Development of the child in the first year of life

The first year of a child’s life is a very intense period. We can observe changes in the development of the toddler from week to week. The toddler during this time develops both physically and mentally. It changes from a newborn sleeping up to 20 hours a day to a child who begins to take his first steps independently and takes an interest in the surrounding reality. However, each toddler grows at his own pace. From this post you will learn how the normal development of a baby should take place.

1-3 months

After coming into the world, a newborn is very fragile, and his body does not yet function properly – his hearing is dulled and his eyesight is not fully developed. It spends most of the day sleeping. A month-old baby often shrinks its arms and legs and begins to wiggle them vigorously, because it behaved in a similar way in its mother’s belly. Just at the end of the first month of life, there is a significant muscular relaxation and the fetal positioning of the body disappears. Over time, the toddler begins to recognize mom through the sense of touch, smell and hearing. In the second month of life he shows more activity, tries to gently change his position and lifts his head for a few seconds. Baby during this period reacts strongly to stimuli, for example, tickling his foot will cause him to straighten up and flex his toes. He can wander with his eyes and focus them on selected objects. In time, he may begin to make sounds, such as sighs or laughter. The child in the third month of life definitely completes the neonatal phase of development, and the unconditioned reflexes characteristic of this period also disappear.

4-6 months

In this period of development, the toddler makes great progress in small motor skills. The strength of his limbs
is increasing – he begins to kick and to swing his arms. The child at this stage is able to turn from belly to back independently, as well as sit stably. Completely masters communication – he sends messages through his behavior: with emotions, such as crying or whining, or with gestures. He likes to imitate simple pa-pa movements. While many six-month-olds have already mastered the sitting position, they have not yet developed body stabilization. A six-month-old child also reacts to other people in the environment and learns to distinguish faces, thus keeping his distance from strangers. This stage in the child’s life means many changes – one of which is primarily the expansion of the diet. This has to do with the fact that the mother’s food no longer provides the child with enough energy and essential nutrients. During this period, the weight of a toddler can reach almost double that of the initial one at birth. The first teeth may begin to appear. A key achievement during this period is crawling and rolling.

7-9 months

The baby during this period turns from back to tummy and discovers new forms of movement. He also begins to grasp objects with both hands. The toddler can already sit up independently, move on a flat surface and crawl forward. He can also bite and chew. At this stage, he is also practicing spinning around his own axis. He also begins to clap and wiggle. By the ninth month of life, the baby can already crawl, stands when held by the hands, and some toddlers begin crawling. He consciously pronounces some syllables. It is advisable at this period to start giving him foods that will motivate him to chew. The beginnings of separation anxiety can also be observed at this time.

10-12 months

A ten-month-old baby should be able to recognize various things in pictures. He is also very perceptive, so he knows what various everyday objects are used for. A one-year-old sits up on his own, is able to stand, supporting himself, and also hold several objects in his hands. The child’s development during this period is associated with faster and more efficient crawling, as well as stable sitting in a straight position. His communication is also developing – if he can’t do something or has some need, he signals it with gestures. He understands simple commands like “give”, “take” and carries them out. The baby’s digestive system at this period is ready to learn new tastes, and he should practice the ability to chew and bite food. A child at this age should eat 5 meals a day and be able to handle a spoon independently.

To sum up, the first year of a child’s life is a time of incredible changes that we can observe from week to week. During this period, everything is a first.Not every child develops at the same pace, and this does not mean anything serious, so the stages given here are not necessarily the same with the development of your little one. Much depends on genes, family environment and other individual characteristics of the child. Each toddler gradually acquires individual motor skills and learns something new every day, gradually recording successes on his account.