Breaking Down the Baby’s Growth Stages | 0-5 Years
By Dr. Anmol Batra +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Anmol Batra
Last updated: Mar 26, 2026 Published on: Jun 10, 2022
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By Dr. Anmol Batra +2 more
Table of Contents
Right after birth, a baby begins to learn. From crying to smiling, speaking to walking, the first few years are the most crucial times for a baby’s growth and development. It is believed that eighty percent of a child’s brain develops between the age of zero to three and attains ninety percent growth until age five1. The child grows physically, learns immensely during this period, and develops new skills from thinking and speaking to social and emotional skills2. As parents, it is exciting to see a newborn grow and at the same time you may have several questions like, “When will they start walking?” or “When will they start talking?”
The baby growth milestones are a set of specific tasks or skills that average children achieve by a certain age2. These markers are looked at by parents, doctors, and teachers and can be matched with other kids of the same age to track growth. While it is true that some kids may be more advanced, some may be slow learners , if a child is majorly falling behind or missing out on important milestones, then the underlying cause must be addressed. Thus, it’s important to parents to know these milestones and understand when help may be needed. In this blog, we’ll discuss about a baby’s growth stages that you can expect during the first five years.
During this time the baby is just adjusting to the new surroundings. They begin to build upon their rooting, sucking, startling and grasping reflexes. They can hear sounds and are learning to use their eyes in coordination. They start to make ‘cooing’ sounds by about eight weeks and can recognise familiar faces by three months3.
In these months, the baby also learns about body movements, begins to notice their own hands, clench them into fists, and brings them to their mouth. They learn to control their head and hold it up for a few seconds with support and start kicking their legs3. Introducing tummy time (baby lying on their stomach, supervised by an adult) at this stage helps strengthen the baby’s neck, shoulders, back, and arms and helps in the later development of motor skills4.
Baby growth in 3rd month includes beginning to roll over, sitting up with support, reaching out for objects, bringing them to their mouths, and playing with toys and fingers. Babies also laugh, look at themselves in the mirror and recognize familiar faces and sounds. They may start with cooing and babbling (speech)5. Most babies start teething at around 6 months and the doctor may recommend you to start introducing top feed (food other than breast milk)- liquids, semi-solids, and later solid foods to your child.
This is the time span when children become increasingly mobile.. They learn to grasp and pull objects, can roll over, learn to sit without support and even begin to crawl. You will notice more facial expressions in babies during this time as they learn to imitate you. They look at you when you call their name and smile, and make a lot of different sounds6. By the time they are 7 or 8 months old, your child can eat a variety of foods including infant cereals, chicken or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts, cheese and more7.
Most babies can pull themselves up to a seated position for a while at this age. They will try standing themselves by supporting their body onto a nearby furniture and some may even take their first steps during this phase. They also learn to pick objects, and roll using their hands and legs8. Apart from major growth milestones like standing up and walking, this is a significant period when a child develops more advanced fine motor skills.
During these months, the babies can learn to play a few games with you like peek-a-boo, waves bye-bye, start saying simple words like ”no” and call parents ”mama” or ”dada”8. The babies also start holding their own bottle and you may introduce drinking from a cup. Even though babies have completed an year, their physical and mental growth still continues at a fast pace.
During this growth stage, most kids can walk alone by themselves, climb off and on a couch or chair without help, walk up and down stairs and move and sway to the music. They also learn to pick things up while standing, colour by moving their entire arm, scribbling, turning knobs and handles, unscrewing bottle caps or building towers with blocks9. They can understand and respond to words, differentiate and sort objects, and can point out familiar objects and people in a picture book. They enjoy pretend play, start following simple instructions and combing words to communicate like “Mumma eat,” “need cookies”9. This is the time span when the babies are constantly learning through imitation and exploration but need supervision.
A toddler becomes very independent at this age, as they are now capable of so much10. He or she may even start pre-school and learn to sort various animals, shapes, numbers, stacking toys, respond to simple directions, draw a circle when you show how to, name and sound familiar objects, imitate more complex adult actions, say their own name, look and listen stories from a book, etc10,11. You may notice that they now recognize colours and can have a conversation well enough for others to understand as they start learning new words and can form some 2-3 word sentences11.
They start mingling with other kids but are less interested in sharing their toys. During this phase, constant attention from elders is what they seek most11.
3-year-olds observe the world around them, analyse and are curious about the things they see. They learn to question and begin to wonder how things work, and why12. At this age young children can be taught to ride a tricycle or scooter, they learn to go down a slide without help, throwing and catching a ball, walking in a straight line, building toy blocks, drawing a circle, and engaging in creative play with other kids. They can speak in sentences of 3 words, count 3 objects, can feed themselves and dress-up with some help12. Their cognitive skills are growing constantly and allow most of them to demonstrate understanding in regard to past and future events.
At this age, children are progressively growing and learning every day. They are better at using words, imitating actions, counting objects, and performing other basic activities13. Around this age, most children can rhyme words, identify many colours, and tell stories. They learn what is taught at school and can remember things they read and learn13.
A baby’s growth begins well before birth, in the mother’s womb. Once your baby is born, you must connect with them, develop a bond, and help them reach the crucial milestones.
These baby growth tips will help you raise a smart and healthy baby.
The first few years in a child’s life are critical for their physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Understanding their growth stages helps parents keep a track of milestones, know their child’s changing needs and respond to them with confidence. Although developmental timelines may vary from one child to the other, if you notice a potential delay, it’s ideal to consult your paediatrician for a correct diagnosis and timely intervention as early identification can help improve outcomes.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability, or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
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