Child development milestones
From birth to 2 years, children develop very rapidly. These changes affect motor skills, vision, comprehension and communication. During the first 2 years, infants progress from being totally dependent on their carers to meet their needs to being able to run, speak over 50 words and feed themselves with a spoon.
Click on the images at the top to show childhood developmental milestones for each age.
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Developmental milestones
Newborn
- Movement takes the form of generalised reflexes, involving the whole body
- Hands are held in fists most of the time
- Focuses on faces and other objects at close range (20-30 cm)
- Is sensitive to touch and to pain
- Has well developed sense of smell and after a few days will recognise the scent of own mother
- Can hear all sounds in environment but will respond most to loud or high-pitched noises
- Recognises and prefers mother’s voice
- Can taste different flavours and prefers sweet tastes
- Communication is limited to crying
3 months
- Able to lift head and chest when lying on stomach
- Hands unfisted (open) most of the time
- Begins to develop hand-eye coordination; e.g. bats at dangling objects
- Watches faces intently; follows moving objects
- Recognises familiar objects/people at a distance
- Turns head in the direction of sound
- Begins to imitate sounds
- Has a variety of cries, e.g. hunger, pain
- Smiles and laughs
- Makes sounds in response to hearing someone speak
- May imitate some movements and facial expressions
6 months
- Sits up with support and rolls over
- May start to push self up or try to bear some weight on legs
- Full head control
- Reaches for and grasps objects, e.g. a finger
- Able to transfer an object from hand to hand
- Vision may be fully developed
- Starts to babble (join consonants and vowels together repetitively)
12 months
- Stands alone
- First independent steps or walks with hand held
- Bangs blocks together, stacks objects or nests them inside each other
- Holds items between thumb and forefinger
- Makes gestures, e.g. waving
- Speaks first words and associates words with meaning
- Can follow a simple command if accompanied by a gesture
- Uses exclamations, e.g. “uh-oh!”
- Responds to “no”
- May begin to form relationships
18 months
- Walks alone
- Hurls a ball
- Sits down on small chair
- Climbs onto furniture
- Will feed self using a spoon but spills food; drinks from a cup
- Speaks 10-25 words
- Able to point to objects or pictures when they are named
- Knows names of familiar people and parts of body
24 months
- Runs well without falling
- Jumps
- Walks up and down stairs alone
- Kicks a ball
- Feeds self with a spoon and spills little food
- Speaks 50+ words
- Knows and speaks own name
- Connects words into short phrases
NOTE: Development varies widely from child to child. The above should be used as a general guide only. If you are concerned about the development of your child, please consult your doctor or health care professional.
Last Reviewed: 19 March 2010
- 1. Healthy Children [website], developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Developmental milestones: 1 month (updated 2010, 18 Mar). Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/baby/pages/Developmental-Milestones-1-Month.aspx (accessed 2010, Mar 29)
2. Healthy Children [website], developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Developmental milestones: 3 months (updated 2010, 18 Mar). Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/baby/pages/Developmental-Milestones-3-Months.aspx (accessed 2010, Mar 29)
3. Healthy Children [website], developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Developmental milestones: 7 months (updated 2010, 18 Mar). Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/baby/pages/Developmental-Milestones-7-Months.aspx (accessed 2010, Mar 29)
4. Healthy Children [website], developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Developmental milestones: 12 months (updated 2010, 18 Mar). Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/baby/pages/Developmental-Milestones-12-Months.aspx (accessed 2010, Mar 29)
5. Healthy Children [website], developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Developmental milestones: 2 year olds (updated 2010, 18 Mar). Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/toddler/pages/Developmental-Milestones-2-Year-Olds.aspx (accessed 2010, Mar 29)
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