At 6 months old, babies are reaching several important developmental milestones that will help them grow and develop new skills. Here are the top 10 developmental points to look for:
- Improved hand-eye coordination: Babies at 6 months old will start to develop improved hand-eye coordination, allowing them to reach and grasp for objects with increasing accuracy.
- Sitting up on their own: With strong neck and core muscles, babies will be able to sit up on their own, which helps them better explore their surroundings.
- Rolling from front to back and back to front: Babies will continue to perfect their rolling skills, moving from their front to their back and back to their front with ease.
- Responding to their name: Babies will start to recognize their own name and respond when they hear it, indicating their growing understanding of language.
- Babbling with inflection: Babies will continue to develop their babbling skills, incorporating inflection into their sounds to indicate different emotions and moods.
- Teething: At 6 months old, some babies may start to teethe, and may be fussier and more drooly as a result.
- Transferring objects between hands: Babies will start to transfer objects from one hand to the other, which helps with their dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
- Laughing and smiling at others: Babies will continue to develop their social skills, laughing and smiling at familiar people, especially those who engage with them.
- Scooting or crawling: Some babies at 6 months old may start to scoot or crawl, which helps them move around and explore their environment.
- Making gestures: Babies will start to make gestures, such as waving or pointing, which helps them communicate with others.
Sources:
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021). Your Baby’s Development: 6 Months. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Your-Babys-Development-6-Months.aspx
- World Health Organization. (2021). Developmental Milestones: 6 Months. https://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/charts/developmental-milestones/en/