5 - 6 months

• Able to sit alone, without support, for only moments at first, and then for up to 30 seconds or more
• Infant begins to grasp blocks or cubes using the ulnar-palmar grasp technique (pressing the block into palm of hand while flexing or bending wrist in) but does not yet use thumb
• Infant rolls from back to stomach. When on tummy, the infant can push up with arms to raise the shoulders and head and look around or reach for objects.

6 - 9 months

• Crawling may begin
• Infant can walk while holding an adult's hand
• Infant is able to sit steadily, without support, for long periods of time
• Infant learns to sit down from a standing position
• Infant may pull into and keep a standing position while holding onto furniture

9 - 12 months

• Infant begins to balance while standing alone
• Infant takes steps and begins to walk alone

SENSORY DEVELOPMENT

• Hearing -- begins before birth, and is mature at birth. The infant prefers the human voice.
• Touch, taste, smell -- mature at birth; prefers sweet taste.
• Vision -- the newborn infant can see within a range of 8 - 12 inches. Color vision develops between 4 - 6 months. By 2 months, can track moving objects up to 180 degrees, and prefers faces.
• Inner ear (vestibular) senses -- the infant responds to rocking and changes of position

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Crying is a very important way to communicate. By the baby's third day of life, mothers can tell their own baby's cry from that of other babies. By the first month of life, most parents can tell if their baby's cry means hunger, pain, or anger. Crying also causes a nursing mother's milk to letdown (fill the breast).

The amount of crying in the first 3 months varies in a healthy infant, from 1 - 3 hours a day. Infants who cry more than 3 hours a day are often described as having colic.Colic in infants is rarely due to a problem with the body.

Excessive crying can be due to child abuse. Regardless of the cause, excess crying needs medical evaluation.

0-2 months

• Alert to voices
• Uses range of noises to signal needs, such as hunger or pain

Images

Moro reflex

Infantile reflexes

Skull of a newborn

Developmental milestones

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Infant Prevention

Review Date: 01/17/2011
Reviewed By: Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical Staff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)