DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES -WHAT TO EXPECT FOR A 6 MONTH OLD

Developmental milestones are what most children can do by a certain age.

Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of 6 months. Take this with you and talk with your child’s doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached and what to expect next.

What most babies can do at six months:

Social and Emotional = knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger, likes to play with others, especially parents, responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy, enjoys looking at themselves in a mirrors

Language/Communication = responds to sounds by making sounds, strings vowels and consonant sounds such as “ah,” “eh,” “oh” “m,” “b”), responds to their own name, makes sounds to show joy and sadness,

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) = looks at things nearby, brings items to mouth, shows curiosity about new items, tries to get objects that are out of reach, starts passing objects from one hand to the other

Movement/Physical Development = rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front), begins to sit without support, when standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce, rocks back and forth, may crawl backward before moving forward 

Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:

Isn’t trying to get things that are within reach

Shows no affection for caregivers/parents

Isn’t responding to sounds around him

Has difficulty getting objects to mouth

Isn’t making vowel sounds (“ah”, “eh”, “oh”)

Isn’t rolling over in either direction

Isn’t laughing or making squealing sounds

Is very stiff, with tight muscles

Seems very floppy, like a rag doll

If You’re Concerned – Act Early

Tell your child’s doctor or nurse if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay.

For more information, call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-6mo.html

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DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES -WHAT TO EXPECT FOR A 4 MONTH OLD

Developmental milestones are what most children can do by a certain age.

Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of 4 months. Take this with you and talk with your child’s doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached and what to expect next.

What most babies can do at four months:

Social and Emotional = Smiles randomly, and smiles at people, enjoys playing with people and may cry if playing stops, copies some movements and facial expressions (such as smiling or frowning)

Language/Communication = begins to babble with expression, also copies sounds he hears, starts crying in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being sleepy

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) = communicates the emotions of happiness or sadness, responds to affection, reaches for toys with one hand, uses hands and eyes together, to see and reach for a toy, follows moving objects with eyes from side to side, watches faces closely and recognizes familiar people and things at a distance

Movement/Physical Development = holds head steady and unsupported, pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface, may be able to roll over from tummy to back, can hold, shake, and swing at dangling toys, brings both hands to mouth, pushes up to elbows when lying on stomach

Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:

Isn’t watching things as they move

Isn’t smiling at people

Isn’t holding their head steady

Isn’t cooing or making sounds

Isn’t bringing things to mouth

Isn’t pushing down with legs when feet are placed on a hard surface

Is having trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions

If You’re Concerned – Act Early

Tell your child’s doctor or nurse if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay.

For more information, call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-4mo.html

For more information on babysitting and parenting tips visit my websites:
www.smartsittersco.com

http://smartsittersco.blogspot.com/

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DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES -WHAT TO EXPECT FOR A 2 MONTH OLD

Developmental milestones are what most children can do by a certain age.

Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of 2 months. Take this with you and talk with your child’s doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached and what to expect next.

What most babies can do at two months:

Social and Emotional = Starts to smile at people, can calm themselves (for example can bring hands to their mouth and suck on hand), tries to look at parent.

Language/Communication = Coos, makes gurgling sounds, turns head toward sounds and noises

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) = tries focusing attention on faces, follows things with eyes and recognize people at a distance, begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activities aren’t changed

Movement/Physical Development = can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy, more controlled movements with arms and legs 

Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:

Isn’t responding to loud sounds

Isn’t watching/tracking things as they move

Isn’t smiling at people

Isn’t bringing their hands to their mouth

Can’t hold their head up or pushing up when on tummy

If You’re Concerned – Act Early

Tell your child’s doctor or nurse if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay.

For more information, call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-2mo.html

For more information on babysitting and parenting tips please visit my websites:
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http://smartsittersco.blogspot.com/

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WHAT PARENTS AND BABYSITTERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ZIKA VIRUS

Infants and children can be infected with Zika through the bites of two types of mosquitoes. As of January 15, 2017, no cases of Zika have been reported from breastfeeding, and mothers are encouraged to breastfeed, even in Zika areas.

Symptoms include:

• Fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. Symptoms go away usually within a few days to a week. Some people infected may not have any symptoms.

• The virus can be passed from a woman to her fetus during pregnancy or around the time of birth. Pregnancy loss and other pregnancy problems have been reported in women.

• Birth defects, such as microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects, eye defects, hearing loss, and impaired growth, have been reported in babies born to women infected with Zika during pregnancy. Some infants with Zika may not be born with microcephaly but later experience slowed head growth and develop postnatal microcephaly.

   

     Not all babies whose mothers had Zika during pregnancy are born with health problems.

Infection with Zika at later times, (such as, time of birth and early childhood) has not been linked to microcephaly.

    Microcephaly can happen for many reasons, (genetic conditions, infections, and exposure to toxins) are just a few. Some kids with microcephaly can have seizures, vision or hearing problems, and developmental disabilities, others do not have health problems. There is no vaccine or medicine available at this time for Zika.

Preventing Zika

• Prevent mosquito bites by dressing yourself and your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, cover cribs, strollers, and baby carriers with mosquito netting. 

• In children over 2 months in age, do not apply spray to a child’s face, hands, eyes, mouth, or to irritated or broken skin.

• Control mosquitoes inside and outside your home.

  

      If you or your child have symptoms (of fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes, Fever (≥100.4° F)) take him or her to see a doctor.

Do not use Bug Spray on babies under 2 months of age and do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3 years old!

For more information on the Zika Virus visit;

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/parents/what-parents-should-know.html

https://unsplash.com/search/bug?photo=k-pNQB0koNo

For more information on babysitting and parenting tips please visit my websites:
www.smartsittersco.com

http://smartsittersco.blogspot.com/

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