HomeBlogBaby Development Guide (0-36 Months)

Baby Development Guide (0-36 Months)

From the time they are born, babies tend to grow at an unbelievable rate, both physically and mentally. Parents have to keep in mind though, that no two babies are exactly alike and some babies may just develop at their own pace. Here’s a guide on what to expect in terms of milestones during the first three years of a baby’s life.

Although certain milestones during the developmental stages are generally achieved at similar ages, it’s not unusual for a healthy, “normal” baby to fall behind in some areas or race ahead in others. It’s important for parents to understand that, so as to resist comparing the little one with other babies. You can always talk to your child’s health care professional if you are concerned about your baby’s development in an way.

Hearing

Newborns’ hearing are tested shortly after birth but you can ask your doctor to check your baby’s hearing later on if you have any concerns. Unless there is a hearing impairment, your baby is born with fully developed hearing.

By the fourth week a baby is able to pay close attention to voices, especially high-pitched ones, and will respond to familiar sounds. By three months don’t be surprised if your baby seem to be looking directly at you or trying to ‘talk’ back to you!

At five months your little one will start to realize when sounds are coming from a certain direction and will turn to find them. Five-month-old babies will begin to recognize their own name and get all excited when you call out to them.

Ease your concerns

If your baby is under three months try this to test his or her hearing: Clap your hands behind your baby’s head. If you get a startling reaction, your little one’s hearing is fine. If there is no response the first time, try again a few more times.

For babies four to six months old, call out their name and watch for a reaction. A child between six to ten months should also respond and turn to look at the direction of sounds like a door-bell, a ringing phone and so on.

For older children, you may ask them to point out familiar persons or objects. If they don’t or can’t it could be because they can’t hear you.

Trust your instinct and talk to your baby’s doctor if there is any cause for concern. The earlier babies are checked for hearing problems, the better their chances of catching up on developmental milestones with the help of hearing aids and other treatments.

Sight & Seeing

Unlike their hearing babies can only see some blurry light, shapes and movement from birth. They may not be able to distinguish between similar tones such as red and orange at first either, and are generally attracted to high-contrast colors.

Between two to four months of age, color differences become clearer and a baby will not only be able to distinguish between similar shades, but the little one may also develop a fancy for bright primary colors and more detailed and complicated designs and shapes. Hence the reason why many baby toys are made in bright, loud colours.

As a baby enters the five-months mark, he or she will be able to spot small, insignificant objects, such as a button on a soft toy nearby. Baby will also be good at tracking slow-moving objects.

Baby’s eyesight will continue to develop and sharpen within the next few months and at around six months, a baby should be able to see almost as well as an adult.

Inform your pediatrician or family doctor if you have concerns about your baby’s eyesight. Your baby may need special treatment if he or she has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions, or if baby’s eyes are crossed most of the time.

Rolling over

At five months most babies will try to lift their head, push up on their arms, arch their back to lift their chest off the ground and roll over. They may also rock on their stomach and kick their legs.

Some babies may skip the rolling over milestone and just proceed to sitting and crawling while some may resort to rolling around as their primary mode of movement for some time. As long as your child continues to gain new skills and shows interest in getting around and exploring the environment, he or she is doing great!

You can never tell when a baby is going to attempt a new skill or achieve a milestone. Many parents found that out when they left their little one on their back for a while only to return and find them on their tummy! So, from about three months onward, it’s best to keep a hand on him during nappy changes, and remember to never leave him unattended on a bed or any other elevated surface.

Babies develop skills differently and some may be slower than others. However, if your baby hasn’t figured out how to flip to one side or the other by the time he’s six months old and isn’t showing any interest in getting around by any other means, bring it up the next time you talk to your doctor.

Sitting up

By the time your baby is five or six months old, the little one may attempt to sit up, and he or she may succeed in doing this momentarily without help. Always be on standby to support or cushion a possible tumble, though.

By eight months of age, most babies should be able to sit on their own and this means that the little one is able to look around freely (and spot objects you’d rather he not!) So, do take care to provide a clean, safe place for your baby to play on.

Alerted your doctor if your baby isn’t able to or doesn’t seem interested in trying to sit up by his or her eighth month mark.

Crawling

Most babies start to crawl when they are able to sit well without support, which most children can do by the time they’re six or seven months old. Crawling is your baby’s first way of getting around efficiently by himself. He’ll first learn to balance on the hands and knees before moving forward and backward from this position by pushing off with his knees. After that, it’s just a matter of practice making perfect.

The best way to encourage crawling is to sit and call out to your baby, or place toys just beyond your baby’s reach. As he gets better, you can also use soft toys and such to create obstacle courses for more challenge to help improve his confidence and agility.

Before your baby is mobile, it would be a good idea to childproof your house, with special emphasize on safety gates, because your little crawler will be drawn to the staircase like a tourist to Batu Caves.

Not all babies reach this developmental milestone at the exact same time, but if you’re worried that your child hasn’t gotten mobile by some means or another by the time he or she has reached the eighth-month mark, do bring it up at your next doctor’s appointment.

Walking

Babies generally begin to walk on their own around 12 months of age, and are walking well by the time they’re 14 or 15 months old. Having said that, there are countless children who don’t take their first steps till they’re 17 months or older!

At about eight months, some babies will begin to cruise along while holding onto furniture, followed by standing unsupported. A baby will attempt to pick up a toy from a standing position which leads to bending those little knees, and also learns to sit down from a standing position.

Obviously, learning to walk is a huge step towards independence for any child. As soon as the little one advances from standing propped up against the couch to wobbling his or her way to your waiting arms, to outrunning you, it’s “Welcome, toddlerhood!”

You can do your part in encouraging junior to walk by standing or kneeling in front of him and holding out your hands, or by holding both his hands and walking him towards you. You can even try a toy or contraption which he can hold onto and push – There are such toddle toys that are stable and have a wide base for support.

Some growing space and a conducive environment under an adult’s watchful eye are among what a little one will need to thrive in these development milestones as he or she grows and learns.

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