At 7 months your child will begin to smile and coo at themselves especially in front of a mirror. They will begin to get very attached to you and cry if you go away and leave them with a minder. They will begin to reach for a toy that’s out of reach.

At 9 months your child will start to show feelings of happiness and anger by laughing and screaming and crying.

By 12 months your child will be able to recognize and point to toys it may want. They will notice and watch with interest people and traffic moving outside. If you notice anything wrong with the appearance of your child’s eyes or visual behavior you should contact your Public Health Nurse or family Doctor.

All newborns have their hearing screened at the neonatal hearing screening test.

Your child’s hearing will also be checked at their 7-9 month developmental check.

At 6-8 months your child may turn their head on hearing a familiar voice of a parent or career and will turn towards very quiet noises made at either side.

At 9-12 months onwards, you child can hear quiet sounds, listen to and repeat simple words like ‘dada ,mama’ and copy sounds of coughing and laughing