Close Alert Banner
Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.
Skip to Content
Region of Durham Logo
Contact Us
Engage
  • Living Here
    • 311 – Connecting you to our services
    • A to Z Services
    • Accessibility
    • Age-Friendly Durham
    • Animal Services and Control
    • Climate, Energy and Resilience
    • Conservation Authorities
    • Counselling
    • Crime Prevention and Public Safety
    • Early Learning and Child Care
    • Education and Schools
    • Emergency Preparedness
    • Emergency Services
    • Emergency Social Services
    • Food Banks
    • Housing and Homelessness
    • Libraries
    • Living with Low-Income
    • Long Term Care and Adult Day Programs
    • View More...
    View our Garbage and Recycling page

    Garbage and Recycling

    View our My Property page

    My Property

    View our Roads and Traffic page

    Roads and Traffic

  • Discovering Durham
    • About Durham Region
    • Arts and Culture
    • Bike Month
    • Cycling and Walking
    • E-mobility
    • Local Food and Farmers' Markets
    • Maps
    • New to Durham Region
    • Parks, Trails and Conservation Areas
    • Spectator Sports
    • Sport Tourism
    • Sports and Recreation
    • Tourism
    • Tourism Festival and Events Calendar
    • Transportation and Transit
    View our Tourism page

    Tourism

    View our Tourism Festival and Events calendar

    Tourism Festival and Events Calendar

    View our Transportation and Transit page

    Transportation and Transit

  • Doing Business
    • Applications, Licences and Permits
    • As-Built Drawing Request
    • Bid Opportunities
    • Business Directory
    • Business Count
    • Community Social Investment Framework
    • Construction and Your Business
    • Construction Liens
    • Design and Construction Specifications
    • Economic Development
    • Events
    • Garbage and Recycling Collection on Private Property
    • Housing
    • Municipal Consent
    • Operating a Child Care Centre
    • Planning and Development
    • Public Health Inspections for Businesses
    • Purchasing
    • Project Reports, Studies and Plans
    View our Agriculture page

    Agriculture

    View our Business Directory page

    Business Directory

    View our Purchasing page

    Purchasing

  • Health and Wellness
    • Alcohol, Cannabis, Drugs and Smoking
    • Babies and Toddlers
    • Child Health and School-Age Children
    • Clinics and Classes Calendar
    • COVID-19 Update
    • Domestic Violence
    • Dental and Oral Health
    • Environment and Your Health
    • Health Care Professionals
    • Health Check-Up, Performance Reports and Health Plans
    • Health Information Services
    • Healthy Living
    • Illness, Infection and Disease
    • Immunizations and Vaccines
    • Injury Prevention and Safety
    • Mental Health
    • MPOX
    • Pregnancy
    • Public Health Inspections and Investigations
    • View More...
    Launch the Durham Region COVID-19 Data Tracker

    COVID-19 Data Tracker

    View our Health Care Professionals page

    Health Care Professionals

    View our Report Immunizations Online page

    Report Immunizations Online

  • Regional Government
    • A to Z Services
    • Access to Information
    • Accountability and Transparency
    • Awards
    • Bill 23
    • Budget and Financial
    • By-Laws
    • Careers and Volunteering
    • CityStudio Durham
    • Community Engagement
    • Community Safety and Well-Being Plan
    • Contact Us
    • Court and Traffic Tickets (Provincial Offences)
    • COVID-19 Information and Resources
    • COVID-19 Recovery Framework and Action Plan
    • Departments
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • Durham Region 101
    • Durham Region Strategic Plan
    • View More...
    View our Council page

    Council

    View our Open Data page

    Open Data

    View our Regional Services map

    Regional Services

I'd Like To...

Apply or Register For

  • Applications, Licences and Permits
  • Bidding Opportunities
  • Careers and Volunteering
  • Freedom of Information Request
  • Housing

Learn About

  • A to Z Services
  • Being New to Durham Region
  • Budget
  • By-Laws
  • Council
  • Durham Region Transit
  • Public Health Inspections

Report an Issue

  • By-Law Infraction
  • Downed Sign
  • Health Protection Complaint
  • Illegal Dumping
  • Missed Garbage or Recycling Pickup
View our Twitter Page View our Facebook Page View our YouTube Page view our LinkedIn page

Couple interacting with new baby at home.

