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Infant development: What happens from 4 to 6 months?
From ages 4 to 6 months, your baby becomes more aware of his or her surroundings. Infant development milestones include rolling over, clapping hands and babbling.
By Mayo Clinic staffThe newborn days are behind you. As your baby becomes more alert and mobile, each day will bring exciting new adventures. Every experience — from cuddling before nap time to listening to a sibling's chatter — will help your baby learn more about the world.
Expect your baby to grow and develop at his or her own unique pace. Consider these general infant development milestones as your baby's strengths and preferences begin to emerge.
What to expect
Every day, your baby will become more aware of his or her surroundings. Exploration becomes the name of the game.
- Motor skills evolve. Your baby's arms and legs probably wiggle and kick more purposefully now. Soon, you may notice your baby rocking on his or her stomach and eventually rolling over. As your baby gains muscle strength, he or she will have better head control. Most babies this age raise their heads when lying facedown. They may even try to push themselves up or bear weight on their legs. By age 6 months, many babies begin sitting alone. Creeping or crawling typically follows.
- Hand-eye coordination improves. Your baby will probably grasp your finger, a rattle or a soft object. Anything within reach is likely to end up in your baby's mouth. You may notice your baby pulling objects closer with a raking motion of the hands. Soon, your baby may start bringing his or her hands together, clapping hands, and transferring objects from one hand to the other.
- Vision becomes clear. Your baby will begin to distinguish between strange and familiar faces. You may notice your baby concentrating on a toy, studying fingers and toes, or staring at his or her reflection. Most babies this age turn their heads toward bright colors and lights. If you roll a ball across the floor, your baby will probably turn his or her head to follow the action.
- Babbling begins. Babies this age often begin to babble, squeal, gurgle and laugh. Your baby may respond to and imitate your facial expressions and sounds. He or she may babble and then pause, waiting for you to respond. As your baby's memory and attention span increase, he or she will begin to pick out the components of your speech and hear the way words form sentences. Your baby may even recognize his or her name. You may notice changes in inflection or tone as your baby babbles and coos.
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References
- Everyday ways to support your baby's and toddler's early learning. Zero to Three. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/early_learning_handout.pdf?docID=3081&AddInterest=1153. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Development through your child's eyes: Birth to 8 months. Zero to Three. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_childdevt_devt08&AddInterest=1153. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- A child becomes a reader: Proven ideas from research for parents. National Institute for Literacy. http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/pdf/low_res_child_reader_B-K.pdf. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Child development: Infants (0-1 year old). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/infants.htm. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Parenting corner Q&A: Developmental milestones. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK0_DevMile_7Mos.htm. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Shelov SP, et al. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. 4th ed. New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books; 2004:201.
