Visit any local playground with your baby and you're sure to hear snippets of familiar conversation among parents. "When did your baby start sitting up?" "Is she crawling yet?" Or maybe, "I'm worried because he's 15 months old now and still isn't walking." For most moms, keeping track of milestones is as important as deciding the best stroller to buy or which solid food to start out with.

Pediatricians answer developmental questions from concerned moms every day in their practices. Babies go through such a spectrum of development in their first year of life, it's no wonder the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends so many well visits throughout the year. The most important thing to remember is that every baby is different, and each baby will focus on reaching developmental milestones at his own pace.

Dr. Charles Shubin, director of pediatrics at Mercy Family Care in Baltimore, Md., tells his patients not to expect much from their babies at 1 month of age. Because babies are born farsighted, they often have a hard time seeing objects and people at close range until around 2 months of age.

"Around then, a baby will typically start to track objects with their eyes and respond to sounds and visual cues, as well as gain some head control," says Dr. Shubin, who is a recognized expert in the field of pediatrics and has appeared in national media outlets. He also points out that most babies start to become quite social around 4 months of age.

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