Developmental Milestones; Birth Until A Year

Each recent parents are passionate about their first baby and they want to see them grow fast. They are also eager to share these milestones with their family and friends.
The skills that the baby started to do such as the first step, making sounds, their attempt of spelling the words “mom and dad” or maybe the little behaviors that give us a sign that they are growing normally called developmental milestones.
It is the abilities and skills that every kid can do at a certain age. In most instances, children at recent ages reach milestones such as sitting up on their own, speaking, crawling, and so on.

Furthermore, parents should visit the practitioner or health care provider each month to make sure that their child is reaching different milestones as other kids at the same stages of development. This also helps them figure out if their child is having a certain developmental delay in order to seek care as soon as possible. 

There are common developmental milestones which are divided into the following categories: 

• – Gross motor skills; These skills enable the child to control his movements like sitting up, walking, playing, riding a bike, and moving his head and arms. 
• – Cognitive skills; involved reasoning, concentration, solving problems, and adaptation. 
• – Language skills; Skills that enable the kid to communicate using some ways to express his needs and desires, it could be movements in his hands or fingers, facial expressions, using limited words, and crying. 
• – Fine motor skills; These skills enable the kid to move his hands and fingers precisely such as picking a pen and write, playing any game using his hands and fingers.

Would you like to travel with us over time? This part of the article will make you imagine how a kid goes through major and normal developmental milestones. Keep reading to be more aware of your baby’s first-year development. 

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During birth, until the baby turns two months

During this age, kids are able to employ gross motor skills such as swallowing, breathing, expressing strong reflexes (turns head), and his/ her ability to relax arms and legs from the tight fetal position. Language skills; the kid at this age is recognizing the different voices, such as his parents, siblings, caregiver. When it comes to fine motor skills, the child can hold things tighter such as hold hands and toys. Also, the kid begins to uncurl his fingers. Concerning social skills, they can do the following: 

1. Ability to stand up for a short period. 
2. Cognitive skills.
3. Watches their parents with eyes; they almost see clearly.
4. Interacting with sounds around them.
5. Feeling comfortable when they get dressed. 

During 2 – 4 months 

The kid is showing more control over his/ her body. Children begin to move their heads higher and bottom, move their bodies from back to the side. They also are able to lie on their stomach to show a notable capability to lift their heads and chest. These are gross motor skills normal children can express. Parents will also notice fine motor skills, such as holding things around them like your hair or clothes when you are nearby. 

Mothers in this stage make sure that the kid is trying to develop language skills by making sounds and using his body movement to express a certain need such as open up hands and waving. According to the social skills aspect, parents see that their kid is smiling, imitating facial gestures or movements, and laughing. 

In addition, the kid has cognitive skills like reacting through moving towards the source of sounds, express feelings, cry when he/ she gets bored, sleeping and calming when the child is relaxed or tired.

Normal developmental milestones during the months 4 – 6 months

Babies in this stage are more engaging with the environment around them. In the social aspect, they turn their head towards sounds and interact with others. They love toys with different shapes and textures. Also, they raise their arms to be picked up. Moreover, kids at this age can maintain eye contact with people around them. 

Gross and fine motor skills can be concluded through the following points: 

1. They can reach their foot while lying on the back.
2. They can bear their weight while standing. 
3. Wraps from back to stomach and stomach to back.
4. Controls head well.
5. At a pre-crawl position with head and part of stomach raised.
6. pick up small stuff in their hand or palm.
7. Point out to people and objects.

Kids at this age show quite good language skills, by getting attention by babbling, imitate facial expressions, gestures and sounds, recognize colors and prefer them as well and smile. 

Developmental milestones from 6 – 8 months 

Gross and fine motor skills:  

1. Switching stuff from one hand to another while crawling on the floor.
2. Unable to sit firmly.
3. Stretches to reach objects that are longer than an arm’s length.

Language and cognitive skills:

1. Look down when the objects are fallen.
2. Babels using different sounds.
3. Says dad and mom.
4. Tends to put things in their mouth in order to explore them.

Social and play skills 

• Responds to name and sounds