The typical 12-month-old child will demonstrate certain physical and mental skills. These skills are called developmental milestones.

All children develop a little differently. If you are concerned about your child's development, talk to your child's health care provider.

PHYSICAL AND MOTOR SKILLS

The 12-month-old child is expected to:

• Triple the birth weight
• Grow to a height of 50% over birth length
• Have a head circumference equal to that of the chest
• Have one to eight teeth
• Pull to stand
• Walk with help or alone
• Sit down without help
• Bang two blocks together
• Turn through the pages of a book by flipping many at a time
• Have a precise pincer grasp
• Sleep 8 - 10 hours at night and take one to two naps

SENSORY AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

The typical 12-month-old:

• Follows a fast moving object
• Has control over response to sounds
• Responds to his or her name
• Understands several words
• Can say mamma, papa, and at least one or two other words
• Understands simple commands
• Tries to imitate animal sounds
• Associates names with objects
• Understands that objects continue to exist, even when they are not seen (object constancy)
• Points to objects with index finger
• Waves bye
• May develop attachment to a toy or object
• Experiences separation anxiety and may cling to parents
• May make brief journeys away from parents to explore in familiar settings

PLAY

You can help your 12-month-old develop skills through play:

• Provide picture books
• Provide different stimuli, such as going to the mall or zoo
• Play ball
• Build vocabulary by reading and naming people and objects in the environment
• Teach hot and cold through play
• Provide large toys that can be pushed to encourage walking
• Control the type and amount of television watched

Feigelman S. The first year. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 8.