Infant and Newborn Development

Reading this article

Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.

When will my baby take his first step or say her first word? During their first year, babies start to develop skills they will use for the rest of their lives. The normal growth of babies can be broken down into the following areas:

Gross motor - controlling the head, sitting, crawling, maybe even starting to walk
Fine motor - holding a spoon, picking up a piece of cereal between thumb and finger
Sensory - seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling
Language - starting to make sounds, learning some words, understanding what people say
Social - the ability to play with family members and other children

Babies do not develop at the same rate. There is a wide range of what is considered "normal." Your baby may be ahead in some areas and slightly behind in others. If you are worried about possible delays, talk to your baby's health care provider.