Baby 1 to 12 months
Your baby’s growth and development – first 12 months
Your baby’s growth and development – first 12 months | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of contentYour baby's growth and development - 1 month old
Your baby starts developing from the moment they are born. At 1 month, cuddling, sleeping and feeding are all that really matters to your baby.
Your baby's growth and development - 2 months old
At 2 months, your baby is growing fast and becoming more alert. They will also be making more sounds and getting better at moving their little bodies.
Your baby's growth and development - 3 months old
By 3 months, your baby will have formed a strong attachment to you. They will respond with lots of smiles, and you can really enjoy your baby as they ...
Your baby's growth and development - 4 months old
From 4 months, your baby should have more control over what they do. They should hear, touch and see better and will be starting to move around much m...
Your baby's growth and development - 5 months old
At 5 months, your baby is quickly growing and developing. They may soon be sitting up on their own, preparing for solid foods and learning new languag...
Your baby's growth and development - 6 months old
At age 6 months, your baby should be more coordinated, start to respond to particular words, and have a better sense of the world around them.
Your baby's growth and development - 7 months old
Your 7-month-old baby is growing fast and may even be sitting up on their own and eating solid foods. Learn more here about how your baby is developin...
Your baby's growth and development - 8 months old
At 8 months old, your baby will start to explore their little world. It might mean more running around for you, but it's a great time to watch them le...
Your baby's growth and development - 9 months old
Your 9-month-old will, by now, really be developing their personality. They will form stronger attachments with a few people, preferring some over oth...
Your baby's growth and development - 10 months old
A 10-month-old will be very active. As a parent, you’ll probably be chasing them around as they crawl, and be learning more about their developing per...
Your baby's growth and development - 11 months old
At 11 months old, your baby is almost a toddler – you’ll probably be surprised at how quickly they can move around your home and how independent they ...
Your baby's growth and development - 12 months old
At 12 months, your baby is now a toddler. If they haven’t already, it won’t be long now before they take their first steps, develop a sense of humour,...
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Your baby's growth and development - 12 months old
Your baby's growth and development - 12 months old | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content6-minute read
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By 12 months, your baby’s birthweight will have probably tripled and they will be about 50% longer than they were as a newborn. Their brain has grown to about 60% of the size of an adult’s. Their growth will slow down from now on. Try not to compare your baby’s height or weight with that of other babies, as long as they are growing as expected according to their growth chart.
Your 12-month-old
You’ll be quite busy now as your baby switches their attention from developing their fine motor skills, like picking up and examining objects, to exercising their large muscles. They will be pushing, kicking, throwing, banging pots, and putting things inside containers. Babies at 12 months have an attention span of 2 to 5 minutes for each game so you will have to think creatively to keep them occupied. A good idea is to bring out just a few toys at a time, then put them away and bring out different ones.
By now, your baby may be resisting having a daytime nap or going to bed. There might also be some separation anxiety when you say goodbye to them. You can help nurture their independence by not hovering over them all the time – let them know you are always there for them, but don’t come running every time they call for you.
If you are breastfeeding, you might find your baby decides to wean, or you yourself might decide it’s time. It’s best to wean slowly, if possible so your milk gradually decreases. But there’s no need to wean if you don’t want to, even if you are going back to work.
From 12 months, your baby’s main drink should be water from a sippy cup. Your baby can have small amounts of full fat cow’s milk to drink, as part of their 1 and a half serves of dairy per day.
It's now also time for your baby’s measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Hib/MenC and pneumococcal (for most children) vaccinations.
Understanding baby growth charts
A growth chart helps you and your doctor keep track of how your baby is growing.
What can your baby do?
Your baby’s vocabulary probably consists of a couple of words, as well as 'mama' and 'dada'. They will be babbling words that sound like conversation. They will also be able to respond to simple instructions ('Pass me the cup') and point to parts of their body when you name them.
Physically, they might be pulling themselves up and using the furniture to move around (called ‘cruising’). Some babies can stand well by themselves by now and they may be taking their first steps.
By 12 months, your baby will be getting good at using their hands and fingers. They will hold a spoon and try to feed themselves from it. Encourage your baby to drink from a cup by themselves, and use a cup for drinking instead of a bottle. You should ideally stop using a bottle by 18 months.
How can I help my baby develop?
Keep talking and reading to your baby as much as possible. Have a conversation with them, tell them what you are doing, and help them practise following instructions. You can even start to develop their manners by saying 'please' and 'thank you'.
