Growth & Development

Your Baby

Your baby may do the following: stay up when placed in a sitting position, sit up on his/her own, crawl and stand.

Your baby also likes to interact with people.

S/he may mouth, shake, bang and/or drop toys.

Passes objects from one hand to another.

Holds one building block, reach for a second one, and look for a third one right away.

Turns head and eyes toward sounds and familiar voices.

S/he likes to play with his image in a mirror and is quite sociable as long as he feels safe and secure.

May begin teething.

May prefer some foods to others.

Rolls from their back to their stomach.

Looks at and study things for a long time.

Turns objects upside down just to get another view of them.

May show sharp mood changes.

Begins to understand some words by the tone of voice you use.

Smiles at children and can distinguishes children from adults.

Take your baby for this month’s well-baby checkup to make sure s/he is growing properly.

Your baby should get DTaP, Hib, polio, hep B and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) shots.

Most babies gain about one pound a month between now and their 1st birthday.

You may notice your baby’s first teeth. As the teeth come in, your baby may become fussy or have a slight temperature.

Wash your baby’s toys often to keep them free of germs.

Keep toys with small parts (smaller than their fist) or sharp objects away from your baby.

Wipe your baby’s gums with a soft cloth.

Let your baby sleep 14 to 17 hours each day.

When s/he starts teething, offer him a cold teething ring, foods like pretzel logs with salt rubbed off or teething biscuits.

Wipe your baby’s teeth and gums with a soft cloth or gauze after each feeding.

Baby proof everything.

Let your baby nap 2 or 3 times a day.

Don’t leave your baby alone on things they can roll off of (bed or changing table, furniture)

Ask your baby’s doctor or nurse about starting strained or mashed vegetables such as squash, carrots, green beans or peas. Do not add salt or sugar.

Let your baby start drinking from a cup. Remember: babies still need breast milk or iron fortified formula until they are 1 year old.

Talk to your baby and try to get your baby to imitate sounds you make.

Put a favorite toy out of reach and let your baby try to get it.

Let your baby pick up objects from the floor, but make sure they are safe objects for your baby to have.

Play games like "pat-a-cake."

Look at picture books/colorful books with your baby and talk about the pictures you see.

Information adapted from the following Resources:

Iowa Early ACCESS Developmental Wheel- Developed with IDEA
Ohio Department of Health website (www.ohiohelpmegrow.org)
Normal Development articles written by Donna Warner Manczak, Ph.D.,M.P.H. and Robert Brayden, M.D. Published by McKesson Health Solutions LLC
Extension website – Family/Parenting resources (www.extension.org/parenting)