13 Developmental Milestones of a 12 Month Old Baby

Monitoring how your baby moves, plays, walks, and responds is vital. Every guardian is concerned for their child's proper growth and safety in their growing years. There are a few common things that all babies do by the time they're 12 months old. These 12 month milestones must be checked and celebrated.

Is your child's growth a concern for you? Then, read the article to learn about the 12 month developmental milestones and detect the problems in growth and cognition.

A developmental milestone is a discrete cognitive or motor ability that we expect to see accomplished in a child of a particular age. By 12 months, most children can sit alone and pull themselves up to a standing position. Creeping, crawling, and walking along furniture will give way to independent walking.

Many babies may take their first steps independently by the time they are 12 months old. This age group of babies is usually active, and infant development happens quickly at this age.

Movement Milestones for a 12 Month Old:

By 12 months, most children will have attained a few of these movement skills that highlight strengthening their body muscles. The baby can achieve the following movement milestones:

• Standing Alone: Can stand without support for a few moments.
• Cruising: Walks while holding onto furniture or pushing objects.
• First Steps: Take a few independent steps with or without support.
• Sitting Down: Can sit down from a standing position with control.
• Climbing: Shows interest in climbing onto low furniture or steps.

Visual Milestones:

By 12 months, babies can track moving objects smoothly and recognise familiar faces and objects from a distance. Their vision allows them to explore and engage more effectively with their surroundings.

• Can track moving objects with smooth, coordinated eye movements.
• Recognises and responds to familiar faces, such as family members.
• Shows interest in and reaches for toys or objects, indicating improved hand-eye coordination.
• Can differentiate between different colours and shapes and may exhibit preferences for specific ones.
• Look for hidden objects, demonstrating object permanence.

Hearing Milestones:

At 12 months, babies can localise sounds, turning their head or body toward the noise source. They also respond to their name and can recognise familiar words or phrases, showing an increased understanding of verbal communication.

• Respond to their own name and common words or phrases, like "no" or "bye-bye."
• Turn their head towards the source of a sound, such as a doorbell or a voice.
• Reacts to the tone of voice and enjoys listening to songs or rhythmic sounds.
• Imitates simple sounds and may begin to babble with more varied sounds.
• Understand simple instructions or gestures, such as "come here" or "wave bye-bye.”

Smell Milestones:

By 12 months, a child can achieve the following smell milestones:

• Shows preferences for familiar, pleasant smells, such as those associated with their caregivers or favourite foods.
• Reacts to unpleasant or unfamiliar odours with facial expressions or by turning away immediately.
• May become more attentive to the scents of different foods and show interest in their taste.

Touch Milestones:

By 12 months, a child can achieve the following touch milestones:

• Explores objects by touching, grasping, and manipulating them, indicating improved tactile sensitivity and fine motor skills.
• Shows preferences for certain textures, such as soft, smooth, or rough, and may seek out or avoid different textures.
• Demonstrates comfort with familiar tactile sensations, such as being held or cuddled, and may show curiosity about new sensations.
• Can discriminate between various tactile experiences, such as hot vs. cold or soft vs. hard.

12 Month Old Baby Sleeping Patterns:

At 12 months, even though most sleep patterns have stabilised, monitor:

• Night Wakings: Babies wake at night regularly. However, it can be an issue if this occurs more frequently than every second or third night.
• Nap Transitions: Continue monitoring for overtired signs or the inability to fall asleep with this transition, which indicates that nap timing or duration needs an adjustment.
• Sleep Environment: Maintain a sleep environment that supports sleep, with a consistent bedtime routine and a safe sleep space.
• Sleep Regression: Watch for sleep regressions, which can occur at milestones, changes in routine, or disruptions.
• Daytime Sleep: Monitor good daytime sleep; failure to do so leads to crankiness and then difficulties with nighttime sleep onset.

The ability to fall asleep can improve early on, and then sleep stays healthy.

