Baby one month developmental milestones

Your baby's growth and development - 1 month old

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Infant development begins at birth. Initially your baby will grow fast and learn a lot. At 1 month, cuddling, sleeping and feeding are all that really matters to your baby. The time you spend with them will help their brain to grow and develop as they start to experience the world.

Your baby will probably be crying a lot at the moment. It’s often because they’re hungry or have a dirty nappy, but often babies just cry for no apparent reason. Give them lots of cuddles to comfort them and remember that the crying will eventually pass.

At 6 to 8 weeks, your baby needs a full health review by a health professional such as child and family health nurse, midwife, GP or paediatrician.

Your 1-month-old

All babies grow at different rates. But, on average, at 1 month they gain between 0.7 to 0.9 kg each month and grow 2.5 to 4 cm. Their head circumference will increase by about 1.25 cm each month.

All babies lose weight right after they are born. Healthy babies usually get back to their birth weight in about 2 to 3 weeks and will then continue to grow.

Your baby was weighed at birth and your doctor or maternal child health nurse will plot their growth regularly on a growth chart. Babies come in all different shapes and sizes, and your baby might be large or small. What matters is that they grow consistently over time. Try not to compare your baby’s weight gain with that of other babies.

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?

At 1 month, most of what babies do is still caused by reflexes. They aren’t thinking about their actions. They will be sucking, swallowing, searching for milk and grasping an object if you put it in the palm of their hand (although most of the time they’ll keep their hands clenched in tight little fists). They will also step one foot in front of the other if you put their feet on a flat surface.

They will start to focus with both eyes at 1 month and should be able to follow a moving object from side to side. They will probably prefer looking at a human face to looking at an object and will gaze deeply into your eyes if you hold them about 45 cm away. Most babies can recognise their parents by this age.

1-month-old babies love the sound of your voice, but they will get startled if they hear a loud noise. They might fall backward and throw their arms and legs out, blink their eyes and breathe faster.

By the end of the first month, most babies can raise their head when you lay them on their stomach, and they will turn their head to one side. As their neck muscles get stronger, they will be able to turn their head and lift it up when they’re in a car seat or carrier.

Your baby will cry loudly when they are hungry or uncomfortable. When they are happy and content, they usually make little gurgling noises. Respond to your baby’s sounds by gurgling and cooing back.

At 1 month, some babies will be learning how to soothe themselves, with a dummy or even by sucking their fingers or thumbs. Helping your baby to suck is a good way to calm them down.

How can I help my baby develop?

Spend as much time with your baby as possible. Looking deep into their eyes and smiling at them will help them to bond and to feel safe and secure.

Read and sing to your baby. Even though they can’t understand, they will enjoy hearing your voice. Music helps to stimulate their senses and will keep them amused. Playing with them will also strengthen your bond.

Help your baby to develop neck strength by putting them on their tummy for 1 to 5 minutes at a time. This is called tummy time. Always keep an eye on your baby during tummy time and always put them to sleep on their back.

Development problem signs

Babies develop at different rates. At 1 month, you will still be learning about your baby and their needs. But talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if:

they aren’t feeding well
they are regularly sleeping a lot more than 16 hours a day
they aren’t moving their arms or legs
they aren’t following your face with their eyes or responding when they see you
they aren’t making gurgling sounds
they don’t startle or seem not be hearing things
you are worried about your baby’s crying or sleeping

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:

Raising Children Network (0-1 month: newborn development), Kids Health (Your baby’s growth – 1 month), Victoria Government (Baby development stages), 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

Bonding with your baby
How your baby learns - birth to 3 years
Your baby’s growth and development – first 12 months
Understanding baby growth charts

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.

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Developmental milestones for baby

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During the first year of life, your baby will grow and develop at an amazing speed.

Her weight will double by 5 to 6 months, and triple by her first birthday. And she is constantly learning.

Major achievements—called developmental milestones—include rolling over, sitting up, standing and possibly walking. And your heart will likely melt at the sound of her first “mama” or “dada.”

