Baby milestones by age
What most babies do at each age — based on the CDC's 2022 milestones update. Pick an age to see the social, language, cognitive, and physical milestones expected by then.
Pick your baby's age
These are the skills 75% or more of babies show by each age, according to the CDC.
Social & emotional
How babies connect with people.
- Knows familiar people
- Likes to look at self in a mirror
- Laughs
Language & communication
Sounds, words, and understanding.
- Takes turns making sounds with you
- Blows raspberries (sticks tongue out and blows)
- Makes squealing noises
Cognitive
Thinking, learning, problem solving.
- Puts things in mouth to explore them
- Reaches to grab a toy they want
- Closes lips to show they don't want more food
Movement & physical
Body control and motor skills.
- Rolls from tummy to back
- Pushes up with straight arms when on tummy
- Leans on hands to support self when sitting
Coming up by 9 months
A peek at what's typically next.
- Shy, clingy, or fearful around strangers
- Shows several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry, surprised
- Makes different sounds like "mamamama" or "bababa"
- Lifts arms up to be picked up
- Looks for objects when dropped out of sight
- Bangs two things together
- Gets to a sitting position by themselves
- Moves things from one hand to the other
How to use this chart
Every baby develops at their own pace. The CDC's milestones list what most children (75% or more) do by a given age, not the earliest. A baby who isn't smiling at 2 months but smiles at 3 is still right on track.
Use this as a checklist for conversations with your pediatrician, not as a test. The most useful pattern is consistency: if your baby is hitting milestones across all four areas, they're developing well, even if some come earlier or later than the chart shows.
If your baby seems to be missing several milestones at the same age, or has lost skills they used to have, talk to your pediatrician. Acting early makes a real difference. The CDC's free Milestone Tracker app and the Learn the Signs. Act Early. program are great next steps.
Sources
- CDC Developmental Milestones (2022 update). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. cdc.gov/actearly
- Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools. Zubler et al., Pediatrics, 2022. PubMed 35132439
- Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents. American Academy of Pediatrics, 4th ed., 2017
Track milestones in the app
nappi lets you log milestones as your baby hits them, alongside sleep, feeding, and growth. See everything in one timeline.