As your baby grows, he will not only gain height and weight, he will also have significant cognitive, psychomotor, language, and emotional evolution. Do not worry if your child is ahead or behind than others: each little one is different and its evolution will depend on its degree of maturity and the stimulation it receives.
IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ITS DEVELOPMENT
- Genetics
- Good nutrition
- Strong mom-son bond
- Sensory stimulation
NEWBORN
- Every three to four hours, your baby can switch between one of the following states:
- Deep sleep: breathing is deep and regular.
- Light sleep: eyelids flutter and toddler may move.
- Drowsiness: You are likely to cry, open sleepy eyes, wake up, and go back to sleep.
- Awake and attentive: the body and eyes are more focused.
- Annoyed and awake: he cries, turns his head, wriggles …
- Crying: seeks the attention of his parents; if he calms down, he may fall asleep or be alert again.
What he needs from you: He will calm down if you carry him or talk to him gently; You will get to know her cries: if she needs to eat, diaper change, she is hot or cold …
1 TO 3 MONTHS
- You can raise your head for a short time when you are on your stomach.
- He looks at you and closes his eyes when a hand appears in front of him.
- He discovers his hands, can put them together and brings them to his mouth.
- Flashes at a sound stimulus.
- Give your first smiles.
- You can hold objects for a few moments.
- Cry to let you know he needs something.
- Holds your head and back straight when you hug your body.
What he needs from you: he loves that you get excited about what he can do. Talk to him constantly, change his position often. Turn him face down while awake to help him build muscles. Give him toys that are easy to hold and make noise when he moves them.
4 TO 6 MONTHS
- Wiggle your legs in the air and suck on your toes. Everything brings it to your mouth!
- Face down, you can lift one arm while holding the other; also arch your back and rock.
- He supports his head and back if he leans his body against something.
- Any noise arouses your interest and searches for the origin.
- Change an object from one hand to another.
- Babbles
- Follow objects and people with your eyes.
- Recognize his name.
What he needs from you: Lay him on his stomach and show him a toy to follow. This helps him learn to roll over. It allows you to touch different textures giving it soft objects; It will help you discover the world around you, always under your supervision: never leave him alone.
7 TO 9 MONTHS
- He reacts when he hears his name.
- It rests on hands and knees.
- Try to crawl.
- Holds objects and drops them.
- Enjoy playing “where’s the baby”.
- Clap your hands, say goodbye, etc.
- You sit without support.
What he needs from you: offer him objects that make noise, put toys in the tub, promote language by reading stories to him.
10 TO 12 MONTHS
- Objects catch his eye and he tries to catch them.
- Examine things with your index finger.
- Crawls with good coordination.
- Says mom and dad.
- Seeks to communicate with you.
- Repeat the actions you see that are funny to you.
- You can insert objects inside others.
- You don’t want to be with strangers.
- He reacts when you say the word “no” to him.
What he needs from you: the development of his motor skills is very close. Condition your house so that it can move without damage.
13 TO 15 MONTHS
- Discover the cause-effect.
- He is interested in other children’s toys and therefore will try to take them away.
- You can make stripes and scribbles with a thick pencil.
- Stack blocks.
- He knows his name.
- Shows interest in book drawings or television images.
- You can walk alone.
What he needs from you: read stories to him and ask him to point to the objects in the illustrations. Offer him blocks of various sizes and shapes to encourage him to build shapes.
16 TO 24 MONTHS
- You can drink by yourself holding a cup with both hands.
- He already uses a spoon.
- He likes to play hide and seek.
- Crawling up stairs.
- Point to the parts of the body.
- Ask what things are called.
- At 24 months he already runs and tries to jump with his feet together.
- Communicates with simple phrases.
What he needs from you: be patient in every activity he tries to do, slowly tell him how to do it.
GO TO THE PEDIATRIST IF…
- At 12 months he does not seek to communicate with you.
- At 15 months it is not sustained or supported.
- At 18 months, he cannot walk alone.
- At 24 months he has not said his first word or if he walks with difficulty.