No two babies are exactly alike. Your baby will develop at her own pace. Most babies reach certain milestones at similar ages. However, it's not unusual for a healthy, “normal” baby to fall behind in some areas or race ahead in others.

The following milestones are only guidelines. Your baby's health care provider will evaluate your baby's development at each well-baby visit. Remember: Always talk to your child's health care professional if you think your baby is lagging behind.

If your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), you need to look at the milestone guidelines a little differently. The age at which your baby is expected to reach various milestones is based on her due date, not her birthday. So if your baby was born two months early, she will most likely achieve milestones two months later than the guidelines below predict.

By the end of their first month, most babies:

Make jerky, quivering arm movements
Bring hands near face
Keep hands in tight fists
Move head from side to side while lying on stomach
Focus on objects 8 to 12 inches away
Prefer human faces over other shapes
Prefer black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
Hear very well
Recognize some sounds, including parents' voices

By the end of their third month, most babies:

Raise head and chest when lying on stomach
Support upper body with arms when lying on stomach
Stretch legs out and kick when lying on stomach or back
Push down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
Open and shut hands
Bring hands to mouth
Grab and shake hand toys
Follow moving object with eyes
Watch faces closely
Recognize familiar objects and people at a distance
Start using hands and eyes in coordination
Begin to babble and to imitate some sounds
Smile at the sound of parents' voices
Enjoy playing with other people
May cry when playing stops

By the end of their seventh month, most babies:

Roll over both ways (stomach to back and back to stomach)
Sit up
Reach for object with hand
Transfer objects from one hand to the other
Support whole weight on legs when held upright
Develop full-color vision and mature distance vision
Use voice to express joy and displeasure
Respond to own name
Babble chains of consonants (ba-ba-ba-ba)
Distinguish emotions by tone of voice
Explore objects with hands and mouth
Struggle to get objects that are out of reach
Enjoy playing peek-a-boo
Show an interest in mirror images

By their first birthday, most babies:

Sit without assistance
Get into hands-and-knees position
Crawl
Pull self up to stand
Walk holding onto furniture, and possibly a few steps without support
Use pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger)
Say “dada” and “mama”
Use exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”
Try to imitate words
Respond to “no” and simple verbal requests
Use simple gestures, such as shaking head “no” and waving bye-bye
Explore objects in many ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
Begin to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair)
Find hidden objects easily
Look at correct picture when an image is named

By their second birthday, most children:

Walk alone
Pull toys behind them while walking
Carry large toy or several toys while walking
Begin to run
Kick a ball
Climb on and off furniture without help
Walk up and down stairs while holding on to support
Scribble with crayon
Build tower of four blocks or more
Recognize names of familiar people, objects and body parts
Say several single words (by 15 to 18 months)
Use simple phrases (by 18 to 24 months)
Use two- to four-word sentences (“want snack”)
Follow simple instructions
Begin to sort objects by shapes and colors
Begin to play make-believe
Imitate behavior of others
Show growing independence

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Stages of development of a newborn | Multidisciplinary center Healthy child

From birth to 10 days of a child's life.

Keeps a moving object in the field of view (step tracking) - from a supine position, fixes with a glance for 5-10 seconds a moving object located in his field of view at a distance of 40-50 centimeters. Eye movements are spasmodic, sometimes accompanied by a turn of the head. General movements are inhibited.
Starts and blinks at a sharp sound (auditory orienting reaction) - 2-3 claps are made to the right and left of the child, out of his field of vision.

From 10 to 20 days of a child's life.

Keeps an immovable object in the field of vision - fixes with a glance for 5-10 seconds an immovable object located in its field of vision at a distance of 40-50 centimeters. General movements are inhibited.
Calms down with a strong sound (auditory concentration response) for 10-15 seconds.

1 month of a child's life.

