Is My Baby on Track?: Motor Milestones

The incredible journey of motor milestones in babies! It's a time of rapid growth, development, and exploration as tiny humans master new skills and discover the world around them. As you may have heard, the CDC recently updated their expectations for motor milestones. So, what do you need to know?

One of the earliest and most exciting milestones is rolling over, usually achieved by 6 months. As they gain strength and coordination, babies begin to rock back and forth, then suddenly flip onto their side or stomach, marking the start of a new era of independence. Around this time, a baby should be able to push up with straight arms, and leaning on their hands to support themselves while sitting.

Next comes sitting unsupported, typically reached by 9 months, where they learn to balance and stabilize their upper body. This milestone can be seen as early as 5 months, but should be fully developed by 9 months. Babies should also be moving an object from on hand to another, rake small food items towards themselves, and get into a sitting position without help.

This is followed by standing, often around 6-7 months, as they develop the strength and balance to stand while holding onto furniture or a supportive hand. The next big breakthrough is cruising, where babies around 7-10 months use their arms to propel themselves along furniture, furniture rails, or a parent's hand as they master the art of moving while still relying on support. However, according to the CDC, these skills should develop by 12 months. So if you don’t see these skills around 6-7 months, do not be alarmed. Around 12 months, a baby should also be working on fine motor skills like picking up a small piece of food with their thumb and first finger.

Crawling typically emerges around 6-10 months, as babies learn to use their arms and legs to propel themselves forward. Finally, the ultimate milestone: walking! Most babies take their first steps by 15 months, although some may take a bit longer or earlier.

At 18 months, a baby should be working on drinking from a cup without a lid, but they still may have some spills! Around this time, babies should also be walking without holding onto anyone or anything for support. They should also be feeding themselves with their fingers and attempting to use a spoon.

What about crawling? Well, the CDC removed crawling from their list of milestones, stating that there is ‘no normative data’ for crawling milestones. In the OT/PT world, there is a lot of emphasis on crawling as it develops muscle and joint strength. We also see benefits in sensory processing, core strength, fine motor coordination, visual development, shoulder stability, etc.

Each of these motor milestones marks a significant achievement, as babies gradually develop the strength, coordination, and confidence to navigate their surroundings and explore the world around them. The other thing that the CDC stresses is that, although having a timeline is important, babies develop at their own rate. It is more important that babies don’t skip milestones than meeting the milestone by a certain age. There is strong research to support therapy services from birth to three years old (early intervention), so being mindful of these milestone ages is helpful when deciding if you should seek services.

What things should you be sharing with your doctor? Here are some good examples:

What are some things your baby likes to do?

Is there anyhing your baby does or does not do that concerns you?

Has your baby lost any skills that he/she once had?

Does your baby have any special healthcare needs or was he/she born premature?