Developmental Milestones: The First 6 Months

Development varies from child to child, so know that milestones are guidelines only. Trust your sense of how your baby is doing. If you are worried, have your child’s healthcare provider do a developmental screening.

Generally, keep a lookout for these milestones in the first few months:

Language: squeaking, cooing (1-6 mo.)
Social: first smiles (1-3 mo.)
Gross motor: rolls over (4-7 mo.)
Fine motor: grasps for rattle (2-5 mo.)
Cognitive: attends and turns to objects of interest (3-5 mo.)

Remember, you will see a range of behaviors at each age. For example:

At 2 months, more than 90% of babies will smile responsively, but only 50%-90% will smile spontaneously.
Most 2-month-olds will vocalize, only some will laugh. Know that the full range of behavior is normal.

This message is not intended to provide individual medical advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have about your health or medical condition, your breastfeeding issues and your infant's health. Never disregard, avoid or delay contacting a doctor or other qualified professional because of something you have read in our emails, webpages or other electronic communications.