Narrator: This video explores some signs of developmental concerns in babies from birth to 12 months.

Babies can develop skills at different times, but if your baby doesn’t do certain things by particular ages, or if you’re worried about any aspect of your baby’s development, it’s good to seek advice from your child and family health nurse or GP. That way your baby can get support early if they need it.

You can ask your health professional about your baby’s vision if by 6 weeks your baby doesn’t look you in the eyes or doesn’t respond to bright light. You can also ask about your baby’s vision if by 2 months your baby isn’t responding to your facial expressions, or if by 4 months you notice that your baby’s eyes point in different directions.

You can ask for a hearing check if your young baby isn’t responding to loud sounds, isn’t turning their head towards sounds, or isn’t making any sounds of their own. You can also seek advice if your baby isn’t babbling by 6 months.

Let your health professional know if by about 3 months your baby doesn’t smile at you or if by 6 months your baby doesn’t seem to show emotions, like laughing and smiling or settling in response to a soothing voice.

It’s good to seek help at any age if you’re worried about how much your baby cries or if your baby isn’t feeding or sleeping the way you’d expect.

Talk to a health professional if your baby doesn’t move their arms and legs in the early months or if your baby is very floppy or stiff.

Most babies can hold their head up by around 3-4 months, and most can roll over by around 5-6 months.

When it comes time to sitting up on their own, most babies can do this by around 9 months. And by 12 months, most babies can stand up while holding on to something.

For detailed month-by-month information about baby development, visit the development trackers on raisingchildren.net.au.

And if your baby isn’t reaching important developmental stages or if you’ve noticed that your baby has lost skills they had before, make an appointment to talk to your child and family health nurse or GP.

Remember – you know your baby best, and it’s OK to seek help if you’re worried.