Follows - smoothly traces a bright object that is in its field of view at a distance of 40-50 centimeters.
Listens to the voice of an adult, the sound of a toy (prolonged auditory concentration)
The first smile in response to the addressed speech.
In the prone position, raises and holds the head for 5-20 seconds.
Emits separate sounds in response to a conversation, sometimes the reaction is delayed by a few seconds.

2 months of a child's life.

Looks at a motionless object that attracts attention for a long time and follows a moving object for a long time (long-term visual concentration).
Turning the head towards the sound stimulus, "search" movements of the head and eyes with a prolonged sound (search reaction).
Smiles, turns head, holds eyes on another child for 15-30 seconds (long-term visual focus on another child).
Spontaneously pronounces individual sounds.

3 months of a child's life.

Visual concentration in a vertical position - a child from a position in the arms of an adult follows for 30-40 seconds a stationary or moving object or the face of an adult talking to him.
An "animation" complex appears in response to speech addressed to him, actively searches with his eyes for the source of the sound (another child making sounds)
Randomly bumping into toys located at a distance of 10-15 centimeters above his chest, he revives, bumps again, tries to grab the toy and traces the movements of his hand with his eyes.
Lying on his stomach, he leans on his forearms and raises his head up to 2-2.5 minutes. With support, he leans for 45-60 seconds on firm support with his legs bent at the hip joints, leaning on the entire foot. vertical position up to 1-1.5 minutes.

4 months of a child's life.

Recognizes the mother, rejoices - looks at the mother expectantly, as soon as she speaks - smiles joyfully, coos, reaches for the mother. When the mother leaves, she expresses displeasure.
Turns his head towards an invisible sound source, finds it with his eyes and follows it for 5-10 seconds.
During wakefulness, a "complex of revival" often and easily arises, laughs loudly in response to a verbal appeal, reaches out to another child.
Examining, grasping and feeling toys that attract attention.
Gulit.
Grabs and holds mother's breast or bottle during feeding.

5 months of a child's life.

Distinguishes close people from strangers (reacts differently to faces) - at the sight of the face of a loved one, a “complex of revival” arises, at the sight of a stranger, movements are slowed down, alertness appears, the child frowns and may cry.
Recognizes the voice of mother and loved one. Distinguishes between strict and affectionate intonation of speech. Differentially reacts to it.
Rejoices with another child, takes a toy from his hands, hums.
Clearly picks up toys from an adult's hands, often picks up toys with one hand, holds them in the hand for 1-2 minutes.
Lies on the stomach for a long time, raising the body and leaning on the palms of straightened arms. Rolls from back to stomach. Stands upright and stable with support for 3-4 minutes.
Long melodious humming
Eats thick food from a spoon, opens mouth and removes food with lips, eats slowly.

6 months of a child's life.

Recognizes his own name (rejoices, turns towards the adult), distinguishes between his own and someone else's name.
Takes toys freely from different positions, plays, shifts toys from hand to hand.
Rolls over from back to stomach. Moves slowly, moving hands or crawling a little, trying to get a toy.
Beginning to babble (pronounces individual syllables, often once), listens to the adult and tries to repeat the syllables.
Eats well from a spoon, drinks liquid food from a cup.

7 months of a child's life.

Actively manipulates toys.
Crawls well and a lot in various directions
To the question "Where?" finds a familiar object with a glance (repeatedly called and constantly in one place)
He babbles for a long time, repeats the same syllables.

8 months of a child's life.

Observes the actions of another child, laughs, babbles.
Imitates the actions of adults (rolls the ball, opens the lid, etc.)
He sits, sits, lies down. He gets up, holding onto the barrier with his hands, stands and lowers himself. Steps over, holding on to the barrier.
Performs previously learned actions - performs “patricks”, “give me a pen” without showing.
Loudly, clearly, repeats various syllables.
Holds and eats bread.

9 months of a child's life.

