Milestones at 10 Months

Your baby may be starting to really move around now. Get ready to do some chasing around the house! Here’s a look at what a baby typically does at 10 months:

Social / Emotional Milestones

Reacts when you leave (looks, reaches for you, or cries)
Has a better understanding of object permanence (that an object continues to exist even when he or she cannot see it)

Language / Communication Milestones

Starts to use first words (which are often sounds, such as “muh” instead of “milk”)
Communicates with sounds and gestures
Can understand more words than what he or she can say

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

Starts to understand what you say; may even follow simple directions
Knows what he or she likes and doesn’t like and lets you know with sounds and actions
Likes to do things repetitively (such as banging objects together)

Movement / Physical Milestones

Crawls (whether on hands and knees, stomach, moving backwards, moving sideways or scooting on bottom)
Can walk while holding onto your hand or furniture; may start walking unsupported

Concerned About Your Child’s Development?

All babies are different and develop at their own pace. If your infant has not yet reached some of these milestones, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.

Still, you know your child best. And developmental delays or disorders are most successfully treated when caught early.

If you have concerns, don’t wait.

Talk with the healthcare provider if you think your child...

Is not meeting milestones for his or her age
Has lost skills he or she once had, or is not doing something you’d expect him or her to be doing

Or if you have concerns about...

How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts or moves
Other things your child does

SOURCE: These developmental milestones from child health and development organizations, including Zero to Three, provide a general idea of what most children do at this age.

See also ...