Baby’s Visual, Motor, Auditory And Oral Development In 0-12 months

As a parent, it’s important to understand the different stages of your baby’s development. In the first year of life, your baby will go through significant changes in their visual, motor, auditory, and oral development.

Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:

	0-3 Months	3-6 Months	6-9 Months
Visual	Newborn: Can distinguish objects about 12 inches away, but can’t identify colors 1 Month: Attracted to objects with striped patterns, bright colors, & mom’s face 2 Months: Start to track objects of interest. Stare at their hands with curiosity	A baby’s range of vision continues to grow as eye tracking skills develop Around 4 months old, their eyes can move & see objects in unison for the first time Babies begin to recognize familiar faces in their lives around 5 months	In the second half of their first year, the whole world becomes more three dimensional to babies now that their eye development continues to improve
Motor	From the moment of birth, baby will grasp your finger when you place it in their palm. It is a conditioned reflex that provides your baby with a sense of security Most newborn hand movements are unconscious Around 2 months, babies begin grasping lightweight blankets, but they still find it difficult	Infants start to utilize two hands together around 4 months as their motor skills develop – like gripping their hands together across their chest Improved hand-eye coordination allows babies to pass objects from one hand to another Babies may begin to suck on their fingers more around 3 months	Babies now have improved grip strength that allows them to play with more baby toys on their own They begin to bang blocks together to create fun & loud sounds Babies enjoy experimenting with dropping items & picking them back up They will also start trying to pinch things with just their thumb & index finger
Gross Motor	From early on, gently touching the bottoms of baby’s feet will tickle them Newborns unconsciously move their feet as they gradually develop gross motor skills 1 month old babies move their head from side to side when on their stomach 2 month old babies will lift their head up briefly while on their belly	Babies can keep their necks steadier by 4 months, & they can take in more of their surroundings through improved vision & the sense of touch Reaching for their toes becomes a favorite activity Rolling over, turning, and sprawling out while sleeping becomes more common	At 6 months, babies will often be able to sit independently for brief periods of time Around 7 months, babies will start trying to walk with the assistance of their parents 8 month old babies may begin to crawl & start attempting to stand while holding onto things
Auditory	After birth, babies can immediately identify voices that they heard in the womb Research has shown that babies respond more positively to high- pitched voices. Steady swooshing sounds that emulate womb sounds are calming to newborns Newborns innately turn to try to locate sounds of interest	Around 4 months infants are able to recognize different intonations of high & low pitch sounds of speech	Babies start to be able to identify different rhythm & sound patterns Around 6 months, babies will turn in the direction that their name is called
Oral	Babies tend to suck on everything put near their mouths. Babies become more skillful with their suckling around 1 month as there oral muscles develop Babies begin to babble around 2 months, which is their first step toward word formation	Babies learn about objects by moving them from their hands to their mouth Teething begins around 5 months, & babies seek comfort for their sore & itchy gums	Teething will continue throughout these months Their front teeth will start to grow in around 7 months Around 8 months old, babies begin to master the art of blowing and sucking air to create new sounds

9-12 Months

Social
Around 9 months, babies start to understand object permanence. In other words, they learn that
something can exist even if they don’t see it.
The peak of separation anxiety hits around 9 months as well.
Throughout this time, babies start to be more expressive in their communication like waving “bye bye” or lifting their arms up when they want carried
They also start experimenting more with cause & effect & reciprocal communication
By 12 months, babies say 2-3 words on average (often “mama” & “dada”)

Physical
Throughout these months, babies get better at stacking & sorting toys
They may start to try to climb up stairs
Around 10 months, your baby may start pulling up to a stand
Beginning walkers like to cruise around the room holding on to furniture
By the 12 month mark, your baby may be standing on their own & taking first steps

June 6, 2023

By konigkids

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