Baby's First Year

HomeHealth and WellnessBabies and ToddlersBaby's First Year
Decrease text size Default text size Increase text size
Print this page
Share this page
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Babies and Toddlers
    • Babies with Developmental Concerns
    • Baby's First Year
    • Breastfeeding and Newborn Care Online Classes and Videos
    • Bringing Baby Home
    • Car Seat Safety and Booster Seats
    • Crib Safety
    • Feeding Your Baby
    • Flat-head Syndrome
    • Infant Crying
    • Infant Sleep and Sleep Habits
    • Parenting Your Child and Positive Parenting
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
    • Shaken Baby Syndrome
  • Alcohol, Cannabis, Drugs and Smoking
    • Alcohol
    • Cannabis
    • Opioids and Overdose Prevention
      • Durham Opioid Response Plan
      • Durham Region Opioid Information System
    • Safe Needle Disposal
    • Tobacco and Vaping
  • Child Health and School-Age Children
    • Bullying
    • Car Seat Safety and Booster Seats
    • Child Care and Early Learning
    • Child Development
    • Child Immunization and School Clinics
    • Picky Eaters
  • Clinics and Classes Calendar
  • COVID-19 Update
    • Case Status in Durham Region
    • COVID-19 Case and Contact Information Hub
    • COVID-19 Guidance and Advice for Businesses and Organizations
    • COVID-19 Testing
    • COVID-19 Vaccines
    • Facts and Frequently Asked Questions
    • Health Care Professionals
    • Institutional Outbreaks
    • Masks
    • Mental Health
    • Resources
    • Schools Reopening Toolkit
  • Domestic Violence
  • Dental and Oral Health
    • Brushing and Flossing
    • Fluoride
    • Oral Cancer
    • School Screening Dental Clinics
    • Snacking
  • Environment and Your Health
    • Air Quality
    • Extreme Cold
    • Extreme Heat and Humidity
    • Flooding
    • Harmful Plants
    • Nuclear Awareness
    • Private Wells
    • Sewage and Septic Systems
    • Sun Safety and Tanning
  • Health Care Professionals
  • Health Check-Up, Performance Reports and Health Plans
    • 2021 Health Check-Up!
    • 2020 Health Check-Up!
    • 2019 Health Check-Up!
    • 2022 Health Plan
    • 2021 Health Plan
    • 2020 Health Plan
    • 2019 Health Plan
  • Health Information Services
    • Durham Health Stats
    • Health Care
    • Health Neighbourhoods
    • Information Practices / Client Safety / Customer Service Standards
    • Outbreaks, Recalls, Advisories and Alerts
    • Public Access to Defibrillators
  • Healthy Living
    • Healthy Aging
    • Healthy Communities
    • Healthy Eating
    • Healthy Routines
    • Food Poverty
    • Infection Prevention
    • Low Cost and Subsidized Recreation Programs
    • Physical Activity
  • Illness, Infection and Disease
    • Facts About...
    • Food Poisoning
    • Infection Control in Institutions
    • Influenza (Flu)
    • Insects, Rodents and Bites
    • Legionella
    • Lyme Disease
    • Meningitis
    • MPOX
      • Information for Health Care Professionals
    • Rabies
    • Reportable Diseases
    • Tuberculosis (TB)
    • West Nile Virus
  • Immunizations and Vaccines
    • Adult Immunization
    • Child Immunization and School Clinics
    • Influenza (Flu)
    • Travel Health
    • Vaccine Safety
  • Injury Prevention and Safety
    • Bike Safety
    • Car Seat Safety and Booster Seats
    • Child Safety
    • Falls
    • Healthy Aging
    • Off-roading Safety
    • Playgrounds
    • Preventing Concussions
    • Road and Traffic Safety
  • Mental Health
    • Counselling
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
    • Suicide Prevention
  • MPOX
  • Pregnancy
    • Alcohol in Pregnancy
    • Car Seat Safety and Booster Seats
    • Infections in Pregnancy
    • Online Prenatal Classes
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
    • Planning for Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Options
    • Preterm Labour and Birth
    • Substance Use in Pregnancy
  • Public Health Inspections and Investigations
    • Beaches
    • Check&GO! Durham
    • Food Safety
    • Food Safety Training
    • Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Lapse Reports
    • International Agricultural Worker Housing Inspections
    • Know Your Public Health Inspector
    • Operating a Child Care Centre
    • Playgrounds
    • Public Health Inspections for Businesses
    • Rabies
    • Recreational Water
    • Salons and Spas
    • Sewage and Septic Systems
    • Small Drinking Water Systems
    • Smoking, Vaping and Retailer Convictions
    • Submit a Complaint or Concern
    • Tattoos and Piercings
  • School Health
    • Educators
    • Parents
    • School-Based Public Health Clinics
    • Schools Reopening Toolkit
  • Sexual Health and Clinics
    • 2SLGBTQI+
    • Birth Control
    • Pregnancy Options
    • SEXed Manual for Educators
    • Sexual Health Decisions
    • Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Congratulations on your new baby! As a parent, you want the best for your baby. You interact with them every day and help them grow and develop. Do you know what is normal for your baby's first year?

