Know the Signs. Take Action.
As they grow, children are always learning new things. These are just some of the signs to look for at each stage of a child’s early growth and development. Looking for early warning signs of childhood problems and obtaining follow-up care is one of the best ways of ensuring a child’s healthy and age-appropriate development.
At 3 months, does your baby:
- use eyes to follow people and moving objects?
- respond to loud sounds?
- lift head while on stomach?
- cry when hungry, wet or wants to be held?
At 6 months, does your baby:
- reach for toys and pick them up?
- roll over (both ways)?
- turn to the sound of your voice?
- make sounds?
At 9 months, does your baby:
- respond to their own name?
- copy a variety of sounds?
- pick up things with fingers?
- know the difference between strangers and family?
At 12 months, does your baby:
- pull self to a standing position?
- crawl on hands and knees?
- wave bye-bye?
- save one or two words, such as “mama” and “dada”?
At 18 months, does your baby:
- use eight to ten words that are understood?
- feed self some food?
- walk without help?
- show different emotions (happy, sad, mad)?
At 24 months, does your baby:
- use two-word phrases, such as “more milk”?
- run?
- point to eyes and nose when you name them?
- copy behavior and actions of other people (adults and other children)?
At 36 months, does your baby:
- know their own name?
- wash hands?
- play with other children?
- use three to five-word sentences?
Last Updated on October 30, 2020
