What can I expect?
Understanding what to expect can make your role as a parent easier.
Every child is unique and grows at her own pace, but it's useful to learn about different stages of development. This can help you support your infant as he grows and lets you know if there's anything you need to be concerned about.
This is a period of your child's development when you can see how children at the same age have very different personalities. Watch for clues such as:
- how predictable your infant's daily routine is
- how active he is
- what food he likes
- how he gets what he wants
These can help you understand your infant's temperament and how to meet his unique needs.
How do I know what my infant needs? Infants are trying new and different ways to communicate. They begin to respond to people who are talking, singing or playing by making sounds and gestures. For example, your baby may reach out to be picked up or try to say "da-da" or "ma-ma" when she sees you. She is expressing her feelings.
Infants can become easily frustrated when they can't explain what they want. This is a natural part of developing and an opportunity for parents to better understand what their child needs.
By the age of six months, most infants:
- turn to the source of sounds
- startle in response to sudden or loud noises
- make different cries for different needs — I'm hungry, I'm tired
- watch your face as you talk
- smile and laugh in response to your smiles and laughs
- imitate coughs or other sounds - ah, eh, buh
- explore toys with their mouth
By the age of one year, most infants:
- follow simple one-step directions such as "sit down"
- look across the room to something you point to
- use three or more words and gestures to communicate - wave "bye bye", shake head "no"
- get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes
- bring you toys to show you
- combine lots of sounds as though talking - abada baduh abee
- explore objects by shaking, banging, throwing and dropping
By the age of 18 months, most infants:
- point to several body parts when asked
- use at least 20 words
- respond with words or gestures to simple questions - "Where's teddy?", "What's that?"
- demonstrate some pretend play with toys - give teddy a drink
- make at least four different consonant sounds - b, n, d, g, w, h
- enjoy being read to and looking at simple books with you
- point to pictures using one finger
Speech and language skills are critical for your child's future success. These skills help develop curiosity and an interest in reading, and in learning and playing with other children.
If you have concerns about how your infant is developing her speech and language talk to your doctor or a nurse at your local Public Heath Unit. Learn more about Ontario's preschool speech and language services.
It seems that every day brings a new discovery for your infant. As his body grows and he learns to do things on his own, his curiosity develops too.
He explores his environment with great interest. And this environment changes at each stage of your infant's growth. He literally sees a different world as he moves from pushing up on his elbows or hands to crawling and walking.
This is a time of growing independence and your infant may be very excited about his new abilities. He may have no fear when exploring new objects, putting them in his mouth, touching or trying them. Sometimes this can be dangerous and you should be prepared to keep your infant safe. Learn more about choosing the right car seat for your child.
By the age of six months, most infants:
- have a routine for sleeping and feeding
- reach for toys and other objects, such as glasses or your hair
- push up on hands when on tummy
- roll from side to side
- sit up with support
By the age of one year, most infants:
- crawl
- stand when supported, some may be walking
- help with dressing by putting their arms into sleeves and legs into pants
By the age of 18 months, most infants:
- walk alone
- climb a few stairs with an adult's help
- build a tower of three or more blocks
- squat and stand up without falling
- kick a ball
- hold a cup and drink from it
- eat finger food on their own and use a spoon
Take your infant for regular medical check-ups to make sure she gets the required immunizations and that she is in good health.
Make sure you do not miss any of the check-ups. They also give you an opportunity to talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about your baby's health and growth. You may want to make a list of questions before your appointment to help remember what you want to talk about.
A well baby visit at the time your infant is 18-months old is very important. This age is a milestone in your child's development. Learn more about what to expect at your child's 18-month well-baby visit.
Parenting can sometimes feel like a guessing game. As your infant grows, his needs change and it is sometimes difficult to figure out how to meet these needs.
A health care professional can help to answer your questions. She can also give you more information to help you prepare for changes to come.
Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your infant's health, growth and development.
You can also contact a nurse at your local Public Health Unit. She can answer questions about parenting and child development. She can also link you to community programs that might help support your family.
You should seek medical help if your child:
- doesn't reach out to you for comfort or has poor eye contact
- doesn't imitate the actions of others in play
- doesn't speak many words or has unusual sound patterns
- sleeps poorly despite regular sleep routines
- cannot pick up small objects with his fingers or move objects from one hand to the other
- has significant head flattening or holds his head to one side
- has a lot of colds or ear infections
These are some common examples of concerns and not a complete list. Always talk to a health professional if you are worried or have any concerns about your infant.
If your child doesn't meet the expected speech and language or other developmental milestones talk to your health care provider.
Call Telehealth Ontario if you cannot reach your doctor or public health nurse and don't know what to do. You can talk to a registered nurse any time 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The number is 1-866-797-0000. This is a free and confidential service provided by the Ontario government. This service is also available in numerous languages.
All newborns have their hearing tested within a few days of birth. Some babies may require follow-up tests. Some may show signs of hearing loss later in their early years. You can learn more about infant hearing programs in Ontario and what to do if any concerns are found.
Ontario also offers programs to support parents and children who are born blind or with low vision.
