In the first 12 months of life, babies grow incredibly fast: their weight
triples and their height doubles. Join us on a tour of a child’s first year
of development
By the Health24 team
Not all babies
crawl at seven
months and walk
at 12, but there are
developmental
milestones that are average for each age, and
against which you can gauge your child’s
progress.
Some of these milestones are simply
interesting, but others could be the first warning
signs that there might be a problem. If
a child doesn’t cut her first tooth by seven
months, it just means she’s a late teether.
But warning lights should flash if:
- your baby doesn’t start at loud noises or, at three months,
doesn’t turn his head when you talk behind him. Have his
hearing tested as soon as possible.
- by the age of three months, her eyes don’t follow you (or
a light) as you move past her close to her face. She may
have weak eyesight.
- at seven months, he doesn’t lift his head at all while lying
on his stomach, doesn’t sit while you’re supporting him or
doesn’t start rolling over. This could indicate weak muscle
tone or spasticity connected to possible brain damage.
- At the age of one she never seeks comfort and flinches away from touch. This could indicate impaired social development.
- At one year old he doesn’t react at all to picture books, doesn’t imitate you or start babbling in baby language. This could indicate delayed intellectual development.
If you’re worried your child’s development is too slow compared to the averages in the charts on the following pages, see your doctor or paediatrician who will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of your baby. Early detection of problems and the correct treatment can be invaluable in ensuring your child reaches his full potential.
Developmental milestones :
Here are the average developmental milestones for children from birth to one year old.
More info:
Child developmental stages
Baby centre