A.

0-2 months

1. Physical Development

- initial decrease of 10% below birthweight may occur in the 1st wk as a result of
excretion of excess extravascular fluid and limited nutritional intake

- nutrition improves as infants learn to latch on and suck more efficiently, and mothers
become more comfortable with feeding techniques

- growth is approximately 30 g (1 oz) per day for first month

- smiling occurs involuntarily, as well as uncontrolled writhing

- eye gaze, head turning, and sucking are under better control

2. Milestones

AVERAGE AGE OF
MILESTONE DEVELOPMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
ATTAINMENT (MO)
GROSS MOTOR
Holds head steady while
2 Allows more visual interaction
sitting
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
Smiles in response to face,
1.5 More active social participant
voice
COGNITIVE
Stares momentarily at spot Lack of object permanence (out of sight,
2
where object disappeared out of mind [e.g., yarn ball dropped])

B. 2-6 months

1. Physical Development

- growth slows to approximately 20 g per day for months 3-4

- weight is doubled from birth by month 4

- early reflexes that limited voluntary movement recede (such as the disappearance of
the asymmetric tonic neck reflex)

- spontaneous movements change from writhing to smaller, circular movements

(fidgety)

2. Milestones
 AVERAGE AGE OF
MILESTONE DEVELOPMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
ATTAINMENT (MO)
GROSS MOTOR
Pulls to sit, with no head
3 Muscle tone
lag
Brings hands together in
3 Self-discovery of hands
midline
Asymmetric tonic neck
4 Can inspect hands in midline
reflex gone
Sits without support 6 Increasing exploration
FINE MOTOR
Grasps rattle 3.5 Object use
Visuomotor
Reaches for objects 4
coordination
Palmar grasp gone 4 Voluntary release
Transfers object hand to Comparison of
5.5
hand objects
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
Experimentation with sound, tactile
Monosyllabic babble 6
sense
COGNITIVE
Stares at own hand 4 Self-discovery, cause and effect

C. 6-12 months

1. Physical Development

- growth rate slows even more

- birth weight is tripled by 12 months, length increased by 50%

- sits unsupported at 6-7 months, pivot while sitting at 9-10 months

- thumb-finger grasp development at 8-9 months, neat pincer grasp by 12 months

- begin crawling and pulling to standing position at 8 months, some walking by 12

months

- motor achievements correlate with increasing myelinization and cerebellar growth

2. Milestones

MILESTONE
GROSS MOTOR
Rolls back to stomach
Walks alone
FINE MOTOR
Thumb-finger grasp
Turns pages of book
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
Inhibits to no
Follows one-step command
with gesture
Follows one-step command
without gesture
Says mama or dada 10
Points to objects
Speaks first real word
COGNITIVE
Bangs 2 cubes
Uncovers toy (after seeing it
hidden)
Egocentric symbolic play (e.g.,
pretends to drink from cup)
AVERAGE AGE OF
DEVELOPMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
ATTAINMENT (MO)
6.5 Truncal flexion, risk of falls
Exploration, control of proximity to
12
parents
Able to explore small
8
objects
Increasing autonomy
12
during book time
7 Response to tone (nonverbal)
7 Nonverbal communication
Verbal receptive language (e.g., Give
10
it to me)
Expressive language
10 Interactive communication
12 Beginning of labeling
8 Active comparison of objects
8 Object permanence
12 Beginning symbolic thought

D. Weight and Length for Boys, 0-36 months

1. If growth measurements are lower than the 3rd percentile or higher than the 97th percentile,
or if a recent deviation from previously stable percentile rankings is noted, further investigation
is warranted.