Babies From Babies From Birth to One Birth to One

Betty Connal, RN, MSBetty Connal, RN, MSSIDS Mid AtlanticSIDS Mid Atlantic

2700 S. Quincy St. Suite 2202700 S. Quincy St. Suite 220Arlington VA 22206Arlington VA 22206

703-933-9100703-933-9100www.sidsma.orgwww.sidsma.org

BabiesBabies• Developmental

Milestones • Cognitive

development for baby means the learning process of memory, language, thinking and reasoning.

BabiesBabies• A baby is learns to

recognize the sound of mom’s voice. She is also learning to focus her vision from the periphery or the corner of her eyes to the center.

BabiesBabies• Language

development is more than uttering sounds (“babble”), or mama/dada.

BabiesBabies• Listening,

understanding, and knowing the names of people and things are all components of language development.

BabiesBabies• During this stage, your

baby is also developing bonds of love and trust with you. The way you cuddle, hold, and play with your baby will set the basis for how he will interact with you and others.

BabiesBabies• Positive Parenting • Talk to your baby. It is

soothing to hear your voice.

• When your baby makes sounds, answer him by repeating and adding words. This will help him learn to use language.

BabiesBabies• Read to baby. This

helps her develop and understand language and sounds.

• Sing to baby. • Play music. This

helps baby develop a love for music and math.

BabiesBabies• Praise baby and give

him lots of loving attention.

• Spend time cuddling and holding baby. This helps her feel cared for and secure.

• The best time to play with baby is when he’s alert and relaxed. Watch baby closely for signs of being tired or fussy so that you can take a break.

BabiesBabies• Parenting can be hard

work! Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a positive, loving parent when you are feeling good yourself.

BabiesBabies• Child Safety First

make sure that baby’s home is a safe place. Look around for household items that might present a possible danger to your baby. As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that you create a safe environment for your baby. It is also important that you take the necessary steps to make sure that you are mentally and emotionally ready for your new baby. Here are a few tips to keep your baby safe during her first year of life.

BabiesBabies• Never shake a baby. • Newborn babies have

very weak neck muscles that are not yet able to support their heads. If you shake your baby you can damage his brain and delay normal development.

Babies and Safe SleepBabies and Safe Sleep• Always place your baby to sleep

on his or her back, on a firm mattress covered with only a tight fitting bottom sheet (no padded

mattress tops or covers)

• Remove all loose and fluffy bedding from your baby’s sleep

area. This includes pillows, blankets, quilts, comforters,

bumper pads, sheepskins, stuffed toys and other soft products

• Never place your baby to sleep on a sofa, waterbed, pillow, soft mattress, or any other soft

surface;

Babies and Safe SleepBabies and Safe Sleep• Do not bed share with brothers,

sisters or relatives other than the baby’s mother

• When using a crib, make sure it meets current safety standards,

and that the mattress fits snuggly in the crib

• When using a portable crib or playpen, be sure to use only the mattress or pad provided by the

manufacturer• Be aware of all of the hidden

hazards of adult beds for infants. These include the potential for

entrapment between the bed, wall, headboard, bed frame or other object; accidental suffocation in

soft bedding; overlaying and falls from the bed.

BabiesBabies• Place baby in a car

safety seat every time he rides in the car. The safest place for his safety seat is in the back seat of the car. Children who are less than one year OR are less than 20 pounds should be placed in a rear-facing care seat.

BabiesBabies• To prevent your baby

from choking, cut her food into small bites. Don’t allow your baby to play with anything that may cover her face or is easy for her to swallow.

• Never carry hot liquids or food near your baby or while holding him.

BabiesBabies• Immunizations (shots)

are important to protect your child’s health and safety. Because children are susceptible to many potentially serious diseases, it is important that your child receive the proper immunizations.

Babies at 3 monthsBabies at 3 months

Babies at Seven MonthsBabies at Seven Months• Social and

Emotional • Enjoys social play • Interested in mirror

images • Responds to other

people's expressions of emotion and appears joyful often

Babies at Seven MonthsBabies at Seven Months• Language • Responds to own

name • Begins to respond to

"no" • Can tell emotions by

tone of voice • Responds to sound by

making sounds • Uses voice to express

joy and displeasure • Babbles chains of

sounds

Babies at Seven Months Babies at Seven Months • Movement • Rolls both ways (front to

back, back to front) • Sits with, and then without,

support on hands • Supports whole weight on

legs • Reaches with one hand • Transfers object from hand

to hand • Uses hand to rake objects

Babies at Seven MonthsBabies at Seven Months• Vision • Develops full color

vision • Distance vision

matures • Ability to track

moving objects improves

Babies at Seven MonthsBabies at Seven Months• Cognitive • Finds partially

hidden object • Explores with

hands and mouth • Struggles to get

objects that are out of reach

Babies at One YearBabies at One Year• Social and Emotional• Shy or anxious with strangers • Cries when mother or father

leaves • Enjoys imitating people in his play • Shows specific preferences for

certain people and toys • Tests parental responses to his

actions during feedings • Tests parental responses to his

behavior • May be fearful in some situations • Prefers mother and/or regular

caregiver over all others • Repeats sounds or gestures for

attention • Finger-feeds himself • Extends arm or leg to help when

being dressed

Babies at One YearBabies at One Year• Cognitive• Explores objects in many

different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)

• Finds hidden objects easily • Looks at correct picture

when the image is named • Imitates gestures • Begins to use objects

correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver)

Babies at One YearBabies at One Year• Language• Pays increasing attention

to speech • Responds to simple verbal

requests • Responds to “no” • Uses simple gestures, such

as shaking head for “no” • Babbles with inflection

(changes in tone) • Says “dada” and “mama” • Uses exclamations, such as

“Oh-oh!” • Tries to imitate words

Babies at One YearBabies at One Year• Movement• Reaches sitting position

without assistance • Crawls forward on belly • Assumes hands-and-knees

position • Creeps on hands and knees • Gets from sitting to crawling

or prone (lying on stomach) position

• Pulls self up to stand • Walks holding on to furniture • Stands momentarily without

support • May walk two or three steps

without support

Babies at One YearBabies at One Year• Hand and Finger Skills• Uses pincer grasp • Bangs two objects together • Puts objects into container • Takes objects out of

container • Lets objects go voluntarily • Pokes with index finger • Tries to imitate scribbling

Warning Signs of ProblemsWarning Signs of Problems• Developmental Health Watch

Alert your child's doctor or nurse if your child displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.

• Does not crawl • Drags one side of body while crawling (for over one month) • Cannot stand when supported • Does not search for objects that are hidden while he or she

watches • Says no single words ("mama" or "dada") • Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking

head • Does not point to objects or pictures • Experiences a dramatic loss of skills he or she once had

Early InterventionEarly Intervention

Infant & Toddler Connection of Fairfax/Falls Church3750 Old Lee Highway

Fairfax, VA  22030 Contact: Meribeth Fannin - Intake Coordinator

Phone: (703) 246-7121Fax: (703) 246-7307

E-Mail:  meribeth.fannin@fairfaxcounty.govService Area: Fairfax, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Springfield

Babies: The EndBabies: The End