Baby Milestones in the First Year, Month by Month

Your baby changes so quickly in the first year that it can be hard to keep track. One week they are sleepy and curled up, and a few months later they are rolling, babbling and grabbing your glasses. Milestones are a way to check that these changes are on track. They are not a test your baby passes or fails. Each child grows at their own pace, and the lists below are a guide for noticing, playing and asking questions.

How to read a milestone list

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics updated their milestone checklists in 2022. The new lists show skills that most babies, about three out of four, can do by a certain age. That means if your baby is not doing something yet, it is worth watching and talking about, because most babies already are. The checklists cover four areas: social and emotional, language, thinking and learning, and movement.

The skills below are examples, not the full list. You can see each complete checklist on the CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestones page.

By 2 months

• Calms down when you talk to them or pick them up
• Looks at your face and smiles when you talk or smile
• Makes sounds other than crying
• Reacts to loud sounds
• Holds the head up during tummy time
• Moves both arms and both legs

By 4 months

• Smiles on their own to get your attention
• Chuckles and makes cooing sounds like "ooo" and "aah"
• Turns the head toward your voice
• Holds the head steady without support when you hold them
• Holds a toy you put in their hand
• Pushes up onto elbows or forearms on the tummy
• Brings hands to the mouth

By 6 months

• Knows familiar people
• Likes to look at themselves in a mirror
• Laughs, squeals and blows "raspberries"
• Takes turns making sounds with you
• Reaches for a toy they want and puts things in the mouth to explore
• Rolls from tummy to back
• Leans on the hands to hold themselves up when sitting

By 9 months

• Is shy, clingy or fearful around strangers
• Looks when you call their name
• Makes repeated sounds like "mamamama" and "babababa"
• Smiles or laughs during peekaboo
• Lifts the arms up to be picked up
• Looks for a toy when it drops out of sight
• Bangs two things together
• Gets into a sitting position alone and sits without support
• Moves things from one hand to the other

By 12 months

• Plays games like pat-a-cake
• Waves "bye-bye"
• Calls a parent "mama," "dada" or another special name
• Understands "no" and pauses briefly when you say it
• Looks for things they see you hide, like a toy under a blanket
• Puts something into a container, like a block into a cup
• Pulls up to stand and walks while holding on to furniture
• Picks up small things between the thumb and pointer finger

Some babies walk on their own before their first birthday and many do not. Walking alone is not on the 12-month list.

If your baby was born early

For babies born before 37 weeks, pediatricians usually look at milestones by adjusted age, also called corrected age. To find it, take your baby's age in weeks and subtract the number of weeks they were born early. A baby who is 6 months old but was born 8 weeks early has an adjusted age of about 4 months, so compare them with the 4-month list. Most children born early catch up, and doctors often stop adjusting at around age 2. Ask your pediatrician how they want you to track your baby's progress.

How milestone checks happen at visits

Your pediatrician asks about milestones and watches your baby at every well visit. The AAP also recommends a standard developmental screening questionnaire at 9 months, and again later in toddlerhood. You may be asked to fill one out in the waiting room or online before the visit. Your answers matter. You see your baby every day, and you notice things a short exam can miss.

A good habit is to jot down new skills on your phone as they happen. You can also use the free CDC "Milestone Tracker" app. Bring your notes and any worries to the next visit.

What to do if you are worried

Trust your instincts. If you think your baby is behind, or something just feels off, say so. You do not need to wait for the next checkup. Your pediatrician may suggest a screening, a hearing or vision check, or a referral for an evaluation. In Texas, families of children under 3 can also be connected with Early Childhood Intervention services. Getting help early does not label your child. It gives them support while their brain is growing fastest.

The AAP parent site has more on why milestones matter.

When to call us

Call your A thru Z Pediatrics office soon if your baby:

• Loses a skill they used to have, at any age
• Does not respond to loud sounds or does not look at faces
• Seems very stiff or very floppy, or uses only one side of the body
• Is missing several skills for their age, or you have any concern at all

Call 911 or go to the ER if your baby has trouble breathing, turns blue, has a seizure, or is very hard to wake.

Want to talk about your baby's development? You can request a visit.