#1689 what to expect as your healthy baby grows · what to expect as your healthy baby grows...

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What to Expect As Your Healthy Baby Grows

Milestones

The following are some typical milestones for infants, based on age. Milestones are also called “stages of development”. Every child’s development is different. The age ranges are an estimate of when your child should reach that milestone. Fine motor skills are small muscle movements, such as using fingers to pick up objects. Gross motor skills are large muscle movements, such as rolling over or walking. Receptive language is understanding what is heard, such as turning towards a loud sound or following verbal directions. Expressive language is being able to use words or gestures to express wants and needs, such as repeating sounds and words. If you are concerned that your child is not meeting a milestone, talk to your child’s doctor.

0–3 Months:Fine motor• Holds hands open or loosely closed

• Clenches hand as a toy is touched to it

• Briefly holds dangling ring put in handAt 0 - 3 months, your child smiles in

response to familiar voices.


Gross Motor• Can turn face side to side when on tummy

• Begins to lift head regularly when playing on tummy, putting weight on forearms

• Waves arms, kicks legs, squirms when diapers are changed

Receptive Language

• Startles in response to loud noise• Smiles in response to familiar voice• Quiets to familiar voice• Looks directly at speaker’s face

Expressive Language

• Makes soft, throaty sound• Cries differently to express hunger, irritation, pain• Expresses pleasure by cooing, squealing, gurgling

3 - 6 Months:Fine Motor

• Curls fingers actively around toy touched to hand• Takes toy to mouth when on back• Plays with own hands at midline• Brings both hands towards toy when on back

Gross Motor

• Rolls from tummy to back• Rolls from back to tummy• When playing on tummy, uses swimming-like movements• When playing on tummy, pushes up with arms to hold elbows


Receptive Language

• Shows fear of angry voice• Smiles and laughs at pleasant speech• Turns head toward sound and human voice

Expressive Language

• Babbles by repeating series of same sounds• Laughs during play• Changes sounds with body positions, using sounds: “p,” “b,” “m,” “n”


• Reaches and picks up block with one hand• Picks up a block in each hand• Transfers toy from one hand to the other• Bangs toys on surfaces and together

Gross Motor

• Sits independently, then learns to get out of sitting by pivoting and reaching to the side

• Gets self up to hands and knees• Belly crawls, or creeps on hands and knees

Receptive Language

• Looks for family members when asked, “Where’s Mommy?” “Where’s Daddy?”• Looks at some common objects when named• Responds somewhat to music• Pauses momentarily to respond to “no”

At 6 - 9 months, your child will get self up to hands and knees and will belly crawl or creep on hands and knees.


Expressive Language

• Imitates familiar gestures (shaking a toy)• Uses two-syllable babbling: “mama;” “dada;” “gaga”• Vocalizes to call attention to self


• Bangs two toys together in air• Takes toys in and out of container• Pokes with index finger• Lets go of toy• Imitates back and forth scribble with a

crayon• Helps turn pages of a book

Gross Motor

• Creeps for mobility• Pulls to stand at furniture and lowers without falling• Cruises around furniture• Starts to climb

Receptive Language

• Understands some simple requests: “give me;” “give me a kiss”• Understands simple, over-learned words: “hot;” “so big”• Responds to simple questions with searching movements: “Where’s your shoes?”

Expressive Language

• Plays exchange games with adults (handing objects back and forth)• Initiates games of “pat-a-cake” and “peek-a-boo”• Uses jargon (strings of a wide variety of consonant-vowel combinations with

changes in tone and pitch of voice)

At 9 - 12 months, your child understands simple requests and

responds to simple questions.



• Stacks 2 - 4 blocks• Scribbles spontaneously• Imitates stroke on paper• Turns pages of a book 2 - 3 at a time• Picks up and drinks from a cup with spills

Gross Motor

• Walks without support, rarely falling• Climbs over, under, up, and into things• Stoops or squats to pick up toys• Throws or rolls ball with two hands when sitting

Receptive Language

• Understands simple one-step commands• Recognizes and points to body parts (hair, eyes, hands, mouth) when named

Expressive Language

• Attempts to get objects by pointing and vocalizing• Uses from three to 20 single words meaningfully• Omits final sounds and words frequently


• Separates pop beads• Stacks 4 - 7 blocks• Threads shoelace through hole• Imitates vertical stroke drawn

