Patient Education: Developmental Milestones

Part of the joy of being a parent is watching your child develop. Although every child develops differently, the following are guidelines you can use to track your child’s progress, adapted from "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5" by Steven Shelov, M.D., American Academy of Pediatrics.

By the End of the Seventh Month

MOVEMENT MILESTONES

• Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
• Sits with and then without, support of his hands
• Supports his whole weight on his legs
• Reaches with one hand
• Transfers object from hand-to-hand
• Uses raking grasp

VISION MILESTONES

• Distance vision matures
• Ability to track moving objects

LANGUAGE MILESTONES

• Responds to own name
• Begins to respond to "no"
• Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice
• Uses voice to express joy and displeasure
• Babbles chains of consonants

COGNITIVE MILESTONES

• Finds partially hidden objects
• Explores with hands and mouth
• Struggles to get objects that are out of reach

DEVELOPMENTAL HEALTH WATCH
Each baby develops in his or her own particular manner, therefore it's impossible to tell exactly when or how a child will perfect a given skill, however if a baby displays any of the following signs they should be referred to their pediatrician.

• Refuses to cuddle
• Shows no affection for the person who cares for him or her
• Does not seem to enjoy being around people
• Has difficulty getting objects to his or her mouth
• Does not turn his or her head to locate sounds by 4 months
• Does not roll over in either direction by 5 months
• Seems inconsolable at night by 5 months
• Does not smile spontaneously by 5 months
• Cannot sit with help by 6 months
• Does not laugh or make squealing sounds by 6 months
• Does not bear some weight on legs by 7 months

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