The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Infant development: Milestones from 10 to 12 months

Your baby will keep you on your toes in the next few months. Infant development milestones for a 10- to 12-month-old include crawling and improved hand-eye coordination.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Your baby continually scrambles out of sight. Nothing makes him or her happier than dropping a spoon from the highchair over and over again. If you aren't stifling the urge to say "No!" chances are you've said it many times in the last few hours. Welcome to life with a 10- to 12-month-old! At this age, infant development is rapid.

What to expect

From ages 10 to 12 months, your baby is likely to enjoy:

  • Improved motor skills. Most babies this age can sit without help and pull themselves to a standing position. Your baby might use various forward movements to explore new territory. Creeping, crawling and cruising along the furniture will eventually lead to walking. By 12 months, your baby might take his or her first steps without support.
  • Better hand-eye coordination. Most babies this age can feed themselves finger foods, grasping items between the thumb and forefinger. Your baby might delight in banging blocks together and stacking objects or nesting them inside one another.
  • New cognitive skills. As your baby's understanding of object permanence improves, he or she will be able to easily find hidden objects. Although your leaving the room might lead to crying spells, your baby will begin to realize that you still exist even when you're out of sight. Imitation also reigns supreme. You might find your baby brushing his or her hair, pushing buttons on the remote control, or "talking" on the phone. Your baby might be able to look at the correct object, such as a favorite toy, when you mention it.
  • Evolving language. Most babies this age respond to simple verbal requests and understand words for familiar people and events. Your baby might become skilled at various gestures, such as shaking his or her head no, pointing at something out of reach, or waving bye-bye. Expect your baby's babbling to take on new inflection and evolve to words such as "dada" and "mama." You might hear exclamations such as "uh-oh!"
Next page
(1 of 2)
References
  1. 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 1, 2011.
  2. A child becomes a reader: Proven ideas from research for parents. National Institute for Literacy. http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/reading_pre.pdf. Accessed March 1, 2011.
  3. Child development: Infants (0-1 year old). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/documents/0-1YearOldsPositiveParenting.pdf. Accessed March 1, 2011.
  4. Development through your child's eyes: 8 to 18 months. Zero to Three. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_childdevt_devt918&AddInterest=1153. Accessed March 1, 2011.
  5. Shelov SP, et al. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. 5th ed. New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books; 2009:249.
  6. These hands were made for talking. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/These-Hands-Were-Made-for-Talking.aspx. Accessed March 8, 2011.
  7. Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 9, 2011.
FL00101 June 17, 2011

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger