How Babies Grow in the First Year

Watching your new baby grow is a miraculous time in any parent's life, and be prepared for strangers, friends, relatives and your pediatrician to ask for updates on your baby's progress. But it's important to keep in mind that each child is different and will progress at his own pace with your encouragement and support.

"Different babies may do subtly different things at various ages and may reach several of these developmental milestones at various times," says Dr. Joseph Kahn, chair of pediatrics at St. John's Mercy Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. "For that reason, I encourage parents to look at development over time rather than be concerned if their baby can't 'do everything a baby should do' at any given point in time."
How Babies Grow
Here is an overview of the developmental milestones that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pediatricians look for at each well-baby check:
Newborn: "At 1 week of age a baby should respond to sounds by startling, blinking, crying or calming," Dr. Kahn says. He should fix on a human face and begin to follow movement with his eyes. His legs and arms should move but should still have a flexed posture.

How You Can Help: Babies like soft voices and listening to a "sing-song" manner of speech. "Parents should begin to learn their baby's temperament and learn to console their baby by cuddling, playing, talking and singing," Dr. Kahn says.

1 Month: Your baby will probably begin to lift his head and sleep up to three to five hours a time and stay awake for more than one hour at a time. "Remember that it is normal for crying to peak at about 6 to 8 weeks so don't be concerned if your baby seems fussier at this age," Dr. Kahn says.

How You Can Help: Console your baby by talking to him and holding him when he is upset.

2 to 3 Months: An early important milestone is the social smile, according to Dr. Carole Allen, director of pediatrics at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). "It is a cognitive developmental milestone. It shows that they can see the world and learn from it, and they also realize they can influence the world by their actions."

Your baby will begin to coo and respond to your verbal and visual stimuli, Dr. Kahn says. When lying flat he should also be able to lift his head, neck and upper body and begin to develop head control when held in an upright position.

How You Can Help: Talk to your baby and smile and laugh with him; sing to him.

4 to 5 Months: Your baby may begin to roll from his stomach to his back, reach for more objects and begin cooing more than ever. "Older siblings in particular often get the most reactions from babies starting around this age," Dr. Allen says.

How You Can Help: Help your baby practice sitting up with support by holding him in a sitting position. Begin to establish a bedtime routine and age-appropriate toys for your baby.

6 Months: "Many babies can sit up without support at this age," Dr. Allen says. He may start working on developing fine motor skills by grabbing objects and mouthing them, transferring things from hand to hand and using a raking motion to explore with the hands. He may also be ready to practice drinking out of a regular cup.

How You Can Help: Begin putting your baby to bed while he is awake. Read books and stories to him.

7 to 9 Months: Your baby will begin vocalizing more without discrimination, and may be able to say things like "ma-ma," "da-da" or "ba-ba." "He may begin crawling, pulling up on furniture, cruising and working for a toy that's out of reach," Dr. Allen says.

According to Dr. Kahn, fine motor skills continue to develop during this time, and your baby may start practicing a pincer grasp and grasping things between his thumb and forefinger. Also look for that first tooth eruption between 8 and 9 months of age.
 
How You Can Help: Play games such as "peek-a-boo" and "so big" with your baby to help teach the concept of object permanence. Be aware that your baby may begin to experience separation anxiety, and be sure he has a consistent comfort object to help ease his fears.

10 to 12 Months: By her first birthday your child may be walking independently, although many children don't walk until about 15 months of age, Dr. Allen says.

"He should point with the index finger and say one to three words other than 'ma-ma' or 'da-da," Dr. Kahn says. "He will begin to drink from a cup, look for dropped or hidden objects, wave goodbye and begin to feed himself more with his fingers."

How You Can Help: Be sure to praise good behavior, read more to your child, set limits and distract your child when he is getting into things. Set rules and establish routines.

Be sure to discuss your baby's development with your pediatrician at routine checkups and use these milestones as a guide for those discussions, keeping in mind that no two babies (or even siblings, in many cases) are exactly alike and will learn skills at their own pace with the proper guidance and safe environment in which to learn and explore.