What to Feed:

• Solid Foods: Finely chopped fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains.
• Finger Foods: Soft, bite-sized pieces like pieces of cooked vegetables, fruits, and cereal.
• Dairy: Whole milk, cheese, and yoghurt.
• Protein: Eggs, beans, and tofu.
• Grains: Iron-fortified cereals, pasta, and rice.

How to Help with Cognitive Milestones:

• Play Peek-a-Boo: Reinforce object permanence by hiding and revealing objects or faces.
• Cause-and-Effect Toys: Provide toys that respond to actions, like buttons that make sounds or lights.
• Encourage Imitation: Model simple actions and gestures for your baby to mimic and copy.
• Interactive Games: Engage in problem-solving games, such as shape sorters or stacking blocks.
• Read Books: Reading picture books enhances recognition and understanding of familiar objects and people.

Factors of Social and Emotional Milestones

• Separation Anxiety: Shows distress when separated from caregivers.
  
• Social Interaction: Engages in interactive games like peek-a-boo.
• Imitation: Mimics social gestures and expressions, such as smiling or frowning.
• Attachment: Displays strong attachment to familiar caregivers.
• Emotional Expression: Expresses emotions, including joy and frustration.

What to Expect:

• First Words: Uses words like "mama" or "dada" meaningfully.
• Simple Commands: Understands and follows instructions such as "come here."
• Babbling: Continues babbling with varied sounds and intonation.
• Receptive Language: Recognises familiar names and objects.
• Imitation: Imitates speech sounds and simple words.

Games to Play with Your 12 month Old Baby:

• Peek-a-Boo: Helps with object permanence.
• Stacking Blocks: Enhances fine motor skills.
• Push Toys: Supports walking development.
• Simple Puzzles: Encourages problem-solving.
• Read Picture Books: Stimulates language and cognitive skills.

Physical Milestones for a 12 Month Old:

• Standing Unassisted: Stands without support for a few seconds.
• Walking with Support: Moves along furniture or while holding an adult’s hand.
• Pincer Grasp: Picks up small objects using thumb and forefinger.
• Drinking from a Cup: Sips from a cup without spilling.
• Climbing: Attempts to climb onto low furniture or steps.

Walking Milestones for a 12 Month Old:

• Cruising: The baby moves along on furniture or stable structures, holding on to the support.
• Taking Steps with Support: Takes steps while holding an adult's hands or using a push toy for balance.
• Independent Steps: Perhaps able to make some independent steps without support, although it might still be unstable.
• Balance: Still increases balance and has a more stable and balanced walking pattern with few falls.
• Explores: More daring in exploring his or her surrounding environment. He or she moves towards the things or people he or she wants to reach.
• Walking Support: Displays eagerness in walking with an adult's support or holding onto some stable objects.

1. Engage in Books

2. Play with Puzzles

3. Take a Stroll

4. Narrate Your Activities

5. Make a Crawl with Obstacles

Encourage your kid to crawl over, under, and through numerous things in your home to help her develop gross motor skills and better understand the area around her.

A simple technique is to cut off the tops and bottoms of several boxes and tape them together to form a long tunnel. (A play tent and tunnel would also work well for this).

6. Construct a Sensory Bottle

7. Water Play

8. Blowing Bubbles

9. Finger Painting

10. Pretend Play

11. Music and Movement

Playing simple instruments or dancing to music can enhance rhythm, coordination, and auditory skills. The ability to sing along to melodies of familiar songs and move to rhythms helps enhance listening skills and develop a sense of timing. Activities like clapping or tapping to the beat reinforce motor skills and auditory discrimination.

Above all, remember that your toddler is constantly playing; even seemingly little tasks can become enjoyable activities.

1. Have Fun with Toys

2. Read Books

3. Speak

4. Establish a Secure Atmosphere

5. Help with Walking

Developmental Concerns

Health Issues

Behavioural Changes

Diet and Nutrition

Vaccinations

Safety