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As your baby grows, he or she will do much more than just gaining weight or growing in height; there are several interesting  baby milestones to watch out for. There are emerging motor and language skills from the very first month. As always, it is important to bear in mind that every baby takes its time to achieve a milestone.  

Listed below is a rough guideline of the expected timeline of a child’s developmental milestones:

• 2 months old – Follows you with their eyes and smiles at the sound of your voice
• 3 months old – Grasps objects, smiles at other people, raises head and chest when lying on the stomach  
• 4 months old – Holds head steady, laughs, tries to imitate sounds, babbles 
• 6 months old – Moves objects from hand to hand, rolls from stomach to back and vice versa
• 7 months old – Finds partially hidden objects, responds to own name
• 9 months old – Babbles ‘mummy', ‘daddy', sits without support, crawls 
• 12 months old – Says at least one word, enjoys imitating people, walks with or without support  
• 18 months old – Drinks from a cup, points to body parts, says at least 15 words, walks independently
• 2 years old – Speaks in two-word sentences, begins make-believe play, runs and jumps, follows simple instructions 
• 3 years old – Speaks in multi-word sentences, sorts objects by shape and colour, climbs well 
• 4 years old – Draws circles and squares, rides a tricycle, gets along with people outside the family
• 5 years old – Jumps, hops and skips, counts 10 or more objects, tells name and address, gets dressed

Our experts at Apollo Clinic advise that these milestones are only indicators. If your child is not achieving milestones by this timeline, there is no reason to panic. Also, premature babies tend to reach milestones a little later as they may not have the same muscle strength. However, if there is a prolonged delay in achieving a milestone, it is prudent to consult a doctor. In case the delay is due to an underlying disorder or condition, early intervention will help  improve the child’s functioning better.  

At Apollo Clinic, we have systematic milestone tracking programs which will help you track your baby’s growth in a timely manner. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your baby’s milestone timeline, do consult our experts who will be glad to resolve them.