What abilities are present in a neonate by 8 to 9 months of age?

At 8 to 9 months of age, neonates typically demonstrate significant motor development and cognitive skills. Crawling is a key milestone that indicates not only physical growth but also the ability to explore their environment more independently. This period also includes the ability to uncover a toy when it is hidden, which reflects cognitive skills such as object permanence—the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. This is an important developmental milestone, as it shows the child’s growing awareness of their surroundings and their understanding of basic concepts about the world around them.

While tracking an object, poking at holes, and visual motor coordination are important developmental skills, they are either emerging earlier or still developing later, making them less characteristic of what is typically seen at this age compared to the ability to crawl and search for hidden toys. Thus, the correct capability that supports the developmental stage of a neonate at 8 to 9 months is effectively represented by the ability to crawl and uncover hidden toys.