It’s important to encourage your baby to move and explore. Help them to pull themselves up to standing and to practise walking. Expect a few bumps and knocks, but you will need to be very vigilant about your child’s safety now. They will love picking up small objects and putting them in their mouth, so make sure there is nothing around that they could choke on.
Development problem signs
Babies develop at different rates. At 12 months, talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if:
- they aren’t happy when they see people they know well
- they don’t make eye contact
- you or a close carer can’t comfort them
- they haven’t started to move at all
- they’re not sitting
- they don’t babble or make other sounds when someone talks to them
Where can I go for help?
If you are worried or would like to discuss any issues with your baby’s development, speak to your doctor or child health nurse.
Speak to a maternal child health nurse
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.
Sources:
Australian Breastfeeding Association (Weaning), National Health and Medical Research Council (Eat For Health - Infant feeding guidelines summary), Raising Children Network (11-12 months: baby development), Women's and Children's Health Network (Milestones: Children 0-4 years), Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (Developmental milestones and the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standards)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: October 2020
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Related pages
- How your baby learns - birth to 3 years
- Your baby’s growth and development – first 12 months
- Bonding with your baby
- Understanding baby growth charts
Need further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?
1800 882 436
Video call
- Contact us
- About us
- A-Z topics
- Symptom Checker
- Service Finder
- Linking to us
- Information partners
- Terms of use
- Privacy
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is funded by the Australian Government and operated by Healthdirect Australia.
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is provided on behalf of the Department of Health
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby’s information and advice are developed and managed within a rigorous clinical governance framework. This website is certified by the Health On The Net (HON) foundation, the standard for trustworthy health information.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.
The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.
Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.
Support this browser is being discontinued for Pregnancy, Birth and Baby
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Child Development Calendar from the Health of the Nation
The Child Development Calendar from the Health of the Nation medical center is a convenient system that tells parents by months how the baby is developing.
Child development by months
Newborn
How does the baby behave in the first weeks of life? Should I be worried if he sleeps 18 hours a day? What you need to know about the features of feeding the crumbs, and what recommendations for care should be followed?
Read more
1 month
What happens to a child at the age of one month, how his behavior changes. Features of development and the emergence of new actions. What you need to know about nutrition, daily care. Planned visits to doctors and testing.
Read more
2 months
What happens in the life of a child at the age of 2 months? What behaviors should be taken into account? The appearance of the first emotions of the baby, the development of the vocal apparatus.
Read more
3 months
What discoveries do parents expect when a child turns 3 months old? The emergence of new skills, the first conscious manifestation of emotions and desires. What you need to know about the features of feeding?
Read more
4 months
What happens to a 4 month old baby? The first serious games and interaction with the outside world. What you need to know about the features of feeding, and what recommendations for care should be followed?
Read more
5 months
Transition period from horizontal position. What you need to know about the features of feeding crumbs? What should parents of a five-month-old baby be prepared for?
Read more
6 months
What did the baby learn at 6 months of age? How critical is the discrepancy with accepted norms? What you need to know about the features of feeding crumbs, how to introduce the first complementary foods?
Read more
7-9 months
What happens to a child aged 7-9 months? The baby begins to sit, crawl or even take the first steps. The first attempts to speak appear. Toys are used in a new capacity.
Read more
10-12 months
How does a 10-12 month old baby behave? How does his daily routine change and what games will be more interesting to play closer to the first birthday?
Read more
12-15 months
How does a 12-15 month old child behave? What has changed in behavior, and what features of development is important to remember?
Read more
15-18 months
How does the child behave at the age of 15-18 months? What you need to know about the features of behavior, what to pay attention to?
Read more
18-24 months
How does a child aged 18-24 months behave? What did the baby learn in 2 years? How to make a diet?
More details
Child development by months up to a year
Main recommendations:
- Breastfeeding. WHO recommends breastfeeding until 2 years of age
- Be careful with objects that are dangerous for the child - those that he can swallow or injure him. Read more at the link.
- Communicate as much as possible with your child, play with him. It is believed that more progress in the development of skills is shown by kids, the more parents communicate with him.
- Take more walks in the fresh air.
- Bathe your child and keep him hygienic. Clean your nose, trim your nails.
Periods of development
- From birth to one month
- 1 to 2 months
- 2 to 3 months
- 3 to 4 months
- 4 to 5 months
- 5 to 6 months
- 6 to 9 months
- 9 to 12 months
A newborn is a child in the first 28 days of life. The first month the baby almost all the time - up to 20 hours - sleeps. The baby is adapting to new conditions. He still sees and hears poorly and really needs his mother.
