Developmental milestones

 

Periods of growth

Prenatal period –

Ovum – 0-14 days

Embryo – 14 days to 9 weeks

Fetus – 9 weeks to birth

Perinatal period – 22 weeks to 7 days after birth

Postnatal period –

Newborn – first 4 week after birth

Infancy – first year

Toddler – 1-3 yr

Preschool – 3-6 yr

School age – 6-12 yr

Adolescence –

Early – 10-13 yr

Middle – 14-16 yr

Late – 17-20 yr

 

 

Approximate anthropometric values by age
Age	Weight (kg)	Length or height (cm)	Head circumference (cm)
Birth	3	50	34
6 m	6 (doubles)	65	43
1 year	9 (triples)	75	46
2 yr	12 (quadruples)	90	48
3 yr	15	95	49
4 years	16	100	50

 

Key Gross Motor developmental milestone
Age	Milestones
3 m	Neck holding
5 m	Rolls over
6 m	Sits in tripod fashion (sitting with own support)
8 m	Sitting without support
9 m	Stands holding on (with support)
12 m	Creeps well; walks but fails; stands without support
15 m	Walks alone; creeps upstairs
18 m	Runs; explores drawers
2 yr	Walks up and downstairs (2 feet/step); jumps
3 yr	Rides tricycle; alternate feet going upstairs
4 yr	Holds on one foot; alternate feet going downstairs

 

 

Key Fine Motor developmental milestone
Age	Milestones
4 month	Bidextrous reach (reaching out for objects with both hands)
6 month	Unidextrous reach (reaching out for objects with one hand); transfers objects
9 month	Immature pincer grasp, probes with forefinger
12 m	Pincer grasp mature
15 m	Imitates scribbling, makes tower of 2 blocks
18 m	Scribbles, makes tower of 3 blocks
2 yr	Tower of 6 blocks, vertical and circular strokes
3 yr	Tower of 9 blocks, copies circle
4 yr	Copies cross, bridge with blocks
5 yr	Copies triangle, gate with blocks

 

 

 

Key Social and Adaptive Milestones
Age	Milestone
2 m	Social smile (smile after being talked to)
3 m	Recongnizes mother; anticipates feeds
6 m	Recognizes strangers; stranger anxiety
9 m	Waves “bye-bye”
12 m	Comes when called, plays simple ball game
15 m	Jargon
18 m	Copies parents in task (eg sweeping)
2 yr	Asks for food, drink, toilet, pulls people to show toys
3 yr	Shares toys, knows full name and gender
4 yr	Plays co-operatively in a group; goes to toilet alone
5 yr	Helps in household tasks, dresses and undresses

 

 

 

Key Language milestones
Age	Milestone
1 m	Alert to sound
3 m	Cooing (musical vowel sounds)
4 m	Laughs loud
6 m	Monosyllables (ba, da, pa); ah-goo sounds
9 m	Bisyllables (mama, baba, dada)
12 m	1-2 words with meaning
18 m	8-10 word vocabulary
2 yr	2-3 word sentences, uses pronous (I, me , you)
3 yr	Asks questions, knows full name and gender
4 yr	Says song or poem; tells stories
5 yr	Asks meaning of words

 

 

Upper age limit for attainment of milestone
Milestone	Age
Visual fixation or following	2 m
Vocalization	6 m
Sitting without support	10 m
Standing with assistance	12 m
Hands and knee crawling	14 m
Standing alone	17 m
Walking alone	18 m
Single word	18 m
Imaginative play	3 yr

 

 

Timing of Dentition
Primary dentition	Time of eruption , months		Time of fall, years
	Upper	Lower	Upper	Lower
Central incisors	8-12 m	6-10 m	6-7 yr	6-7 yr
Lateral incisors	9-13 m	10-16 m	7-8 yr	7-8 yr
First molar	13-19 m	14-18 m	9-11 yr	9-11 yr
Canine	16-22 m	17-23 m	10-12 yr	9-12 yr
Second molar	25-33 m	23-31 m	10-12 yr	10-12 yr
Permanent teeth	Time of eruption (in years)
	Upper	Lower
First molar	6-7	6-7
Central incisor	7-8	6-7
Lateral incisor	8-9	7-8
Canine	11-12	10-12
First premolar	10-11	10-12
Second premolar	10-12	10-12
Second molar	12-13	11-13
Third molar	17-21	17-21

 

Further reading – Essential pediatrics, 8th edition