What follows are the normal milestones and warning signs at given ages.

New-born:

• Gross motor skills: Virtually none. Grasps your finger if you put it in their hands.
  
• Fine motor skill/vision: Hands fisted. Closes eyes to sudden bright light.
  
• Hearing and speech: Stills to sound. Startles to sudden loud sounds.
  
• Personal/social skills: Alternates between drowsiness and alert wakefulness (this skill returns when you're attending classes at varsity).
  
• Warning signs: Spasms or paralysis. Asymmetrical reflexes. Poor sucking.

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Six weeks:

• Gross motor skills: Has some head control. Moves head from side to side.
  
• Fine motor skill/vision: Places hand in mouth. Stares at things. Eyes follow horizontally to 90°.
  
• Hearing and speech: Startle response. Coos responsively to mother's talk from 5 - 6 weeks. Turns to look at sound source.
  
• Personal/social skills: Smiles at mother (sorry dads).
  
• Warning signs: No visual fixation or following. Asymmetry of tone or movement. Floppy baby. Failure to smile. No response to sound.

Three months:

• Gross motor skills: Lifts its head and supports on forearms. Begins to develop reflex standing when held. Rolls over (actually, probably rolls everywhere).
  
• Fine motor skill/vision: Holds rattle when placed in hand. Watches own hand and pulls at own clothes.
  
• Hearing and speech: Coos and chuckles. Quieting with familiar situations
  
• Personal/social skills: Excited when fed (if it's a boy, this will never go away again).
  
• Warning signs: As for previous weeks. Excessive startling to visual stimuli - does not hear well. No coos and chuckles.

Six months:

• Gross motor skills: Pulls itself up to sit and sits with support. Reaches out with one hand while supporting with the other. Lifts legs when lying on back; plays with feet / puts feet in mouth.
  
• Fine motor skill/vision: Reaches for objects with the centre of palm and grasps with all fingers. Reaches for objects with a circular motion (not directly yet). Transfers toy from one hand to the other.
  
• Hearing and speech: Babbling begins at about 4 months (if it's a girl, this will never stop). Laughs aloud and turns to mothers voice from across the room. Makes repetitive and vowel-like (sing-song) noises.
  
• Personal/social skills: Starts holding a bottle. Responds to an image in the mirror. Takes everything to mouth.
  
• Warning signs: Floppiness or failure to use both hands. Squints. Failure to turn to sounds. Poor response to people and meagre vocalisation.

There you have it - 0 to 6 months in one minute flat. Just remember that the warning signs are far more important than the development of the skills associated with a certain age. If your child is a week or two behind, relax. If any of the warning signs develop, go and see your doctor pronto.

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