A Guide for Your Little One's Growth and Development Ages 0-12 Months

Every Daddy’s and Mommy’s hope is to see the Little One to have an optimal growth and development. Although each child grows and develops at his/her own pace, however, recognizing the growth and development stage of the Little One is very important. Mommy can provide the right stimulation to help the process of growth and development. Not only that, Mommy can also observe whether any disturbance may arise.

According to the Regulation of Minister of Health, the definition of growth is the addition of physical size of partial or total body structure so that it can be measured in units of length and weight. While the definition of development is the increasing structure and function of the body which is more complicated, in the ability of gross motor, fine motor, speech, language also social and independence skills.

The stages of growth of your Little One is divided into several periods, namely:

• Prenatal period (in utero period)
• Babyhood (0-11 months)
• Children under five years (12-59 months of age)
• Preschool age (age 60-72 months)
• School period or puberty (girls: 6-10 years, boys: 8-12 years)
• Adolescence period (teenage girls: 10-18 years, teenage boys: 12-20 years)

Babyhood is known as the golden age because it lasts briefly and cannot be repeated. WHO categories differ from government categories; the age of babyhood development according to WHO is divided into two, the neonatal from birth until the age of 28 days and the baby from 29 days to 12 months.

Developmental Stage of Your Little One Age 0-12 months

Keep in mind that the speed of the development of your Little One can be very different from other friends of his/her age. In the first year, the development of the Little One will be seen from the ability of gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, and social skills.

Here are the stages of development:

• Age 1 month: your Little One can look at objects moving around. He/she also can respond to sound, smile, and grab the hands of others.
• Age2 months: At this age, your Little One can have eye contact with the people around him, play with his fingers, hold his head and neck when on prone position.
• Age 3 months: When Mommy carries your Little One, he/she can hold his/her own head in an upright position. The sounds of chatter can also begin be heard from her tiny mouth while occasionally interspersed with laughter.
• Age4 months: He can roll to one side and start spitting out saliva.
• Age 5 months: your Little One’s motor ability is growing, he/she can take the things around him, chatter long enough, cries if left behind by Mommy or the nearest person and likes to play his own hands also legs.
• Age 6 months: The Little One will start to crawl, imitate voices, and respond to the emotions of others
• Age7 months: At this age, your Little One is generally able to sit alone without help or support. He/she also can respond if he/she is called.
• Age8 months: The ability to crawl is steadier, he/she can now crawl with a longer distance and with more solid position. He/she can also move objects from one hand to the other.
• Age 9 months: Do not be surprised if your Little One can start to stand alone by holding on to objects nearby and can play stacking things.
• Age 10 months: Now he can wave his hand and call "Mama" or "Papa".
• Age11 months: Play "Peek-a-boo", babble the words he often hears, and able to stand alone for some time
• Age 12 months: Now he is a copycat because he likes to imitate the activities of others. He also can point to the desired object.

Make the guidance above as Mommy's guidance of observing the growth of the Little One. Optimize the growing process by meeting the needs of complete nutrition, giving vaccinations on time, and providing appropriate stimulation with the age of your Little One.