At 12 - 18 months, your child can separate pop beads and stack 4-7


Gross Motor

• Rides ride-on toys without pedals• Walks into or steps on large ball when shown how to kick it• Walks up or down stairs, holding railing• Throws small (tennis) ball three feet with directionality (toward person or object)

Receptive Language

• Recognizes body parts and clothing articles in large pictures• Understands simple yes or no questions• Understands differences in personal pronouns: “me;” “you”• Appears to listen to meaning of language, not merely words

Expressive Language

• Replaces jargon with meaningful words• Imitates animal sounds and other environmental sounds in play• Refers to self by name• Uses “no” frequently

2 - 3 Years:Fine Motor

• Turns door knob to open door• Stacks 8 - 10 blocks• Turns single pages of a book• Holds crayon like an adult (tripod grasp)• Unbuttons large buttons, snaps or unties

shoes• Begins to use a fork

At 2 - 3 years, your child turns single pages of a book.


Gross Motor

• Can walk on tip toes• Runs well, changing directions, avoiding obstacles in path• Jumps forward with a two foot take off and land (broad jump)• Kicks ball

Receptive Language

• Understands action in pictures• Recognizes names of smaller body parts (chin, knee, elbow)• Understands functions of objects: “Which one do we comb with?”

Expressive Language

• Combines words to express: position: “my coat;” - recurrence: “more juice;” - action: “go outside;” - location: “want up”

• Usually uses 2 - 4 word combinations• Asks for help with personal needs: toileting; washing hands


• Hand dominance seen by consistent use of left or right hand

• Unscrews cap from bottle• Puts simple puzzles together

Gross Motor

• Begins balancing on one foot• Begins to catch ball• Jumps off (stair, chair, box) a stable object 18 - 24 inches high, landing on two feet• Pedals tricycle 10 feet

At 3 - 4 years, your child can put simple puzzles together.


Receptive Language

• Understands concept: hard/soft; rough/smooth• Understands spatial concepts: front/back• Follows two-step directions involving two different actions

Expressive Language

• Asks many questions: “who?” “what?” “where?” “why?”• Uses 4 - 5 word sentences most of the time• Engages in detailed conversations• Uses language in imaginative play


• Builds block towers in indefinite heights• Uses glue and scissors• Cuts simple shapes with scissors• Holds utensils with fingers rather than fist

Gross Motor

• Skips or hops• Somersaults• Challenges self on playground equipment• Stands on one foot for 5 - 10 seconds• Catches small (tennis) ball

Receptive Language

• Follows series of three unrelated commands• Identifies 2 - 3 primary colors• Understands concepts: heavy or light; loud or soft; day or night• Understands directional concepts: above or below; top or bottom

At 4 - 5 years, your child can follow two-step directions involving two

different actions.


Expressive Language

• Combines 4 - 8 words in a sentence• Describes objects according to size, shape, color• Enjoys retelling stories• Enjoys asking the meaning of new words

5 Years and older:Fine Motors

• Colors within the lines• Copies words/numbers• Draws a person with at least eight body parts (two arms counts as one part)• Feeds self

Receptive Language

• Identifies all primary colors• Understands concepts; same/different; first/middle/last• Understands more time-related concepts: before/after; yesterday/tomorrow

Expressive Language

• Retells a brief story• Asks meaning of words• Can tell home address• Talks about events in the future using “will”• Uses pronouns: “himself;” “herself ”

At 5 years and older, your child can retell a brief story.


DisclaimerThe information provided at this site is intended to be general information, and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to take the place of examination, treatment, or consultation with a physician. Phoenix Children’s Hospital urges you to contact your physician with any questions you may have about a medical condition.

If you have any questions or concerns, r call your child’s doctor or r call ______________________

If you want to know more about child health and illness, visit our library at The Emily Center at Phoenix Children’s Hospital1919 East Thomas RoadPhoenix, AZ 85016602-933-1400866-933-6459www.phoenixchildrens.orgFacebook: facebook.com/theemilycenterTwitter: @emilycenter

October 10, 2017 • In family review#1689 • Adapted by Nicki Mitchell, MSN, RN, CPN

Illustrated by Dennis Swain, Christine Remmel, and Greg Bishop


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#1689

What to Expect As Your Healthy Baby Grows

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#1689 what to expect as your healthy baby grows · what to expect as your healthy baby grows...

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