Baby’s First Year: Milestones + Vaccination Schedule (India)
Baby vaccination schedule India 2026: birth-to-12-month vaccines, month-by-month milestones, side effects and red flags from Femme Nest Hospital, East Delhi.
The pink card is going to become one of the most important documents in your baby’s first year. Between birth and the first birthday, your child will hit dozens of developmental milestones and receive around 20+ doses of vaccines across 7 or more paediatric visits. This is your complete, honest guide to baby’s first year milestones and the IAP vaccination schedule (India) — month-by-month development, the full immunization schedule, real vaccine costs in Delhi NCR, and the red flags every parent needs to know.
Your month-by-month milestone roadmap
Below are the key developmental milestones divided into simple age groups. Remember: the age at which a baby reaches a milestone is a range, not a deadline. Some babies crawl at 6 months, some skip crawling entirely and go straight to walking.
- Lifts head briefly during tummy time
- Follows moving objects with eyes
- Recognises parents’ voices
- Coos and makes gurgling sounds
- Startles at loud sounds
- Social smile by 6–8 weeks
- Holds head steady when upright
- Smiles at familiar faces
- Follows objects side to side
- Reaches for and grasps toys
- Rolls from tummy to back
- Laughs out loud
- Rolls both ways
- Sits with support, then briefly on own
- Reaches for objects and brings to mouth
- Babbles “ba-ba”, “da-da”
- Responds to own name
- Starting solids at 6 months
- Sits without support
- Crawls or shuffles
- Passes objects hand to hand
- Says “mama”/“dada” specifically
- Waves bye-bye, plays peek-a-boo
- Stranger anxiety appears
- Pulls to stand, cruises on furniture
- Takes first independent steps (9–15 mo)
- First recognisable words
- Uses pincer grasp (thumb + finger)
- Follows simple instructions
- Points to what they want
- Steady standing, walking
- Multiple simple words
- Feeds self with fingers
- Recognises familiar people
- Imitates simple actions
- Cow’s milk introduction discussion
Every baby writes their own story. Milestones are the notes, not the deadline.
The IAP vaccination schedule for India (first year)
Complete IAP schedule — birth to 12 months
| Age | Vaccines given |
|---|---|
| Birth | BCG · OPV-0 · Hepatitis B-1 |
| 6 weeks | DTaP/DTwP-1 · IPV-1 · Hib-1 · Hepatitis B-2 · Rotavirus-1 · PCV-1 Often given as a combination (hexavalent) injection |
| 10 weeks | DTaP/DTwP-2 · IPV-2 · Hib-2 · Rotavirus-2 · PCV-2 |
| 14 weeks | DTaP/DTwP-3 · IPV-3 · Hib-3 · Rotavirus-3 · PCV-3 |
| 6 months | Hepatitis B-3 · OPV-1 · Influenza-1 (annual thereafter) |
| 7 months | Influenza-2 (booster dose) |
| 6–9 months | Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) |
| 9 months | MMR-1 · OPV-2 |
| 12 months | Hepatitis A-1 |
This is a planning guide, not a prescription. India’s National Immunization Schedule (NIS) and the IAP individual-practice schedule serve different settings and are not identical. Review the IAP recommendations and the Ministry of Health’s National Immunization Schedule; both sources were checked on 22 July 2026. Your paediatrician should confirm the vaccine, brand-specific interval and catch-up plan for your child.
Cost of baby vaccines in Delhi NCR
Government (UIP)
Core vaccines including BCG, OPV, DTP, Hepatitis B, Hib, MR/MMR and PCV are provided free at government facilities across all five NCR cities.
Private paediatric clinic
Fees depend on brand, formulation, consultation charges and the vaccines selected after your baby’s individual assessment.
Many Delhi NCR maternity centres, including Femme Nest, offer bundled vaccination packages with reminders and record-keeping. Compare the included vaccines, consultation charges, catch-up terms and current itemised price before choosing a package.
The Complete First-Year Vaccination Package at FemmeNest
All IAP-schedule vaccines from birth to 12 months in one bundled package — with appointment reminders, digital immunization records, and paediatric consultation included. Peace of mind, at a fixed transparent cost.
See Vaccination PackageGovernment vs private — which should you choose?
Both routes protect your baby — the vaccines used at government dispensaries are safe, effective, and identical in medical outcome to their private-clinic counterparts. What differs is the experience:
- Government (UIP): Free, widely available, but often long waiting lines and limited counselling. Uses OPV drops and standard DTwP (whole-cell pertussis) vaccine.
- Private paediatric clinic: Paid, but shorter wait, personal follow-up, digital records, and access to combination vaccines (hexavalent) that reduce injections. Uses IPV and DTaP (acellular pertussis) which has fewer side effects like fever.
Many families in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Faridabad mix both — certain vaccines free at the government dispensary, others at their paediatrician. Your paediatrician will help you plan this.
Vaccination side effects: what’s normal
Common, expected side effects after most vaccines include: low-grade fever for 24–48 hours, mild swelling or redness at the injection site, slight fussiness, and reduced appetite for a day. Give paracetamol as prescribed by your paediatrician, offer extra feeds, and use cold compresses on the injection site.
Call your paediatrician immediately if…
- Fever above 39°C (102°F) or lasting more than 48 hours
- Persistent, high-pitched or inconsolable crying for 3+ hours
- Seizures or convulsions
- Swelling of face, mouth or throat
- Difficulty breathing or unusual paleness/floppiness
- Large swelling at injection site spreading beyond the arm/thigh
Red flags in development — when to check in
The window for early intervention is largest in the first two years. If something feels off, trusting that instinct and seeing your paediatrician is always the right move — it’s the reason well-baby visits exist. Most of the time, the check-up is reassuring; when it isn’t, early support makes a genuine difference.
Feeding, sleep and your first year
Vaccination is the medical foundation, but the first year is also about nutrition, sleep and bonding. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months is recommended by the WHO and IAP, with complementary foods introduced from 6 months onwards. If you’re just starting this journey, our guide on your first month with a newborn is the natural place to begin.
For the mother’s side of the equation — the emotional shifts that come with the first year — our postpartum emotions guide is worth bookmarking too.
Frequently asked questions
The first year, together
The first year passes in a blur of night feeds, first smiles, growth spurts and vaccine sticker charts. What makes it easier — genuinely easier — is having a paediatric team who knows your baby, keeps the schedule for you, and answers your late-night questions without judgement.
At FemmeNest — Centre for IVF & Gynaecology in East Delhi, our paediatric team supports families across Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Faridabad through the entire first-year journey. From the newborn check to the 12-month milestone visit, every vaccine, every growth chart, every question you have — that’s exactly what we’re here for.
every milestone, every shot
Book Your Baby’s First-Year Care
From the newborn visit through the 12-month milestone, we’ll walk every step with you—personalised vaccination plans, developmental assessments and paediatric support.