Town and Country Pediatrics: Growth & Development: 6 month Baby


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Your Six-Month Old Baby

Feeding:

· Breast-feed your baby 3-5 times, until your baby seems content. Continue prenatal vitamins while breast-feeding.

· If you do not breast-feed, use an iron-fortified infant formula. At 6 months, many babies eat 16-30 ounces per day. It is normal for formula intake to decrease as solid food intake increases. Use tap water or nursery water for mixing powdered formula.

· At this age, the primary source of nutrition for your baby is still breast milk or formula, but now is the time to introduce solid foods like cereal, fruits, vegetables, and meats.

· Babies do not need supplemental water or juice. Juice is not necessary at any age.

· Do not give honey or corn/Karo™ syrup in the first year of life.

· Breast-fed babies need a vitamin supplement like Tri-Vi-Sol. Give 1 mL once a day into his/her mouth.

· Offer “Stage 1” foods or make your own by pureeing fruits, vegetables, and/or meats. Follow the guidelines posted to the right.

· There is preliminary evidence that polycarbonate bottles and sippy cups bearing the #7 should be avoided due to high bisphenol A (BPA) content. Use plastic bottles/sippy cups with #1,#2,or #4.

Elimination:

· Once your baby begins to eat solids, there will be normal changes in the stools (frequency, color, and consistency).

· If you think your baby is constipated, call our office for some helpful hints. If stools are infrequent but very soft, your child is not constipated.

General Principles for Introducing Solids

· Be alert to your baby’s cues, do not force your baby to take solids if he isn’t ready.

· Use a small plastic coated spoon to feed, do not put cereal in the bottle

· Infant rice cereal is the most appropriate first food – mix with lukewarm formula or breast milk, to a semi-liquid consistency

· Introduce new foods, one at a time, and give the same food for 3-5 days in a row, WATCH FOR ALLERGIC REACTION (rash, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool)

· Provide a variety of foods – iron-fortified cereals and pureed fruits, vegetables, and meats

· Form and consistency of food should match your baby’s developmental skills – choking is a hazard at this age

· Babies may eat 1 meal to start, but quickly go up to 3 meals a day by 6-8 months

Sleep:

· By 6 months, many babies will not stay on their backs all night. This is OK.

· The average baby sleeps 14 hours per day at this age. It is normal for your baby to sleep more on some days and less on other days.

· Most babies take 2-3 naps per day.

· Your baby most likely will be sleeping through the night without needing to be fed.

Development: (6 to 9 months):

· Your child will bear weight on legs, may crawl, scoot or creep, rolls over, sits alone

· Your child may babble, laugh, imitate sounds, squeal, may say “mama” and “dada” without meaning, respond to his/her name

· Visually follows parents, turns to familiar sounds

· At 6 months- Your child will relate to you with real joy like smiling often when playing with you, cooing or babbling when happy and crying when unhappy

· Plays with hands and feet, rakes for objects, transfers object from hand to hand, may bang objects, starts to finger feed with pincer grasp at 9 months

· Reduce the time in car-seat carriers, bouncy seats, and swings- these devices apply pressure to the back of the head increasing the chances of a “flat head”.

Safety:

· Always use a carseat made for an infant and place it rear-facing in the back seat.

· Keep cleaners, medications, plastic bags, and small objects away from your baby. Use cabinet locks, plug covers and safety gates. Watch the window blind cords- they should be safely attached to the wall or out of reach.

· Now is the time to buy upper floor window guards!

· Small toys can be a choking hazard. For a list of toys that have been recalled visit www.cpsc.gov

· Think about dropping her crib mattress down to the lower level as your child increases her mobility and pulls to stand. A crib tent may make the crib even safer for the more adventurous toddler.

· Take an infant CPR/first Aid class.

· Keep these numbers by your telephone:

Illinois Poison Center (800) 222-1222

CMH Emergency Room (773) 880-3800

Town and Country Pediatrics (312)279-8900

· Never leave your baby unattended on the bed, sofa, changing table, or in the bathtub.

· Do not use a walker!

· No jogging with jogging strollers until 9-12 months!

· Watch your pets and older children around your baby.

Other Things to Keep in Mind:

· Do not give your baby a bottle while in bed – it can cause cavities!

· Protect from sun exposure with clothing, blankets, or an umbrella. Use a PABA-free sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.

· Do not smoke around your baby – it may lead to respiratory problems.

· Adults who have or who anticipate having regular close contact with your infant should receive a single dose of Tdap (tetanus,diphtheria,pertussis) to protect your infant from acquiring pertussis or whooping cough.

· The AAP recommends “no TV until age 2”.

Tests/Immunizations for Today:

· Pentacel #3 (DTaP, HIB, IPV), Prevnar, and Rotateq vaccines will be given today. Please review the information sheets.

At the 9 month check-up:

· Your baby will have a physical examination.

· Your questions will be answered and concerns will be addressed.

· Your baby will receive the Hepatitis B vaccine.

· You will be given a 10 month developmental questionnaire to complete at home and mail back to our office.