Is My Baby’s Growth Development “Normal”?
Q: I just had a new baby. How can I be sure his development is normal?
Being a first time parent is a very exciting and nerve-wracking time. You want your baby to be normal. However, normal is different for every human baby.
So you really have to figure out what is normal for your son. However, there are some developmental milestones which can be used as guidelines for normal development:
At 4 months:
Your infant’s vision is fully mature and your child should be tracking objects with his eyes. Play games with your child to encourage him to move his eyes and follow your face or a puppet or ball.
At 5-7 months:
Your child should be sitting up independently. Prior to sitting up on his own, he may be able to do a tripod sit which means he can sit using his hands to help hold up his body. Your infant needs opportunities to develop his neck and trunk muscles.
Allow your child time on the floor to roll around and let him learn to keep his head upright. Most babies do this without much effort. However, if your infant is not able to keep his head up, you should consult your pediatrician.
At 6-10 months:
Your baby will likely be crawling. Most babies learn to sit before they begin to crawl. Initially an infant will get on all fours and rock back and forth. Eventually, they can figure out that they can travel by crawling.
Babies can crawl in several different variations; some crawl backwards, some use the wounded shoulder crawl with only one arm, some use alternating arm and leg. It all works out the same. But crawling is an important developmental milestone.
In fact, some developmental specialists recommend that infants crawl on smooth surfaces and not padded carpet to gain the most developmental benefit. If your son is not crawling by one year, you should discuss this with your pediatrician at his one year physical.
At 10-13 months:
Your baby will be walking. Before he learns to walk, he will cruise. That means he will walk holding on to furniture or push toys. As he gains more confidence, he will walk a few steps and then ultimately walk independently.
When children are learning to walk, bare feet is best. If he must have footwear, a flexible sole is mandatory. Soft leather moccasins work well also. When your child is running, he will need a regular shoe.
While these guidelines are meant to be helpful, please notice that there is a wide range of normal in children. For the most part, young infants love being sung to, rocked and played with. Enjoy making up silly games with your child and making him laugh.
Sing all your favorite lullabies and rejoice in the fun of being a kid again. With this approach, your child will likely have normal development. However, if something catches your attention, please discuss this with your pediatrician.