Baby Development Stages In The First Year

Babies grow and develop at a very fast pace. Even every month, they will show new developments that are interesting to those around them. New moms and dads who have children for the first time often ask what and how their child will develop.

Remember that each baby will grow and develop at their own pace. There is a fairly wide range of time regarding the normal time it takes for a baby to reach a particular stage of development. Below is an overview of developments in the first year of life.

1st to 3rd Month

During this first stage of development, the baby's body and brain are learning and adapting to live in the outside world. Between birth and the first three months, your baby may begin to:

1. Smile. Within the first three months, he will start to smile in response to a smile being given to him.
2. Lifts head and chest when on his tummy.
3. He searches for and follows objects with his eyes.
4. Holding objects in their hands.
5. Trying to reach for a hanging object, although they usually can't get to it yet.

4th to 6th Month

Babies are learning to reach and manipulate the world around them in these months. In addition, the baby will also begin to discover and be aware of their own voice. From 4 to 6 months of age, babies will usually start:

1. He can roll over.
2. Babbling, making sounds that sounded like he was trying to speak
3. Laugh.
4. Reaches out and holds nearby objects.
5. Sit up with good support.

Exclusive breastfeeding until the age of 6 months is important to support the growth and development of the baby.

7th to 9th month

In the second half of life, the baby will be more active. Once he learns, he can move around by rolling over. He'll start spending the next few years figuring out how to move further. During this period, the baby will start:

1. Learn to crawl. However, some babies skip the crawling stage and learn to walk right away.
2. Sit up independently, without support.
3. Shows response to familiar words that are heard frequently, such as their names. Besides, the babbling that came out of their mouths would probably sound clearer,
4. Learn to stand with help or support.

10th to 12th Months

During the last developmental period in this first year, you will see a significant change from baby to toddler. Even so, he is still a baby learning many things, such as:

1. He started learning to put food in his mouth.
2. Actively moving and walking by holding objects around it as motion assistance.
3. Start speaking a word or two. On average, a baby can speak up to three words by their first birthday.
4. Point to the object or things they want.

   Even though babies cannot understand yet, reading books can stimulate their cognitive development.

Even though the description of the baby's development during the first year of life has been mentioned above, there is no definite time for each development. A little late or faster is normal. Ensuring the growth and development of the baby in the right direction is the most important thing. If you feel something is not right, contact your doctor immediately so that you can handle it quickly.

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Reference:

Shaw, G. & DerSarkissian, C. (2022). Baby’s First Year: How Infants Develop. [online]. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/stages-of-development