Acts a lot by imitation, uses objects differently.
Passes from object to object, holding on to them with his hands (the objects should be at a distance of about 35 centimeters from each other).
Knows his name and turns to the call. To the question "Where?" finds familiar objects in different places, regardless of their permanent location.
Imitating an adult, repeats known syllables after him.
Drinks from a cup, holding it with his hands.
Neatness skills are being formed (calmly relates to the planting process).

10 months of a child's life.

Performs learned actions independently or at the request of an adult.
With the help of an adult or holding onto the railing sideways, enters a low hill and descends with a side step
On command "give" finds and gives familiar objects.
Imitating an adult, repeats after him previously unknown syllables.

11 months of a child's life.

She rejoices at the appearance of other children, selectively reacts to them.
Masters new actions, performs them by order and by imitation (puts a cube on a cube, removes and puts rings with large holes on the rod). Performs previously learned actions on verbal instructions (without showing).
Stands independently, takes first independent steps.
The first generalizations appear in understood speech (brings 2-3 toys of the same name - ball, car, doll)
Pronounces the first designation words (lightweight words) - “kis-kis”, “av-av”, “give”.

12 months of a child's life

Distinguishes objects by shape (cubes, bricks, etc.), recognizes photographs of a familiar person (mother, father).
Plays with other children, looking for a hidden toy.
Walks independently, without support, with alternating steps.
Understands the word "not allowed", stops the prohibited action.
Easily imitates new syllables, pronounces 6-10 facilitated words.
He himself drinks from a cup, takes the dishes with his hands and puts them on the table.

1 year 3 months of a child's life.

Increasing the stock of understood words, performs at least 3 instructions from an adult.
Actively uses babble and light words.
Oriented in the size of objects (more or less, with a difference exceeding 3 centimeters).
Independently reproduces previously learned actions during the game.
Walks for a long time without sitting down, changes position (squats, bends, turns, backs away).
Eats solid food with a spoon by himself.

1 year 6 months of a child's life.

Summarizes objects according to essential features in understood speech (finds objects that are homogeneous in feature)
The correct analogues of lightened words appear (car - instead of "beep", etc.).
Oriented in 3-4 contrasting forms of objects.
Steps over low obstacles with a side step.
Eats liquid food on his own with a spoon (holds the stalk on top in his fist).

1 year 9 months of a child's life.

Understands a simple adult story from a picture and answers questions.
Uses words and two-word sentences.
Oriented in 3-4 contrasting values of objects with a difference of 3 centimeters.
Walks on a limited surface, raised slightly above the floor, without the help of an adult.
Partially undresses with the help of an adult.
Reproduces simple plot buildings - "gate", "bench", "house" of bricks, cubes.

2 years of a child's life.

Understands a short story by an adult without showing pictures about events in the child's experience and answers questions.
Uses three-word sentences, uses adjectives and pronouns.
Steps over low obstacles in alternating steps.
Oriented in 3-4 contrasting colors.
Performs a series of several actions in succession, using items as intended (the beginning of a story game).
Partially puts on clothes with the help of an adult.

2 years 6 months of a child's life.

Uses multi-word sentences with more than three words. The questions “Where?” and where?".
Matches basic geometric shapes (cube, ball, brick, prism, cylinder, cone) and objects of four primary colors according to the sample.
The game has a plot character. The child independently makes simple plot constructions and names them.
Fully dressable. Doesn't know how to fasten buttons and tie shoelaces.
Steps over an obstacle 20-30 centimeters high.

3 years of a child's life.

Begins to use complex subordinate clauses. The questions “Why?”, “When?”, “What?”
Correctly uses various forms of objects (makes a mosaic).
Elements of a role-playing game appear, names his role to the question “Who are you?”. Complex plot constructions appear, including many elements.
Draws, sculpts simple objects and names them.
Fully dressable. Can button up buttons and tie shoelaces with a little help from an adult.
Uses napkin as needed, without prompting.
Steps over an obstacle 30-35 centimeters high.

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?

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.

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.

3 months

What discoveries do parents expect when their child is 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?

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?