Is my child meeting milestones?

Growth and developmental milestones

Hey Momma, 

Did you know that there are certain developmental milestones that your child normally should attain at a particular age?

These milestones are behaviours and physical skills that a child should start to exhibit as they grow and develop. Children reach milestones in how they move, speak, behave, learn and even play. Each child is different and so they might not all achieve their milestones at the exact same time. Hence, there should be just a bit of leeway when monitoring your child’s milestones. “Just a bit” being the key phrase because if something is wrong with how your child is developing, the outcome is a lot better if issues with development are caught early and managed on time. 

Here are some major milestones you should look out for in your child’s development:

• At 2 months

Your child should be able to hold their head up and push up from the bed when lying on their tummy, smile in recognition at people, turn their head towards loud sounds, look at people or things as they move and bring their hands to their mouth. They should also start making gurgling sounds.

• At 4 months

They should start to smile spontaneously, especially when looking at people. Your child should also have begun making attempts to roll over. They should enjoy playing with people and start to mimic movements and facial expressions. When there are familiar faces, even at a distance, they recognize them. They also push down on their feet when in contact with a large surface and push up to their elbows when lying on their stomach.

• At 6 months

At this age, your child should respond to their own name, respond to sounds by making sounds of their own and even string together vowels “ah, eh, oh” while babbling. They should know familiar faces and recognize when someone is a stranger. They also enjoy playing, especially with their parents. Recognizing that they have two hands, they start to pass things between their two hands and can roll over in both directions. They can also sit without support and when standing, they support their weight on their legs and even bounce a bit. 

• At 8 months

Your child is wary of strangers at this age and are very clingy with familiar people. They also understand the word “no” and make sounds along the lines of “mama” and “baba”. They point at things that interest them and pick up small things using just their thumb and index finger. At this age, your child stands while holding on and crawls around too, even if for short periods at a time. 

• At 12 months

Your baby is a bit grown now but still cries when Daddy or Mummy leaves. They help out with getting dressed by putting their arm or leg out and using simple gestures like shaking their head “no” or waving “bye-bye”. Now, they can call out to you with “mama” or “dada” and make sounds with intonation. They can also follow simple directions and even walk a few steps without holding on to anything.

• At 18 months

At this age, your child should be walking up steps and even running about. They can eat with a spoon and drink with a cup. They now know what basic things are used for like a toothbrush or hairbrush. Temper tantrums are regular and they point to things they find interesting. They now show affection towards familiar people and are afraid of strangers. 

If your child is at a certain age and hasn’t attained the milestones expected, be sure to consult your doctor. They’d guide you better on whether there is an issue or not and the next steps you should take. 

You can equally book a consultation or wellness check with us as Neo Childcare. We will definitely help you sort out any concerns you might be having concerning your child's health.