Marvelous Milestones and When They Might Occur
| Timeline of Childhood Milestones | |
|---|---|
| 2 Months | Smiles at the sound of your voice |
| 3 Months | Raises head and chest when lying on stomach Grasps objects Smiles at other people |
| 4 Months | Babbles, laughs, and tries to imitate sounds |
| 6 Months | Rolls from back to stomach and stomach to back Moves objects from hand to hand |
| 7 Months | Responds to own name Finds partially hidden objects |
| 9 Months | Sits without support Crawls |
| 12 Months | Walks with or without support Says at least one word Enjoys imitating people |
Pediatrician Michelle Bailey, MD, medical director of Duke Health Center at Southpoint, says you can look for signs of emerging motor and language skills in the very first months of your baby's life.
"Babies begin to vocalize around 1 month," Bailey tells WebMD. "At 3 months, they should push their head up when they're on their stomach. By 4 months, they chatter in response to you and squeal with laughter."
Bailey says it's a good idea for parents to watch for these early childhood milestones, along with the more obvious "firsts" such as walking and talking. Just be careful about comparing your child with peers or older siblings. "Remember that each child is an individual," Bailey says. "There's a wide range for when children achieve a particular milestone. For example, I've seen children walk as early as 9 months or as late as 14 months."
