Health & Baby

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Baby Milestones: 6 to 9 Months

Now that she's a bigger baby, the fun -- including crawling, stranger anxiety, and learning to grasp objects -- begins.

By Gina Shaw
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD

The second part of your child's first year is filled with so many developmental changes that you may feel you need a constantly running video camera to record them all.

So what should your baby be doing, and when? Katherine Connor, MD, a pediatrician at the Harriet Lane Clinic of Johns Hopkins Children's Center, says babies tend to develop "from the top down and from the middle out." So while your baby spent his first six months getting control of his big, floppy head and his midsection -- learning to roll over -- he'll spend the next six perfecting the use of his increasingly dexterous fingers and learning to get mobile.

Recommended Related to Parenting - Baby (0-12 months)

Baby Development: Your 3-month-old

Your 3-month-old is growing bigger and becoming more aware every day. By this age, your baby should be settling into a schedule, and giving you some much-needed rest! This portion of WebMD’s month-by-month guide describes a few of the baby milestones you can expect your child to reach at three months.

Read the Baby Development: Your 3-month-old article > >

Connor urges parents to remember that all babies develop skills at their own pace. "There is a wide range of normal," she says. "Many parents worry, for example, if their baby isn't walking by a year, but in fact many babies don't walk until well past their first birthday. What you want to see is continuous progression forward." Here are some of the changes you can anticipate:

6 Months

Gross motor skills: Sits up on his own -- without being propped -- if you get him into a sitting position.

Fine motor skills: Transfers objects from one hand to the other

Language skills: Babbles in a way that can sound tantalizingly like real words -- "mama," "dada," "baba."

Social skills: Responds to you by looking toward you or smiling at you when you say his name.

7 Months

Gross motor: Tries hard to move forward by scooting or "army crawling," or rocking back and forth on all fours.

Fine motor: Begins to scoop up small objects using a "rake grasp," sweeping with all the fingers

Language: Imitates sounds you make to him, like raspberries, babble talk, and laughter.

Social: Starts to enjoy eye contact and games like peek-a-boo.

8 Months

Gross motor: Gets into a sitting position on his own. Babies who do crawl usually start about now. (Not all babies crawl -- don't worry if yours doesn't.)

Fine motor: Plays at picking up and dropping objects.

Language: Some babies start using babble words like "mama" and dada" to refer to people. Don't be surprised if he calls both parents "dada" for awhile.

Social: Learns to understand object permanence -- that things still exist when he can't see them. That may mean the start of separation anxiety, but don't be concerned. Babies grow out of this phase.

9 Months

Gross motor: Tries to pull himself up to a standing position using furniture and other objects.

Fine motor: Has mastered the rake grasp -- picks up objects with all four fingers engaged.

Language: Uses a lot of gestures like pointing, shaking his head, and nodding to communicate.

Social: Stranger anxiety has kicked in. Babies who were happy going to a trusted sitter may suddenly melt down. This, too, shall pass.

View Article Sources Sources