7-month-old baby development

Developmental milestones for your 7-month-old baby: here’s what to expect as a parent.

Your baby is changing and growing on a monthly if not daily basis. That’s why it’s important to accompany them during their learning journey and enjoy every unique stage before it’s too late!

Remember that each child progresses at a different rate, so it’s possible your child will not reach or will have already reached what we outline below.

Remember, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, consult your pediatrician.

7 month-old baby milestones

1. Physical area

At 7 months, your baby is still working on hand coordination. They might be able to grab different objects using their palm and all of their fingers, including their thumb.

Your little one is also continuing to develop their senses and experience new textures and temperatures. You can help guide your baby through this period of exploration by giving them objects or toys with different textures e.g., soft, rough, smooth, hard, cold, warm, etc.

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Another milestone that a 7-month-old baby could reach is beginning to drag themselves around or roll with the intention of moving from one place to another. Your child might also be able to remain seated without support or go from lying down to sitting up by pushing themselves with their hands.

To accompany your baby during this stage, place some objects or toys that they like around them. This will encourage them to move to reach them and will allow them to move forward so they can learn to crawl in the months to come.

2. Linguistic and cognitive areas

Around 7 months, your baby could make great advances in the linguistic area, something that is usually very exciting for all parents. They might even start repeating syllables by putting consonants and vowels together. An example of this would be “baba” or “dada”.

One way to encourage your little one to say their first words is by talking to them during the day. It is recommended that when pronouncing a syllable that your baby is practicing, you help them by saying some simple words that contain that sound. So if your child says “baba,” you can encourage them by saying “bath” or “babble.”

Another way to boost your baby’s language skills is by reading to them. Although at this age a 7-month-old baby may be more interested in touching the books and exploring them with their hands, eyes, and mouth; listening to the sounds of words will help them become familiar with the syllables and begin to imitate them in the months to come.

• If you want to know some tips on how to read with your little one at this stage, check out this article: Reading with your baby: 0-11 months.

Another developmental milestone that your baby could reach at 7 months is beginning to understand the concept of cause and effect. This means that they could, for example, throw a ball hoping that you will give it back to them. Your baby will also try to push away some toys or nearby objects to reach other things they want and will look for items that have fallen to the floor until they find them.

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3. Social and emotional area

One of the social and emotional changes that you may notice in your 7-month-old baby will be their tendency to interact with people they are familiar with. Notice if they engage with family members or friends through laughter or by smiling.

Around 7 months of age, your baby will also begin to be more independent. You will notice this when they play alone. When your child plays on their own, they have new opportunities to understand how the objects around them work, be creative, and face new challenges.

• For some tips on how to encourage your little one to play alone, check out this article: Developing independence: Encouraging my toddler to play alone.

Other important facts

We can’t talk about 7-month-old development and not talk about: sleep and teething.

Getting enough sleep at this stage allows your child to rest and maintain optimal physical and mental health. Sleep is also essential for proper brain development and for babies to gain enough weight to grow.

At 7 months, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that babies sleep between 12 and 15 hours. Of course, your child could be sleeping less than that, between 11 and 13 hours, or even sleep up to 19 hours a day. All these ranges are considered normal, but consult your pediatrician if you have any questions.

Does your baby have trouble sleeping at night? Download our FREE app and get activities and tips to help your baby sleep better!

During this time, your baby’s first teeth could begin to show. This can make your little one irritable and fussy –this is totally normal. There are ways to help your child make this stage easier for them, like offering them something cold to chew on or massaging their gums with one of your fingers.

Would you like to continue learning about the stages of your baby’s development? Download Kinedu for FREE!