Baby Developmental Milestones
Every moment of the first year of the first child of the family is very memorable for parents. It brings lots of surprises and disappointments. Surprises are when the parent doesn’t expect it of their child and disappointment when they find other kids of the same age doing better things. But each infant is different and does things at its own pace. There is no point in panicking. Here is a list of few of infant milestones and when they are normally achieved:
First Smile
The first smile of the normal born babies come around 5 weeks and for premature a little later. Initially they respond to only high pitched noise. After three months they pick and choose a few and smile at them.
Responding to noise and becoming playful
From 2nd months onwards, they start to respond to external sound and recognise face of their parents. From 4th month, they start to move their hands and legs. From 6 months, they start identifying objects of interest to them like picture, toy etc. From 7 month onwards they don’t expect presence of the mother all the time by their side. From 10 months onwards, they become very playful and start play little games with the parents.
Talking
Before actually beginning to say words, the babies make different types of noise. This starts from the 2nd month onwards. They like to look at picture books and listen to stories. It’s the modulation in the voice the like and even respond to it. Words like ‘mommy’ and ‘baba’ come around the eighth month and proper words around eleven months. By the time, the kids are eighteen months, they say about forty words. Girls start talking faster than the boys.
Crawling
Babies begin to crawl around 7 months onwards. The best to encourage them to move is to place the toys on smooth surface just out the child’s reach. Then the child would crawl towards it and try to get it. When the child makes attempts to get closer to the toy or even if the baby doesn’t crawl, it’s best to give it to it rather than frustrate and discourage it. It doesn’t matter if the baby doesn’t crawl as at least 10% of the babies start walking without crawling. But when they crawl, it’s important for the parents to ensure that they don’t lay their hands up anything they shouldn’t. It’s best for the parents to crawl like a baby and see things that might hurt the child or obstruct its movement.
Walking
The child takes the first few steps by ten months but walks without support only after fourteen months. In the interim period, it best to help the child gain confidence to walk by holding their hands or arrange the furniture in a way such that it has enough space and support to move about. Initially some babies drag their feet and walk but after few months they walk comfortably.