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In This Section
Healthy Children
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Ages & Stages
> Baby
Baby
Article Body
Your baby will give you the most important information—how he or she likes to be treated, talked to, held, and comforted. This section address the most common questions and concerns that arise during the first months of life.
Is your baby due for a check-up? See the
AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits
.
0 - 3 mos.
4 - 7 mos.
8 - 12 mos.
At Birth - 3 months your baby should...
Physical Skills
Raises head & chest when on stomach
Stretches & kicks on back
Opens and shuts hands
Brings hand to mouth
Grasps and shakes toys
View List
Social Skills
Begins to develop social smile
Enjoys playing with people
More communicative
More expressive with face & body
Imitates some movements & expressions
View List
Sensory Milestones
Follows moving objects
Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
Prefers sweet smells
Prefers soft to coarse sensations
View List
Birth - 3 Months Articles
11 Common Conditions in Newborns
3 Ways You Can Bond With Your Baby
5 Secrets to a Smarter Baby: School Readiness Can Start Now
Baby Sign Language: These Hands Were Made for Talking
Baby's First Days: Bowel Movements & Urination
Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy
Developmental Milestones: 1 Month
Developmental Milestones: 3 Months
Emotional & Social Development in Babies: Birth to 3 Months
First Month: Physical Appearance and Growth
Healthy Habits to Master in Your Baby’s First Two Years
Hearing & Making Sounds: Your Baby's Milestones
Hearing Screening for Newborns, Children & Adolescents: AAP Policy Explained
How Active is Your Baby?
How Do Infants Learn?
How Your Newborn Behaves
How Your Newborn Looks
Infant Vision Development: What Can Babies See?
Jaundice in Newborns
Movement Milestones: Birth to 3 Months
New Dads & Partners: How Your Involvement Matters
Newborn Pulse Oximetry Screening to Detect Critical Congenital Heart Disease
Newborn Reflexes
Newborn Screening Tests
Newborn Smell & Touch
Parenting Your Infant
Pooping By the Numbers: What's Normal for Infants?
Safety for Your Child: Birth to 6 Months
States of Consciousness in Newborns
The Benefits of Baby Massage
The Many Colors of Baby Poop
Tips for Grandparents of a Newborn
Tracking Your Baby's Weight and Measurements
Welcome To The World of Parenting!
What Color Will My Baby's Eyes Be?
Your Baby's First Smile
Your Baby's Head
Your Baby's Physical Appearance & Growth: 1 to 4 Months
Your Baby's Temperament
Your Baby’s First 1,000 Days: AAP Policy Explained
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At 4 - 7 months your baby should...
Physical Skills
Rolls both ways
Sits with and without support of hands
Supports whole weight on legs
Reaches with one hand
Transfers object from hand to hand
Uses raking grasp
View List
Social Skills
Enjoys social play
Interested in mirror images
Responds to expressions of emotions
Appears joyful often
View List
Cognitive Thinking
Finds partially hidden object
Explores with hands and mouth
Struggles to get objects that are out of reach
View List
4 - 7 Months Articles
3 Ways You Can Bond With Your Baby
5 Secrets to a Smarter Baby: School Readiness Can Start Now
Baby Sign Language: These Hands Were Made for Talking
Cognitive Development in Infants: 4 to 7 Months
Crawling Styles
Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy
Developmental Milestones: 7 Months
Emotional and Social Development: 4 to 7 Months
Hand and Finger Skills
Healthy Habits to Master in Your Baby’s First Two Years
Hearing & Making Sounds: Your Baby's Milestones
Hearing Screening for Newborns, Children & Adolescents: AAP Policy Explained
How Active is Your Baby?
How Do Infants Learn?
How to Share Books with Your 6 to 8 Month Old
Infant Vision Development: What Can Babies See?
Language Development: 4 to 7 Months
Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 Months
Movement Milestones: Birth to 3 Months
New Dads & Partners: How Your Involvement Matters
Physical Appearance and Growth: 4 to 7 Months
Safety for Your Child: 6 to 12 Months
Safety for Your Child: Birth to 6 Months
The Benefits of Baby Massage
Tracking Your Baby's Weight and Measurements
Transitional Objects: Security Blankets & Beyond
What Color Will My Baby's Eyes Be?
Your Baby’s First 1,000 Days: AAP Policy Explained
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At 8 - 12 months your baby should...
Physical Skills
Gets to sitting position without help
Crawls forward on belly
Assumes hands-and-knees positions
Gets from sitting to crawling position
Pulls self up to stand
Walks holding on to furniture
View List
Social Skills
Shy or anxious with strangers
Cries when parents leave
Enjoys imitating people in play
Prefers certain people and toys
Tests parental response
Finger-feeds himself
View List
Cognitive Thinking
Explores objects in different ways
Finds hidden objects easily
Looks at correct picture when the image is named
Imitates gestures
Begins to use objects correctly
View List
8 - 12 Months Articles
3 Ways You Can Bond With Your Baby
5 Secrets to a Smarter Baby: School Readiness Can Start Now
Baby Sign Language: These Hands Were Made for Talking
Cognitive Development in Infants: 8 to 12 Months
Crawling Styles
Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy
Developmental Milestones: 12 Months
Emotional and Social Development: 8 to 12 Months
Hand and Finger Skills
Healthy Habits to Master in Your Baby’s First Two Years
How Active is Your Baby?
How to Share Books with Your 6 to 8 Month Old
How to Share Books with Your 9 to 11 Month Old
Infant Vision Development: What Can Babies See?
Language Development: 8 to 12 Months
Movement: Babies 8 to 12 Months
New Dads & Partners: How Your Involvement Matters
Physical Appearance and Growth: 8 to 12 Months
Safety for Your Child: 6 to 12 Months
The Benefits of Baby Massage
Tips for Grandparents of 8 to 12-Month-Old
Tracking Your Baby's Weight and Measurements
Transitional Objects: Security Blankets & Beyond
What Color Will My Baby's Eyes Be?
Your Baby’s First 1,000 Days: AAP Policy Explained
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