2025 – PAGE 186 – DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES & ANTICIPATORY GUIDANCE
SURVEILLANCE MILESTONES – 6 MONTHS OF AGE
| AGE | LANGUAGE &
COMMUNICATION |
MOVEMENT & PHYSICAL | COGNITIVE | SOCIAL &
EMOTIONAL |
| 6 mo
“sitting in a high chair” |
Takes turns vocalizing as you make sounds; blows raspberries; squeals | Rolls from prone to supine; uses arms to push up while prone; sits using hand support | Mouths objects; reaches for toys and tries to grab them; refuses food by closing mouth | Recognizes familiar people; likes to look at themselves in mirrors; laughs
|
MNEMONICS: Six = SIT. Once a baby can start sitting with support, they can sit in a highchair.
MNEMONIC STORY: Go over the following story again and again! Imagine a Six-month-old SITTING in a HIGHCHAIR for SUPPORT. The table is made out of a MIRROR. He starts LAUGHING and SQUEALING while looking at himself in the MIRROR. As you approach, he RECOGNIZES YOUR FACE and BLOWS A RASPBERRY at you. You try to feed him by pretending the spoonful of baby food is an airplane, but he CLOSES HIS MOUTH TO REFUSE FOOD. You feel like you’re arguing with a baby as the two of you TAKE TURNS VOCALIZING your preferences. You give up trying to feed him and take him out of the highchair for tummy time. You show him a toy and he REACHES FOR THE TOY and GRABS IT. He then USES HIS ARMS TO PUSH UP and then ROLLS FROM PRONE TO SUPINE. He is now happily MOUTHING THE TOY while lying on his back.
6-MONTH-OLD MILESTONES TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR
| AGE | LANGUAGE | GROSS MOTOR | FINE MOTOR | COGNITIVE | SOCIAL | RED FLAGS |
| 6 mo | Rolls in both directions; has a low crawl; bangs objects on floor/table; bounces when held standing; | radial-palmar grasp at 6-8 months | Sleeps ~12 hours/night plus 2 one-hour naps | Not turning to sound. |