How your child interacts, plays, learns, behaves, and moves gives you important clues about your child’s development from the day he or she is born. Developmental milestones are behaviors that experts look for as important indicators that children are developing as we would expect by a certain age.
Below is a checklist of the milestones we would expect to see a baby reach by the end of 2 months. Because when your child is this age you may still be very sleep deprived, having a checklist as a starting point about what to expect and when you might need to get more screening can be helpful. We wish you a good night’s sleep soon!
What most babies do by this age:
Social and Emotional:
Begins to smile at people
Can briefly calm herself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
Tries to look at the person who takes care of him
Language and Communication:
Coos, makes gurgling sounds
Turns head toward sounds
Cognitive (learning, thinking, and problem-solving):
Pays attention to faces
Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change
Movement and Physical Development:
Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
Makes smoother movements with arms and legs
It’s important to keep in mind, while every child develops at a slightly different pace, certain behaviors, or a lack of certain behaviors, may indicate meaningful developmental delays that parents and caregivers will want to address.
Act Early by letting to your child’s medical provider know if your child:
Doesn’t respond to loud sounds
Doesn’t watch things as they move
Doesn’t smile at people
Doesn’t bring hands to mouth
Can’t hold head up when pushing up when on tummy
Talk to your child’s medical provider if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay for this age. You may also benefit from talking with someone familiar with the available services for young children in your local area, such as your state’s public early intervention program. For more information, visit the CDC's “If You’re Concerned” webpage or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for general development using standardized, validated tools at 9, 18, and 24 or 30 months and for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern. Ask your child’s medical provider about your child’s developmental screening.
This parenting tip blog post has been adapted from resources available through the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Explore their website for further information and more detailed checklists about child development.
And check out the resources available through the Exchange Family Center for parents and caregivers. We’ll be continuing this deep dive into important child development milestones in upcoming posts. So stay tuned!