- Babies may seem pretty helpless when you first bring them home, but in just a few months they’ll be smiling and chuckling.
- By four months of age, their brains will be developed enough that they can copy your facial expressions.
- At the end of six months, they can recognize their name, eat small amounts of solid foods, and even sit up without support.
- This article was reviewed by Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, FAAP, who is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Your baby’s brain and body grow a lot during the first six months. While every baby develops at their own pace, experts say they should be hitting the below key milestones by month.
Month one: responsiveness
Until birth, babies have spent their entire lives in the quiet, darkness of their mother’s womb. So, from the time they’re born to about one month old, they’re extremely sensitive to light and sound.
They will likely respond to lights, sounds, and faces by moving their gaze in the direction of the stimulus. In fact, most babies will just stare around a room, says Atul Malhotra, a neonatologist at Australia’s Monash University.
Month two: smiling and head strength
As the muscles in the baby’s neck develop, you should start to see them hold their head up for very brief periods at two months of age.
Your baby might have smiled in their sleep or while passing gas before this time, but they'll have their first deliberate, social smile around their second month.
A baby will also start to pay attention to faces and calm themselves by bringing their hand to their mouth. Malhotra adds that infants should start cooing or making other basic sounds at month two.
Month Three: basic emotions
At 3 months old, your baby's muscle coordination, taste buds, and social skills have grown, which means they can roll to the side, express disgust at unpleasant tastes or loud noises, and vocalize when spoken to.
Chuckling and batting away objects also begins around this age.
Month four: burgeoning social skills and a stronger body
By four months of age, your baby should like to play with people and copy movements or facial expressions.
Bearing weight on the legs and propping themself up on their elbows occurs around this time as well, says Malhotra, thanks to their ever-growing motor skills and muscle strength.
Month five: name and color
A baby's depth perception and color vision are more fully developed by this age and they'll start to recognize and form attachments to their caregivers.
They'll also start to respond to their name and put their arms out when they fall.
Month six: growing independence
Your child should sit without support and make both consonant and vowel sounds.
They'll also begin fearing strangers, understand the word "no," and know to respond when someone stops talking. Eating soft solid foods starts around this time too, Malhotra adds.
When to get help
"In my opinion, the most important milestones are smiling in response to interaction, head control in a variety of positions, and turning towards sounds," Malhotra says.
Your baby could be a late bloomer when it comes to smiling or lifting their head, but the CDC recommends acting sooner rather than later should children miss milestones. If your child isn't hitting the proper milestones around the recommended time, consult the child's pediatrician or your family physician. And if you still don't see progress soon, consider asking for a referral to a developmental specialist.
Related stories about newborn care:
- When your child should stop sucking their thumb and how to help
- How much sleep newborns need in the first few weeks and months of life
- What to do when a baby hiccups and how to prevent it in the future
- How to clean a baby's ears
- What to do if your baby has mild to severe tongue-tie
- Babies should not sleep on their stomach until they can roll over
- When babies get their first teeth and how to care for them
- How often pediatricians recommend to bathe your baby to keep them clean and healthy