Which behavior is listed as a 4-6 month milestone?

• A. Smiles
• B. Initiates request for attention
• C. Sucks thumb
• D. Recognizes caregiver's voice

Answer: (B)

At four to six months, babies start to move from simple reactions to more intentional social engagement. A hallmark is that they actively seek out a caregiver’s response, using signals like vocalizations, eye contact, or reaching to get attention. This demonstrates growing social communication and reciprocity, not just reacting to stimuli.

Smiling is a pleasant social behavior that begins earlier, around a few months old, and continues as part of social interaction. Sucking the thumb is more of a self-soothing habit and doesn’t specifically indicate targeted social engagement. Recognizing a caregiver’s voice is important and develops in this period, but it’s a passive recognition rather than an active attempt to elicit a response. Therefore, initiating a request for attention best captures the 4-6 month milestone of increasing intentional social communication.