Developmental milestones

Babies learn new things at different ages. Taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye-bye" are examples of developmental milestones.

To check if your child is meeting milestones, you can use the Looksee Checklist®.

The Looksee Checklist® is free, online and easy to use. They look at stages from infancy to six years of age. For your baby's first year, you will find the checklists for one and two months, four months, six months, nine months and 12 months. They also give examples of activities you can do with your child.

The Looksee Checklist® is available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese. If you have any questions about your child's development, talk to your health care provider.

Examples of milestones

Here are some examples of what your child should be doing during their first year. For a full list, please refer to the Looksee Checklist® that follows your child from one month of age to six years.

Does your two-month-old:

  • Follow movement with their eyes?
  • Lift their head when on their tummy?
  • Move their arms and legs?

For activities you can do, refer to the Health Department's guide for two-month-old babies.

Does your four-month-old:

  • Laugh and smile in response to you?
  • Reach for an object when supported in a sitting position?
  • Follow a moving toy with their eyes?

For activities you can do, refer to the Health Department's guide for four-month-old babies.

Does your six-month-old:

  • Respond to their name?
  • Roll from their back to side?
  • Turn their head and look in the direction of a new sound?

For activities you can do, refer to the Health Department's guide for six-month-old babies.

Does your nine-month-old:

  • Sit without support for a few minutes?
  • Attempt to move by crawling, "bum" shuffling, or turning on tummy?
  • Move an object from one hand to the other?

For activities you can do, refer to the Health Department's guide for nine-month-old babies.

Does your 12-month-old:

  • Understand simple requests and questions?
  • Pull up to stand at furniture?
  • Pick up small items using tips of thumb and first finger?

For activities you can do, refer to the Health Department's guide for 12-month-old children.

Hearing

Your baby likely had a hearing test after birth.

If your baby did not receive a hearing screening at birth, please visit www.childdevelopmentprograms.ca/bookmybaby to book a hearing screening or call 1-888-703-5437 extension 4.

Please note, your baby must be eight weeks or less to be eligible to receive a hearing screening.

If your baby is over the age of seven months and you would like their hearing tested, you can call Grandview Children's Centre at 905-728-1673 or 1-800-304-6180 extension 2468 to request an appointment with an audiologist.

Support your baby's hearing by:

  • Watching how your baby responds to voice and sounds.
  • Talking to your baby through all daily activities.
  • Using your baby's name.
  • Responding to sounds your baby makes.
  • Playing games like pat-a-cake or peek-a-boo with your baby.
  • Making fun sounds that your baby can copy.
  • Singing songs and nursery rhymes.

Signs of a hearing problem

Your baby might:

  • Stop early babbling.
  • Have fluid draining from one or both ears.
  • Pull on their ears.
  • Have frequent colds and ear infections.
  • Not respond when called.
  • Speak loudly.
  • Not respond to someone unless they are facing them.

Each Looksee Checklist® has questions related to hearing. If you are concerned, speak with your health care provider.

Vision

Your baby's vision changes quickly during the first six months of life. Your health care provider should be assessing their eyes regularly starting at birth.

It’s also recommended that babies have their first eye exam with an optometrist (eye doctor) at six months old. Yearly eye exams by an optometrist are covered by OHIP for children under 19 years old.

Help your baby's vision development by:

  • Keeping toys within their focusing distance.
  • Alternating right and left sides with each feeding.
  • Changing the crib position and the baby's position in the crib.
  • Hanging a mobile above the crib or change table.
  • Avoiding use of screen time.

Each Looksee Checklist® has questions about vision to help you track your baby's development. If you have concerns about your baby's vision, speak with your health care provider.

Receive email updates

Contact Us

Region of Durham logo

Living HereDiscovering DurhamDoing BusinessHealth and WellnessRegional Government

© 2023 Durham Region, 605 Rossland Road East, Whitby, Ontario L1N 6A3, Canada, Telephone (within regional limits): 311, Telephone: 905-668-7711, Toll-Free: 1-800-372-1102

HomeTerms of Use and Privacy StatementAccessibilityAccess to InformationCareersA to Z ServicesContact Us
By GHD Digital