Infant and Newborn Development

Summary

When will my baby take his first step or say her first word? During their first year, babies start to develop skills they will use for the rest of their lives. The normal growth of babies can be broken down into the following areas:

• Gross motor – controlling the head, sitting, crawling, maybe even starting to walk
• Fine motor – holding a spoon, picking up a piece of cereal between thumb and finger
• Sensory – seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling
• Language – starting to make sounds, learning some words, understanding what people say
• Social – the ability to play with family members and other children

Babies do not develop at the same rate. There is a wide range of what is considered "normal." Your baby may be ahead in some areas and slightly behind in others. If you are worried about possible delays, talk to your baby’s health care provider.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

• CDC’s Developmental Milestones Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Your Child’s Development: 1 Month Nemours Foundation
• Your Child’s Development: 3-5 Days Nemours Foundation
• Your Child’s Development: 6 Months Nemours Foundation
• Your Child’s Development: 9 Months Nemours Foundation
• Your Child’s Development: Newborn Nemours Foundation

Diagnosis and Tests

• Developmental and Behavioral Screening Tests National Library of Medicine
• Developmental Monitoring and Screening Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Related Issues

• Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy American Academy of Pediatrics
• Overview of Early Intervention Center for Parent Information and Resources
• Separation Anxiety (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Stopping the Bottle Nemours Foundation
• Tummy Time for a Healthy Baby Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician? American Academy of Pediatrics

Patient Handouts

• Developmental milestones record – 12 months Medical Encyclopedia
• Infant – newborn development Medical Encyclopedia
• Normal growth and development Medical Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

• Developmental milestones record – 2 months Medical Encyclopedia
• Developmental milestones record – 4 months Medical Encyclopedia
• Developmental milestones record – 6 months Medical Encyclopedia
• Developmental milestones record – 9 months Medical Encyclopedia
• Separation anxiety in children Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Early Brain Development and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Emotional and Social Development: 4 to 7 Months American Academy of Pediatrics
• Emotional and Social Development: 8 to 12 Months American Academy of Pediatrics
• Emotional and Social Development: Birth to 3 Months American Academy of Pediatrics
• Speech and Language Developmental Milestones National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• KidsHealth Nemours Foundation

Reference Desk

• Growth Charts (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Treatments and Therapies

• Physical Therapy (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Speech-Language Therapy (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Journal Articles

• Infant and Newborn Development