Background Abstract A reference guide on the multidirectional cognitive development of children aged up to 3 years, and red flags suggesting cognitive developmental problems. 4 minutes PDF Download PDF A reference guide on multidirectional cognitive development for children aged up to 3 years (Information extracted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1) Emotional/Social Milestones Language/ Communication Milestones Learning/Thinking/ Problem-solving Milestones 2 Months Old Starts to smile at people Tries to look at parents Makes soft murmuring sound Turns head towards sounds Pays attention to faces Begins to trace things with eyes 4 Months Old Smiles ad lib especially at people Enjoys playing with people Starts to babble Cries in different ways to express different feelings, e.g. hunger, pain Recognizes familiar faces and things at a distance Traces moving things with eyes from side to side 6 Months Old Loves to play especially with parents Loves to look at self in a mirror Makes vowel sounds when babbling, e.g. “eh”, “ah” Responds when being called own name Shows curiosity and approaches things that are out of reach Starts to transfer things from one hand to another 9 Months Old Wants to stay close with familiar adults Has own favorite toys Makes many different sounds, e.g. “mama”, “baba” Points at things with fingers Searches for things as seen being hidden Transfers things smoothly from one hand to another 12 Months Old Gets attention by repeating sounds or actions Has own favorite people and things Tries to repeat words you said Uses simple gestures, e.g. shaking head for “no”, waving hand for “goodbye” Finds out hidden things easily Puts things into and takes things out of a container 18 Months Old Wants to stay close with caregivers in unfamiliar situations Shows others something interesting by pointing Says a few single words Says and shakes head for “no” Points to one of the body parts Scrawls on his/her own 24 Months Old Imitates others especially adults and older children Feels excited when getting along with peers Says 2 to 4 words in a sentence Points to named things or pictures Finds out hidden things even under 2 to 3 covers Starts to distinguish shapes and colors 36 Months Old Cares about a crying friend Takes turns when playing games Talks by using 2 to 3 sentences Carries out instructions with 2 or 3 steps Plays toys with buttons, knobs and moving parts Completes puzzles with 3 to 4 pieces Red flags for cognitive developmental problem2 Emotional / Social Concerns Communication Concerns Cognitive Concerns Poorly developed age-appropriate playing skills Difficult in interacting with peers appropriately Poorly expressed with language and gestures for communication Difficult in understanding language in words, gestures and pictures Poorly developed basic concepts towards shapes, colors and body parts Difficult in learning new tasks A detailed follow-up evaluation should be established as early as possible if any signs of cognitive developmental delay are observed in children during growth period. For more nutritional information, please view https://Singapore.wyethnutritionsc.org This material is for healthcare professional reference only. Wyeth® is a registered trademark of Wyeth LLC. Used under license. Reference Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Developmental milestones. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/. Accessed on 21 Jan 2016. Red Flags Committee. Red flags - for children birth to six years. A quick reference guide for early years professionals. 2007. Locked On FAB action liks Share Messenger WhatsApp Copy Link Search On Register Off Save (for later) On Share it