What Are Major Milestones Related to Physical Development in Infancy?

What are major milestones related to physical development in infancy?  During infancy, every baby will achieve certain physical milestones as they develop. Some infants will develop faster, while others will develop at a slower pace. However, eventually each will achieve all of the same physical milestones within a certain time span unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Here is an overview of some major milestones related to physical development in infancy:

One to Three Months of Age

• Most babies will learn to turn their heads from side to side into positions that they prefer or to react to sound and movement.
• Infants who are placed on their stomachs will be able to lift their chin off of the floor.
• At three months, infants will be able to pick their entire head up off of the floor and part of their torso while lying on their stomach.
• By three months of age, most infants have also learned to roll from side to side while lying on the floor.
• When objects are placed above an infant in this age range, the infant will also learn to swipe at the object within their reach.
• Lastly, an infant between the age of one to three months old will also begin to produce real tears when they cry.

Four to Seven Months of Age

At four to seven months of age, more physical major milestones occur.

• Infants will learn how to grasp an object firmly in their hand and bring the object to their mouth. They will also learn throughout this period of development to pass an object from hand to hand.
• Infants will also progress to lifting their entire head and shoulders up off the floor and keeping them off of the floor by resting the weight of their body on their forearms when they are positioned on their stomachs.
• Most infants will begin to drool a great deal more and search for things to chew on as they begin teething.
• Most will learn during this period of time to roll from their back to their side without rolling completely over and will also learn how to roll from their stomach to their back.
• They will also learn how to grab their toes and pull them to their mouth to chew on, in addition to learning how to sit upright unsupported for a short period of time before toppling over.

Eight Months to One Year

At eight months to one year of age, an infant will continue to develop physically.

• They will learn to sit unsupported.
• They will also learn how to bang objects or hands against surfaces.
• Infants of this age will also show the first signs of scooting or crawling with their stomachs up off the floor or on the floor.
• Closer to one year of age or shortly before, most infants will learn to pull themselves upright into a standing position by using the support of furniture or larger toys.
• They will eventually learn to also stand alone without support as they experiment with letting go.
• Most infants of this age will learn to drink from a cup and will also learn how to change their positions; for example, they will learn how to go from lying down to a sitting position. 

So, you now have an overview of major milestones related to physical development in infancy.