Babies: 6 Months

Here are some things you should expect with a 6 month old. A few tips on feeding,safety,development, and shots.

• Development
• Motor:
• Usually can roll both ways
•  Sit with support
• Stand and bears weight
• Language:
• Smiles,laughs,squeals
• Babbling with single consonants like dada,mama,baba
• Babbles back and forth
• Starts to recognize name
• Social:
• May start to have stranger anxiety
• Development--what to expect
• sit without support by 7-8 months
• Begin finger feeds by 7-8 months
• Crawl by 8-10 months
• Pull to standing by 9-10 months
• Drink from cup by 9-10 months
• Teeth often start erupting at 6-9 months
• Feeding & Nutrition
• Breast feed or iron-fortified formula until 12 months old.
• Baby should drink 7-8 ounces of formula 4 times a day, 28-32 ounces in 24 hours.
• Formula intake should not exceed 32 ounces a day.
• Multi-vitamin if breastfeeding.
• Begin to use sippy cup
• May give water,limit 100% juice to 2-4 ounces a day
• Solid foods 2-3 times a day
• Single grain cereals (rice,oat,etc.)
• Make with breast milk or iron fortified formula
• feed with spoon
• Pureed baby foods( Stage 1,then Stage 2)
• Start with veggies, then fruit.
• One new food every 3-5 days
• Start meats by 7-8 months
• Avoid foods that could cause choking
• Popcorn,raisins,hot dogs,corn,peanuts,hard candy,etc.
• No eggs until 12 months of age
• No honey until 12 months of age
• Supervise all eating
• Finger feeding by 7-8 months
• Oral Health
• Don't put you baby to bed with a bottle
• Brush baby's teeth with soft toothbrush using water
• Safety
• Infant car seat in back seat
• Rear facing until at least 20 pounds AND at least 12 months old.
• Don't use baby walkers.
• No smoking in home or car
• Childproof home
• Install safety devices on cabinets and drawers
• Use gates for stairs
• To avoid falls,lower mattress of crib and keep sides up
• Set water heater at no more than 120 degrees F
• Never leave baby alone near water (including the bathtub)
• Keep medicines,cleaning supplies,paint,etc. out of reach or locked up.
• Poison control number 800-222-1222
• Sleeping
• Develop bedtime routine
• Transition object like blanket may be helpful
• Put infant into crib while still awake
• Should be sleeping through night
• Make middle of the night response brief and boring
• Usually 2 naps per day
• Immunizations that your baby may receive
• Pediarix #3(Hepatitis B + DTap + IPV)
• Prevnar #3 (Pneumococcus)
• Rotateq #3 (Rotavirus)-oral vaccine
• +/- HIB (Haemophillus influenza B0
• +/- flu shot (Influenza)