Causes for Concern

At age 2 months, your baby:

• Doesn’t respond to loud sounds
• Doesn’t watch things as they move
• Doesn’t smile at people
• Doesn’t bring hands to mouth
• Can’t hold head up when pushing up when on tummy

At 4 months, your baby:

• Doesn’t watch things as they move
• Doesn’t smile at people
• Can’t hold head steady
• Doesn’t coo or make sounds
• Doesn’t bring things to mouth
• Doesn’t push down with legs when feet are placed on a hard surface
• Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions

At age 6 months, your baby:

• Doesn’t try to get things that are in reach
• Shows no affection for caregivers
• Doesn’t respond to sounds around him
• Has difficulty getting things to mouth
• Doesn’t make vowel sounds (such as “ah”,“eh”, “oh”)
• Doesn’t roll over in either direction
• Doesn’t laugh or make squealing sounds
• Seems very stiff, with tight muscles
• Seems very floppy, like a rag doll

At age 9 months, your baby:

• Doesn’t bear weight on legs with support
• Doesn’t sit with help
• Doesn’t babble (“mama”, “baba”, “dada”)
• Doesn’t play any games involving back-and-forth play
• Doesn’t respond to own name
• Doesn’t seem to recognize familiar people
• Doesn’t look where you point
• Doesn’t transfer toys from one hand to the other

At age 1 year, your baby:

• Doesn’t crawl
• Can’t stand when supported
• Doesn’t search for things that she sees you hide
• Doesn’t say single words like “mama” or “dada”
• Doesn’t point to things
• Doesn’t respond to simple spoken requests
• Doesn’t use simple gestures, like shaking head “no” or waving “bye-bye”
• Loses skills he or she once had

At age 18 months, your baby:

• Doesn’t point to show things to others
• Can’t walk
• Doesn’t show affection to familiar people
• Doesn’t know what familiar things are for
• Doesn’t copy others
• Doesn’t gain new words
• Doesn’t have at least 6 words
• Doesn’t notice or mind when a caregiver leaves or returns
• Loses skills he once had

At age 2 years, your child:

• Doesn’t use two-word phrases (for example, “drink milk”)
• Doesn’t know what to do with common things, like a brush, phone, fork, spoon
• Doesn’t copy actions and words of others, especially adults and older children
• Doesn’t follow simple instructions
• Doesn’t points to things or pictures when they are named
• Doesn’t walk steadily
• Loses skills he or she once had

At age 3 years, your child:

• Falls down a lot or has trouble with stairs
• Drools or has very unclear speech
• Can’t work simple toys (such as peg boards, simple puzzles, turning handle)
• Doesn’t speak in sentences
• Doesn’t understand simple instructions
• Doesn’t play pretend or make-believe
• Doesn’t play with other kids or with toys
• Doesn’t make eye contact
• Loses skills he once had

At age 4 years, your child:

• Can’t jump in place
• Has trouble scribbling
• Shows no interest in interactive games or make-believe
• Ignores other children or doesn’t respond to people outside the family
• Resists dressing, sleeping, and toileting
• Can’t retell a favorite story
• Doesn’t follow three-part commands
• Doesn’t understand “same” and “different”
• Doesn’t use “me” and “you” correctly
• Speaks unclearly
• Loses skills he or she once had

• Doesn’t show a wide range of emotions
• Shows extreme behavior (unusually fearful, aggressive, shy or sad)
• Is unusually withdrawn and not active
• Is easily distracted, has trouble focusing on one activity for more than 5 minutes
• Doesn’t respond to people, or responds only superficially
• Can’t tell what’s real and what’s pretend
• Can’t give first and last name
• Doesn’t talk about daily activities or experiences
• Doesn’t draw pictures
• Can’t brush teeth, wash and dry hands, or get undressed without help
• Loses skills he or she once had

To learn more about age-appropriate milestones, check the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/Milestones