Developmental Stages In A Baby’s First Year
A baby’s first year consists of an incredible development. From being a newborn who spends most of his time sleeping, these little people are undergoing tremendous psychomotor advances. In that regard, we will look at the different stages of development during a baby’s first year.
During these 12 months, babies learn to establish relationships with their environment. They begin to learn how to control their body, their movements… And they begin to communicate by babbling and chuckling, and even with their first words.
Do you want to know more about the development that takes place during a baby’s first year of life?
Developmental stages during a baby’s first year
Below we will take a look at the different skills that babies develop during their first year of life. But, first we want to remind you not to worry if your own baby’s development does not coincide with the descriptions below. Keep in mind that every baby develops at its own pace.
The stages we describe below are generalizations as children reach the developmental milestones at their own pace. So if your baby has not developed a particular skill yet, just be patient.
Developmental stages during a baby’s first year of life: First stage
The first month
- Babies communicate by crying when they are hungry, wet, uncomfortable or just want to be held.
- During this month, babies move their eyes in search of light. In addition, they respond to loud noises by stretching their arms and legs (the fun reflex).
- Newborns also exhibit other involuntary movements (reflexes). For example, they suck on anything that comes close to their mouth. At the same time, they curl their feet if you touch the soles of their feet, and they open and close their fists.
The second month
- Babies begin to smile in response to external stimuli, including familiar faces.
- They can suck on their thumb.
- At this point, babies make their first sounds to seek attention.
The third month
- During the third month of life, babies show interest in visual stimuli, especially brilliant colors.
- They produce their first fudge.
- Babies show an interest in everything that goes on around them. One can observe that they turn their head after sounds.
The fourth month
- Babies begin to hold their head up and pay attention to their hands. They grab rattles or any other object they can and shake them.
- During the fourth month of life, babies often laugh and they are attracted more by people (especially smiling faces).
- During this stage, babies do not like to be alone.
Developmental stages during a baby’s first year of life: Second stage
The fifth month
- Babies exhibit an increasing chatter and they like to hear themselves. They play with the sounds they make.
- For some children, the first teeth erupt during the fifth month.
- Babies can lie down and grab their feet.
- They begin to distinguish between different colors.
The sixth month
- When lying face down, they can, with help, push themselves all the way up and roll around on their own.
- Babies grab their bottle with their hands and they move objects from one hand to the other.
- They reach out their arms to communicate that they want someone to pick them up.
- Babies are starting to show interest in putting their feet in their mouths.
Developmental stages during a baby’s first year of life: Third stage
The seventh month of life
- Babies can sit up on their own, without support.
- They have a greater dexterity with their hands and they can handle any object.
- Babies start uttering their first, random nonsense words.
- During this stage, learning occurs much faster.
The eighth month
- Babies begin to exhibit an increased fear and lack of energy around strangers, and they may even cry.
- If they are lying down, they can turn around on their own and they enjoy playing on the floor.
Developmental stages during a baby’s first year of life: Fourth stage
The ninth month
- Babies like to grab hold of their toys and throw them away, as a form of experimentation.
- They can sit for up to 15 minutes, without assistance.
- Some children start crawling during this month. However, not all babies do this and it is perfectly normal.
The tenth month
- Babies can stand up on their own, by grabbing furniture or other objects.
- They begin to pronounce their first words, which are often “mother” and “father.”
- At this age, children begin to make noise by hammering into everything within reach.
- Babies start waving to others with their hands, including strangers.
Developmental stages during a baby’s first year of life: Fifth stage
The eleventh month
- Babies start pronouncing more words and using them correctly. They now understand the meaning of words such as “give me”, “more” and “no”.
- Babies start walking on their own, by holding on to furniture or an adult’s hands. It is important not to force children to go if they are not ready.
A baby’s first birthday
- Babies who have not crawled before this point may be taking their first steps around their first birthday. Those who have crawled may start walking a little later.
- Babies can get up and also sit down from a position if they are tired.
- They use their thumb and forefinger to grab small objects.
- Babies at this age are very susceptible to signs of affection and they also begin to express them.
- They grab everything within reach. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that any object that is dangerous or fragile is far out of reach.
Conclusion according to developmental stages during a baby’s first year
These stages are developmental stages that take place during a baby’s first year. However, this does not mean that all children reach every milestone at the same time. Some things can occur a month earlier or a month later than what we have indicated above, and that is perfectly normal.
