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Milestones can help a pediatrician know if your child is developing normally. Although every child is different and progresses at their own speed most children obtain certain skills around the same age. The following are skills we commonly look for at your child's well-child check to help us in our evaluation. If your child is not meeting the age-appropriate milestones talk to us at your next visit.  We will would love to discuss your concerns.

TWO MONTHS

Social/Emotional

• Begins to smile at people

• Can briefly calm herself

• Tries to look at the parent

Language/Communication

• Coos, makes gurgling sounds

• Turns head toward sounds

Cognitive

• Pays attention to faces

• Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance

• Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity does not change

Movement/Physical Development

• Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy

• Makes smoother movements with arms and legs

WHEN TO BE CONCERNED:

• Doesn't respond to loud sounds

• Doesn't watch things as they move

• Doesn't smile at people

• Doesn't bring hands to mouth

• Can't hold head up when pushing on tummy

FOUR MONTHS

Social/Emotional

• Smiles spontaneously, especially at people

• Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops

• Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning

Language/Communication

• Begins to babble

• Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears

• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Lets you know if she is happy or sad

• Responds to affection

• Reaches for a toy with one hand

• Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it

• Follows movings things with eyes from side to side

• Watches faces closely

• Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance

Movement/Physical Development

• Holds head steady, unsupported

• Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface

• May be able to roll over from tummy to back

• Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys

• Brings hands to mouth

• When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows

WHEN TO BE CONCERNED:

• Doesn't watch things as they move

• Doesn't smile at people

• Can't hold head steady

• Doesn't coo or make sounds

• Doesn't bring things to mouth

• Doesn't push down with legs when feet are placed on hard surface

• Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions

SIX MONTHS

Social/Emotional

• Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger

• Likes to play with others, especially parents

• Responds to other people's emotions and often seems happy

• Likes to look at self in a mirror

Language/Communication

• Response to sounds by making sounds

• Strings vowels together when babbling ("ah, "eh", "oh") and likes taking turns with parents while making sounds

• Responds to own name

• Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure

• Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with "m", "b")

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving

• Looks around at things nearby

• Brings things to mouth

• Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach

• Begins to pass things from one hand to the other

Movement/Physical Development

• Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front)

• Begins to sit without support

• When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce

• Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward

WHEN TO BE CONCERNED:

• Doesn't try to get things that are in reach

• Shows no affection for caregivers

• Doesn't respond to sounds around him

• Has difficulty getting things to mouth

• Doesn't make vowel sounds ("ah", "eh", "oh")

• Doesn't roll over in either direction

• Doesn't laugh or make squealing sounds

• Seems very stiff, with tight muscles

• Seems very floppy, like a rag doll

NINE MONTHS

Social/Emotional

• May be afraid of strangers

• May be clingy with familiar adults

• Has favorite toys

Language/Communication

• Understands "no"

• Makes a lot of different sounds like "mamamama" and "bababababa"

• Copies sounds and gestures of others

• Uses fingers to point at things

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Watches the path of something as it falls

• Looks for things he sees you hide

• Plays peek-a-boo

• Puts things in her mouth

• Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other

• Picks up things like cereal o's between thumb and index finger

Movement/Physical Development

• Stands, holding on

• Can get into sitting position

• Sits without support

• Pulls to stand

• Crawls

WHEN TO BE CONCERNED:

• Doesn't bear weight on legs with support

• Doesn't sit with help

• Doesn't babble

• Doesn't play any games involving back-and-forth play

• Doesn't respond to their own name

• Doesn't seem to recognize familiar people

• Doesn't look where you point

• Doesn't transfer toys from one hand to another

TWELVE MONTHS

Social/Emotional

• Is shy or nervous with strangers

• Cries when mom or dad leaves

• Has favorite things and people

• Shows some fear in some situations

• Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story

• Repeats sounds or actions to get attention

• Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing

• Plays games such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake"

Language/Communication

• Responds to simple spoken requests

• Uses simples gestures, like shaking head "no" or waving "bye-bye"

• Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)

• Says "mama" and "dada" and exclamations like "uh-oh"

• Tries to say words you say

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, and throwing

• Finds hidden things easily

• Looks at the right picture or thing when it's named

• Copies gestures

• Starts to use things correctly: for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair

• Bangs two things together

• Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container

• Lets things go without help

• Pokes with index (pointer) finger

• Follows simple directions like "pick up the toy"

Movement/Physical Development

• Gets to a sitting position without help

• Pulls up to a stand, walks holding on to furniture ("cruising")

• May take a few steps without holding on

• May stand alone

WHEN TO BE CONCERNED:

• Doesn't crawl

• Can't stand when supported

• Doesn't search for things that she sees you hide

• Doesn't say single words like "mama" or "dada"

• Doesn't learn gestures like waving or shaking head

• Doesn't point to things

• Loses skills he once had