steps without assistance, shows affection, claps when excited

18 months: Enjoys pushing, pulling, and dumping things; likes to look at pictures; makes marks on paper with crayons; walks without help; consistently uses seven or more true single words; climbs on furniture; try drinking from a cup

By 2 years: Uses 2- to 3-word sentences, says names of toys, recognizes familiar pictures, carries something while walking, feeds themselves with spoon, plays independently, turn 2 to 3 pages at a time, imitates their parents, identifies body parts (hair, nose, ears, eyes) by pointing, stacks four blocks, shows affection

By 3 years: Uses 3- to 5-word sentences, jumps, puts on shoes, walks upstairs alternating feet, ride a tricycle, opens doors, turns one page at a time, begins to play with other children, repeats common rhymes, names at least one color correctly, are toilet trained

Again, not every child hits every milestone at the same time as others. While there’s no need to panic, it is important to share any concerns with your child’s doctor.

They may recommend you get support through organizations like Children’s Integrative Services (CIS). As specialists in childhood development, they can evaluate your baby’s development further and provide any recommended intervention services, many at no cost to you. Best of all, they’ll come to your home or meet at whatever location works best for you. The key is to ask for help early so support can be provided at the most critical times of development.

Meghan Gunn, MD, FAAP is the Medical Director of SVMC Pediatrics.