Psychophysical development
During the first month, the newborn adds about 600 grams to the initial weight, 3 centimeters to the height, head circumference increases by 1.5 - 2 centimeters.
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- by the middle of the second week of life they are able to fix an object with a glance (slowly move a bright toy to the right and left at a distance of 40-50 cm)
- from the middle of the second week reacts to a loud sharp sound (starting and blinking).
- From the age of three weeks, the baby fixes immovable objects, such as the face of mom or dad.
- by the fourth week, eye movements become more orderly and smoother.
- begins to smile by the end of the fourth week.
It is believed that children show more progress in the development of skills, the more their parents communicate with them.
Important during this period :
- Establishment of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has a number of benefits and most moms try to get it right. With mother's milk, the child receives a number of unique components and substances that protect the child's body. Milk is always at the right temperature, it is sterile and always available to the child. Breastfeeding strengthens the relationship between baby and mother. The baby feels safe. The child is recommended to start applying to the breast even in the hospital. Pay attention:
- Milk appears in the mother 3-4 days after birth. To stimulate lactation, frequent breastfeeding is recommended. at the first signs of anxiety of the child (it turns out up to 10-12 feedings per day).
- It is important to place the nipple in the baby's mouth correctly so that it covers the entire areola. Since the baby takes in air when sucking, he may spit up when excess accumulated air is released is very important. Therefore, to improve the air outlet, it is recommended to hold the child in an upright position after feeding, so that the air comes out faster.
- If the sucking grip is not correct, the baby may injure the nipple, cracking it. To solve this problem, it is advisable to use creams and ointments, nipple pads.
- Some mothers complain about the excessive pressure of milk, the child simply chokes. In this case, it is important to experiment with nursing positions.
- Healing of the umbilical wound. Since, when discharged from the hospital, the umbilical wound has not yet fully healed, She needs extra care. care instructions are given in the maternity hospital, as well as the doctor and nurse at the examination. As a rule, it is recommended to treat with brilliant green, peroxide, chlorhexine, etc.
- Bloating and intestinal colic. They often appear in very young children. Recommend a light massage; vertical position on the hands of an adult, skin-to-skin contact - the baby is placed with his tummy on the bare chest or the stomach of the mother, reclining in a chair, is covered from above a blanket, his mother strokes his back; taking plantex or teas with dill, fennel, the use of special medicines (drops).
- Put the baby to sleep on the barrel. For fixing, you can use special rollers. Sleeping on your back is not allowed, as the child may burp in your sleep and choke on your food.
- It is necessary to put the baby to sleep on different barrels, so that there would be no deformation of the head and torticollis.
- Take care of hygiene, bathe the baby (after doctor's permission)
- Wear anti-scratch gloves. Since the baby's nails grow quickly, he can scratch himself (especially take care of his eyes) and his mother (especially the chest)
Psychophysical development
The child has already adapted to the environment and begins to interact with it. The child has character.
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- muscle tone decreases, the child increasingly stretches arms and legs from a predominantly bent state, by the end of the month, completely opens the palm;
- recognizes mother
- distinguishes sounds, smells,
- still doesn't see well enough, if you want to show something, it's better to do it at a distance of half a meter
- lying on his stomach begins to turn his head, can raise and look around.
- may begin to babble
It is believed that children show more progress in the development of skills, the more their parents communicate with them.
Important during this period :
- Hang toys at least 50 cm away from eyes
- Avoid having the objects of attention on one side. Approach the crib from different sides, hang toys symmetrically.
- Although at 2 months the baby is not yet moving consciously, he may roll over or turn around. That's why make sure that the child does not fall (especially when sleeping or swaddling)
- Offer light rattles for play, play. Read more about games and toys at the link Educational games and toys.
Psychophysical development
Psychophysically, the child develops at an increasing pace, demonstrating more and more skills. Vision improves.
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- smiles actively. Joyfully reacts to mom, her voice,
- babbles and coos
- holds the head well
- sucking fingers and fists
- the child's tone decreases
It is believed that children show more progress in the development of skills, the more their parents communicate with them.
Important during this period :
- The child has a desire to communicate. Mom during this period should try to talk more, tell what is happening around;
- Offer light rattles for play, play. Read more about games and toys at the link Educational games and toys.
