Developmental Milestones

Milestones are based on averages. Each child progresses at his or her own rate. Children who vary markedly from averages should be assessed by a child health professional.

Age	Milestone
Birth-1st mo	Lies in flexed position Demonstrates reflex activities Maintains eye contact (Vision is poor.) Communicates by crying Growth: Average weight gain is 3-5 oz weekly during first 6 mo.
2 mo	Lifts head for short periods when prone Visually follows moving objects Smiles and frowns Coos
3 mo	Turns from back to side Sits with support Focuses on own hands Recognizes parent Demonstrates pleasure by squealing
4 mo	Turns from back to prone position Lifts head and chest 90 degrees and bears weight on forearms Holds head erect while in sitting position Reaches for objects, usually without success Grasps objects with both hands Intentionally carries objects to mouth Plays with fingers Laughs aloud Makes consonant sounds
5 mo	Turns from abdomen to back Holds object in one hand and reaches for another object with other hand Plays with toes Puts feet into mouth
6 mo	Sits alone leaning forward on both hands Reaches for and grasps objects with whole hand Holds bottle Extends arms when he or she wishes to be picked up Briefly looks for dropped objects Begins to fear strangers Enjoys caregiver’s briefly placing towel over face to play peekaboo Begins to make wordlike sounds Growth: Birth weight has doubled. Average weekly weight gain is 3–5 oz during 6–18 mo. Teething: See Fig. 4–1 1, p. 374.
7 mo	Begins to crawl Bears weight on feet when placed upright on surface Transfers object from one hand to the other
8 mo	Pulls to standing position Sits alone without support Releases object intentionally Begins to use pincer grasp (picks objects up with fingers) Shows marked stranger anxiety Says "dada" without meaning
9 mo	Walks sideways while holding on Crawls well Bangs 2 blocks together Drinks from cup Attempts to feed self Searches for hidden object
10 mo	May begin to walk May begin to climb Neat pincer grasp Demonstrates one-hand dominance Plays pat-a-cake Initiates peekaboo game May say 1-2 words with meaning
11 mo	Cooperates with dressing activities Attempts to feed self with spoon Can follow simple directions Understands meaning of "no" Shakes head to indicate "no"
12 mo	Walks alone or with one hand held Falls frequently while walking Drinks well from a cup Points with one finger Pulls off socks Growth: Birth weight has tripled. Birth length has increased by 50%. Head and chest circumference are equal.
15 mo	Walks without assistance Pulls or pushes toys Throws ball overhanded Builds tower of 2 blocks Scribbles with crayon or pencil
18 mo	Runs clumsily Jumps in place with both feet Builds tower of 3–4 blocks May be able to control anal and urinary sphincters Says about 10 words
2 yr	Runs well with wide stance Climbs stairs by placing both feet on each step Attains bladder and bowel control sometime between 2 and 3 yrs Names some familiar objects Has vocabulary of about 300 words Combines 2-3 words into meaningful phrases Growth: Weighs about 4 times birth weight. Average weight gain is 4–6 lb/yr during ages 2–6 yr. Has attained about ½ of expected adult height.
2-1/2 yr	Jumps from chair or step Stands on one foot briefly
3 yr	Rides tricycle Climbs stairs by alternating feet on steps Turns doorknobs Dresses self Speaks in short sentences Growth: All 20 deciduous teeth have erupted.
4 yr	Hops on one foot Catches ball Recognizes colors Growth: Birth length has doubled.
5 yr	Skips well Jumps rope Balances with eyes closed Sentences contain all parts of speech Has vocabulary of about 2100 words
NOTE: When the child is school age, most motor milestones have been attained and the child fine tunes previously attained skills. Development focus moves largely to cognitive and social skills.
6-12 yr	Can learn to: Swim Skate Ride bicycle Ties shoes Uses pencil or crayon well Forms clubs or gangs Demonstrates awareness of rule-governed behavior Has strong sense of "what’s fair" Uses complex sentences Reads Counts Growth: Average weight gain is 4-6 lb/yr during ages 6-12 yr.
Adolescent	Major development task is learning to care for self independently while learning to effectively interact with society.

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Pediatric