Appendix 2:Research

Research (research question and requirements): Growth of the baby 

 

Research questions 

How do baby’s develop during their first two years of living?  

• What are the main physical milestones in a baby’s first two years of living? 

• What are the main mental or cognitive milestones in a baby’s first two years of living? 

• What are the main language and communication milestones in a baby’s first two years of living? 

• How do the senses of infants develop during the early stages of life?  

 

One month 

Physical: 

• Movements become smoother 

• Can briefly lift their head as their neck muscles grow stronger 

• Can move both arms and legs 

Mental / cognitive: 

• Can genuinely smile  

• Start preferring bright hues and three-dimensional objects over flat black and white ones as their sight develops.  

 

Two months 

Physical: 

• The baby holds their head up when on tummy (tummy time) 

• Opens their hands briefly  

• Can move their hands to their mouth  

• Became aware of their hands and experiments with them. 

Mental / cognitive: 

• Watches you as you move 

• Looks at a toy for multiple seconds 

• Looks at, and starts processing faces, they can recognize their parents face 

• Smiles when someone (a parent) talks or smiles at them  

• Sounds fascinate them, they especially like high tones  

Language / communication 

• Makes sounds other than crying 

• Reacts to loud sounds  

• Recognizes the voice of their caretakers  

 

Three months 

Physical: 

• The babies' eyes start working together and tracking objects at 3 months. Encourage this with a bright mobile.  

• Developing lower body strength, stretching and kicking and maybe even rolling over.  

• Hand-eye coordination is developing more, they can bring their hand to their mouth and bat at objects 

 Mental / cognitive: 

• Can laugh and chuckle  

• Eager to explore, intrigued by multi-textured toys, bright primary colors and sounds 

• Imitates movements and facial expressions  

Language / communication:  

 

Senses 0 –3 months  

Sight: babies can see high-contrast patterns, simple shapes and movement. Babies also start to recognize faces. 

Hearing: babies recognize familiar voices and sounds from the womb. They react to sudden noises and calming sounds (like lullabies). 

Touch: babies explore the world by touching with their whole body, so skin to skin contact is crucial for bonding. 

Taste and smell: babies recognize their mothers smell and prefer sweet tastes.   

 

Four months 

Physical: 

• Holds head steady without support 

• Able to grip things when put in their hand, for example a toy 

• Pushes up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy  

• Vision develops further and they begin recognizing people and objects further away 

Mental / cognitive: 

• If hungry they open their mouth when seeing a breast or bottle 

• Looks interested at their own hands  

• Chuckles (not a full laugh) when trying to make them laugh 

• Acts in a certain way (smiling, moving or making sounds) to gain or keep attention  

Language / communication 

• Makes sounds when spoken to 

• Turns their head towards sounds, such as someone’s voice  

• Blows “raspberries” by sticking their tongue out and blowing 

• Trying to make other sounds and putting consonants together with vowels  

 

Five - six months 

Physical: 

• Starts creeping around the floor 

• Pushes up with straight arms when on tummy 

• Leans on hands to support themselves when sitting  

• Uses hand more sophisticated, by for example clapping or wiping off their food tray 

Mental / cognitive: 

• Recognizes familiar people 

• Looks at themselves in the mirror 

• Laughs 

• Put things in their mouth to explore it 

• Reaches and grabs toys they want  

• Closes lips to show they do not want more food 

• They try to put everything in their mouth  

• They might conduct tests, such as dropping items to the ground 

• They start making memories and remembering thing that are repetitive, such as daily rituals 

Language / communication: 

• Takes turns in making sounds with their caregiver 

• Recognizes words, such as “no” and “bye”.  

• They can babble in long chains 

 

Senses 3 - 6 months  

Sight: babies vision develops, distinguish between more colors, better depth perception and preference for curved / organic shapes.  

Hearing: babies start turning their heads toward sounds and filtering background noise.  

Touch: babies start grasping objects and exploring textures with their hands and mouth.  

 

 

Seven - nine months 

Physical: 

• Can sit by themselves  

• Moves thing from one to the other hand 

• Uses fingers to move food towards themselves 

• Starts to creep or crawl and becomes more mobile in general 

• Their motor skill develops, and they can move their thumb and forefinger to pick up objects 

• Always sticking objects into their mouth to explore the world  

Mental / cognitive: 

• Has a different emotional reaction to strangers e.g. Being shy or fearful  

• Shows multiple facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry and surprised 

• Responds to their name being called 

• Reacts when you leave 

• Looks for object when out of sight  

• Bangs things together  

• Wants to socialize in different ways, by playing games with other people 

• They start having their own opinions and letting these know to others  

Language / communication: 

• Makes many different sounds 

• Lifts arms to be picked up 

 

Senses 6 - 9 months  

Sight: ability to focus selectively on stimuli.  

Hearing: babies recognize different speech sounds and prefer baby talk.  

Touch: more refined grasping ability (pincher grasp) 

 

Ten – twelve months  

Physical: 

• They might also be able to pull themselves into a standing position 

• Might be able to walks while holding on to furniture, toys can help learn to walk 

• Drinks from a cup without a lid if it is being held  

Mental / cognitive: 

• They can put things in a container, like a block in a cup 

• Knows objects exist when out of vision, looks for things that are being hid  

• Plays simple games with someone   

• Prefers feeding themselves and might grab the cutlery when being fed 

• They might feel insecure, for example around strangers or when separated from caretakers  

Language / communication 

• Waves goodbye  

• They might give caretakers a special name, such as mama or dada.  

 

Senses 9 - 12 months  

Sight: babies focus more on details and recognize objects and people from a distance.  

Hearing: they begin associating words with meaning and prefer rhymes over repetitive tones.  

Touch: fine motor skills improve, allowing more precise movements.