As a new parent, nothing is more satisfying than seeing your baby happy. Seeing them smile for the first time, crawl for the first time, and talk for the first time are momentous achievements to celebrate. But, there also are the smaller milestones, such as lifting their head and turning their face toward a familiar voice, that have a profound impact on your baby’s development.
Milestones are practical guideposts designed to help you identify and celebrate your child’s accomplishments. From birth to 5, ParentPal’s 180 research-based milestones provide you with thoroughly vetted information, giving you a wonderful way to anticipate, encourage, and celebrate your little one’s developments.
Here’s a quick breakdown of milestones to look for in month 7.
Social-Emotional: Reaches for people
Your baby has been practicing his or her reaching skills for several weeks. Now, baby is realizing that he or she can reach for familiar people. This, however, is not a sign of attachment to that person just yet.
Self Help: Looks for hidden things
Until now, your baby’s perception of the world has been “out of sight, out of mind.” But, looking for an object after it disappears from sight is a huge cognitive breakthrough. Looking means that baby’s memory has developed, and realizes that the object exists even though it’s out of sight.
Gross Motor: Rolls over from back
While baby has been doing the stomach-to-back turn, his or her arm and neck muscles have strengthened. This has prepared him or her to make the trip to roll from back to stomach. Once mastered, rolling may become the preferred way for baby to get from point A to B.
Fine Motor: Transfers objects
Your baby’s focus, hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity are continuing to improve. Once baby learns how to purposefully place an object by voluntarily releasing it, hand-to-hand transfer becomes possible.
Expressive Language: Babbles
Your baby’s language is developing: crying and vowel sounds have progressed to include laughter and cooing. Now, babbling, specifically canonical babbling, where baby is practicing making and repeating consonant-vowel syllables (ma/ma, da/da, ba/ba), has become an important language milestone.
Language Comprehension: Hears name and turns
Your baby may not be producing words quite yet; still, he or she is beginning to recognize and learn familiar words. One such early word is baby’s name. If your child has normal hearing in both ears and has head control, he or she should turn and look your way when you call his or her name.
Things to Keep in Mind
Remember, it’s not a race and no two babies are alike. Your baby may exhibit some of these behaviors earlier or later than others. Some may simply be skipped. Milestones are meant to be helpful guideposts for parents to ensure their baby is on the right path developmentally.
If you are ever concerned about your child’s development, contact your pediatrician.
Learn more about your baby’s milestones and how you can help foster physical and cognitive development in the ParentPal app.
Want to get a jump start on what to expect next month? Check out our blog on Your Baby’s Development: Month 8.
