Developmental Milestones of Babies

All babies are unique; thus their growth patterns are not identical. The following guide is a compilation of development guides which will empower all parents with an insight of what you can expect at various stages of development of your baby or as we call it “developmental milestones”.

The following milestones are sorted by age and activity viz. motor, sensory, communication and feeding, making it easy for you to track your kid’s development.

1.    0 to 3 months old:

a.    Motor:

                                              i.     When the baby is on its tummy, can hold her head up and push up on arms.

                                            ii.     Can make smoother movements with arms and legs.

                                          iii.     Can open and close fists.

                                           iv.     Bring fists to its mouth.

b.    Sensory:

                                              i.     While lying on back, can follow a moving object from side to side and attempt to reach out for a toy placed near its chest.

                                            ii.     Becomes calm with soothing sound or rocking movement.

                                          iii.     Actively enjoys playtime like bouncing on knees, etc.

c.     Communication:

                                              i.     Turns head towards the sound or your voice.

                                            ii.     Can recognize you from across the room and shows interest in people’s faces.

                                          iii.     Makes eye contact.

                                           iv.     Begins to smile or quite down.

                                             v.     Starts to babble and mimic the sounds you make.

d.    Feeding:

                                              i.     Turns head toward nipple or bottle.

                                            ii.     Sucks and swallows well during feeding.

Note: Regularly placing the baby on its tummy will help develop the neck, back and shoulder muscles needed to meet milestones. It may also prevent early motor delays and conditions like flat head syndrome and twisted neck syndrome. Tummy time can begin as soon as your baby comes home from the hospital. Aim for a few minutes of tummy time, several times a day. There are multiple ways to do tummy time with your baby: placing the baby on your chest while lying down; positioning one hand under the baby’s tummy and between legs and carry baby tummy down; placing baby face down across your lap; placing baby on their tummy after routine activities like bathing and diapering. Always remember to place the baby on its tummy during playtime and on their backs during the sleep-time.

(to be continued.....)