Physical Development of 5 Month Old Infants

At 5 months old, an infant is finding all kinds of new ways to explore and manipulate her environment. Greater strength, cognition, and coordination are all setting the stage for the months to come, when she will be able to move, play and even eat independently.

Movement

A 5-month-old infant typically engages in pre-crawling behaviors like rocking back and forth on hands and knees. She may maneuver her body by wiggling or rolling to reach something she wants.

Strength

A 5-month-old baby is strong enough to sit upright for up to 30 minutes and, while on his stomach, to reach for something while his head is lifted.

Dexterity

At five months an infant can reach for, manipulate and examine objects of a variety of sizes. She may even play with her toes.

Hearing

At this stage, an infant can turn his head toward sounds he hears. He may even recognize certain words, such as his name, and turn when he hears them.

Vocalization

An infant at this age vocalizes in "burst-pause" patterns, and uses a variety of buzzing, gurgling, humming and vowel sounds to express himself.

Vision

A five-month-old has about 20/60 vision acuity. Although this is much clearer than in earlier months, she still prefers looking at bold patterns and bright contrasts.

References

• Your Five-Month-Old's Development
• Momentous Milestones: your Five-Month-Old
• What Can My Baby See?

Resources

• What to Expect: 5-Month-Old Baby