Your baby’s first year of life is packed with many milestones, including rolling over, taking their first steps, and saying their first words. These milestones are generally well known, but there are other milestones that are equally as important that are lesser-known. Here are three important milestones that are less well-known than others.

3 Lesser-known Milestones in your Baby’s First Year

1. The startle reflex. During a baby’s first month of life, most behaviors are reflexive, meaning they are automatic. The more common instinctive behaviors are the mouthing and grasping reflex, but the startle reflex is another important one for your baby. This reflex occurs when a baby hears a loud noise or falls backwards, and it tends to fade by 2 to 3 months old.
2. Finding partially hidden objects. By 4 to 7 months, your baby will have developed tremendously, including lifting their head and bringing toys to their mouth. They should be mastering the clawlike grip to pick up objects, but one milestone that is less talked about is finding partially hidden objects. This is the start of understanding object permanence, so games like peekaboo are great during the stage.
3. Becomes shy around strangers. Finally, by 8 to 12 months, your baby should have mastered crawling and made attempts to walk. They may have said their first words, too. In this stage, they also can become shy around strangers. As your baby grows, they will develop an attachment to familiar faces. Don’t be alarmed if your baby suddenly becomes fussy when interacting with strangers.

The list of milestones the baby will hit in the first year of life is extensive, and many of them are well-known, such as mastering the pincer grip, rolling over, and standing. These are all important milestones, but there are other important milestones that signal your baby is developing normally.