Many mothers note this period as quite calm. Mothers are already accustomed to their functions, and the child's daily routine is getting better. Mom understands the needs of the baby well. The child becomes more active, look and behavior more meaningful. In most cases, colic disappears. However, teeth may begin to bother.
Psychophysical development
Psychophysically, the child develops at an increasing pace, demonstrating more and more skills. Vision improves. The child studies himself, listens to the sounds that he makes.
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- actively grabs the toy, hits the rattles hanging in front of him.
- some children already roll over from stomach to side and back,
It is believed that children show more progress in the development of skills, the more their parents communicate with them.
Important during this period :
- Do not try to plant
- Actively interact Place
- on a hard surface, preferably on the floor. This will give the child a great view and prevent them from falling.
- Play. Read more about games and toys at the link Educational games and toys.
Complementary foods can be introduced at this age. However, such an introduction is recommended mainly for children who are artificially fed.
Psychophysical development
The child becomes calmer, at night without waking up for feeding he can sleep up to 6 hours. Usually the colic has already passed, but the teeth do not bother yet.
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- independently roll over from stomach to back and vice versa,
- actively feel objects, take them in pens
- transfer toys from hand to hand.
It is believed that children show more progress in the development of skills, the more their parents communicate with them.
Important during this period :
- Do not try to plant
- Actively interact
- Play. Read more about games and toys at the link Educational games and toys.
The child actively explores and interacts with the outside world.
Psychophysical development
Growth rates slow down. The child will grow by 2 cm and recover by 650-700 grams. release from muscle hypertonicity ends and they begin to control the movements of the child in a coordinated manner, working in concert to achieve the goal of the movement - to roll over, reach out, take and taste.
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- starts to move on the tummy. Some children immediately crawl back.
- the child fixes and moves his gaze, turns his head, observing a moving object,
- stop mowing (if it was) with eyes.
- distinguishes mom, dad and other loved ones from strangers.
- while lying on his back, raises his head and shoulders, tries to sit up.
- in a child's babble, you can already hear individual syllables
It is believed that children show more progress in the development of skills, the more their parents communicate with them.
Important during this period :
- Considering the activation of movements, be extremely careful. Make sure the child does not fall.
- When giving a toy to a child, make sure that he takes it with both his right and left hands - both hands should develop.
- The child really likes it when mom or dad repeats his sounds, he learns to babble
- Play. Read more about games and toys at the link Educational games and toys.
- Be careful not to leave things near children that are dangerous to them.
Another important milestone in the development of the child. Usually during this period it is considered optimal to introduce complementary foods. In addition, during this period, the child begins to move in a vertical plane, sit (with or without support), crawl. During this period, most children have teeth. The child has a fairly clear schedule - a night's sleep and two daytime sleep.
Psychophysical development
Weight gain - 600g, height increased by 2cm
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- crawling
- sit and sit
- trying to get up
- syllables are clearly audible in speech - ma, ta, ba, etc.
- is interested in adult food, may ask for food from the table.
The child is wary of strangers. May be afraid of them.
Important during this period :
- You can't rush a child's development. you should wait until the muscles finally get stronger before accomplishments.
- Do not force feed your baby, introduce complementary foods gradually. Do not distract while eating cartoons.
- Introduce no more than one product per few days. This will help with food allergies, find out exactly which product this unwanted reaction.
- Avoid products that can cause suffocation. More details at the link.
- About the introduction of complementary foods for more details on the link
- Offer your child a teether that is comfortable for him. For many children, teething can be painful, so consider pain relief.
The child becomes more and more independent. Existing skills are consolidated and improved. During this period, character begins to form.
Psychophysical development
Skills of newborns (terms are approximate and may be individual for each child):
- Copies sounds and syllables pronounced by adults
- Sit down by yourself
- Crawls fast, overcomes barriers
- Stands by a support. Stands up on his own. Some children begin to walk near the support, take independent steps.
- Climbs stairs, climbs in and out of bed, sofa, etc.
- Responds to his own name
- Possesses a tweezer grip - takes objects not with the whole hand, but with two fingers.
- Understands certain words, such as no or not allowed, let's go, etc.
- Can reach an object with another
- Begins to build vocabulary.
- Waving goodbye.
Important during this period :
- Talk to your child more. Remember that you are a role model for him.
- Provide a safe area for your child to play and develop crawling, standing and walking skills.
- Teach your child how to get in and out of a chair or sofa.
- Try to change the consistency of food closer to adult food
- Expand your baby's vocabulary. Show various objects and animals, say their name and imitate the sounds that the child makes.