 Developmental
Milestones
What
are some of the developmental milestones my child should reach by twelve months
of age?
From eight
to twelve months of age, your baby will become increasingly mobile, a development
that will thrill and challenge both of you. Being able to move from place
to place will give your child a delicious sense of power and control—her
first real taste of physical independence.
Here are
some other milestones to look for.
Movement
milestones
-
Gets
to sitting position without assistance
-
Crawls
forward on belly by pulling with arms and pushing with legs
-
Assumes
hands-and-knees position
-
Creeps
on hands and knees supporting trunk on hands and knees
-
Gets
from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position
-
Pulls
self up to stand
-
Walks
holding on to furniture
-
Stands
momentarily without support
-
May
walk two or three steps without support
Milestones in hand and
finger skills
- Uses pincer grasp
-
Bangs
two cubes together
-
Puts
objects into container
-
Takes
objects out of container
-
Lets
objects go voluntarily
-
Pokes
with index finger
-
Tries
to imitate scribbling
-
Pays
increasing attention to speech
-
Responds
to simple verbal requests
-
Responds
to “no”
-
Uses
simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no”
-
Babbles
with inflection
-
Says
“dada” and “mama”
-
Uses
exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”
-
Tries
to imitate words
-
Explores
objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
-
Finds
hidden objects easily
-
Looks
at correct picture when the image is named
-
Imitates
gestures
-
Begins
to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone,
listening to receiver)
Social
and emotional milestones
-
Shy or
anxious with strangers
-
Cries
when mother or father leaves
-
Enjoys
imitating people in play
-
Shows
specific preferences for certain people and toys
-
Tests
parental responses to his actions during feedings (What do you do when he
refuses a food?)
-
Tests
parental responses to his behavior (What do you do if he cries after you
leave the room?)
-
May
be fearful in some situations
-
Prefers
mother and/or regular caregiver over all others
-
Repeats
sounds or gestures for attention
-
Finger-feeds
himself
-
Extends
arm or leg to help when being dressed
Developmental
health watch
Each baby
develops in his own manner, so it’s impossible to tell exactly when your
child will perfect a given skill. Although the developmental milestones listed
in this book will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as
your child gets older, don’t be alarmed if his development takes a slightly
different course. Alert your pediatrician if your baby displays any of the
following signs of possible developmental delay in the eight- to twelve-month
age range.
-
Does
not crawl
-
Drags
one side of body while crawling (for over one month)
-
Cannot
stand when supported
-
Does
not search for objects that are hidden while he watches
-
Says
no single words (“mama” or “dada”)
-
Does
not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
-
Does
not point to objects or pictures
Published online: 6/07
Source: Caring
for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Copyright ©
2004 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 5/05)
To order a copy of this book visit the AAP
Bookstore.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained
in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care
and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your
pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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