Introduction: Ali Patterson weighed 7.4 pounds and 19.3 inches long at birth. He only received

breast milk until he was 4 months old. By this time, he weighed 15.3 pounds, which is almost twice as

much as he weighed when he was born. His head no longer wobbled and he was able to sit with

support.

Mr. Patterson mentioned that Ali began to get excited when he saw his parents eat their dinner.

After mentioning this to Ali's pediatrician, Mrs. Patterson was told that she could introduce baby cereal

to Ali. She mixed two tablespoons of breast milk with one tablespoon of dry rice cereal. Ali enjoyed the

cereal and did not push it out of his mouth. Mrs. Patterson slowly began to thicken Ali’s cereal as time

went on. She never forced him to eat and continued to feed him cereal when he turned 6 months.

Overview: This case study will document the growth of 6-month-old Ali Patterson over the next 6

months.

Month 6 Ali was introduced to fresh mashed carrots. He did not like them and after a week of

trying, Mrs. Patterson introduced fresh mashed peas. He enjoyed them and Mr.

Patterson wanted to immediately give Ali pureed sweet potatoes. Mrs. Patterson

reminded her husband that Ali’s doctor told them to wait a week before introducing

new foods. For the next four weeks, they introduced a sweet potatoes, apples, and

peaches.

Month 7 Ali is able to sit on his own and reach for

things. He weighs 17.5 pounds and 26

inches long. His parents have not

introduced meats or beans, but they

continue to try one new fresh fruit or

vegetable each week; bananas, squash,

green beans, and corn. Mr. Patterson

bought a sippy cup for Ali to drink 3 oz of

fresh apple juice. They only give Ali juice a few times a week because they want to

make sure he continues to have breast milk.

Month 8 Ali is still being breast feed. He weighs 18 pounds and is 26.7 inches tall. His parents

introduced him to mashed lentils this month. He is crawling and able to pick up things

with his fingers.

“Our little boy eats everything we

throw at him except for carrots.

We’ve tried mixing with other

foods he likes to eat, but he still

will not eat carrots.” Mrs.

Patterson

Month 9

This month Ali was introduced to chicken. He was given two tablespoons of chopped

chicken. There are no reported allergies so far. Ali’s parents are also mixing some the

of Ali’s fresh vegetables and fruits with oatmeal cereal. Ali now weighs 18.7 pounds and

is 27 inches tall. Ali is able to copy sounds of others, say "mama", play peek-a-boo, and

can stand up while holding on to something.

Month 10 He can stand alone for a few seconds before falling down. He has two bottom teeth. Ali was

introduced to cottage cheese and yogurt this month. Mrs. Patterson noticed Ali began to get

little bumps around his mouth and had diarrhea. They called their pediatrician who told them

that Ali was probably having an allergic reaction to the cottage cheese and yogurt. He advised

them to try mixing 1-2 tbsp. with other foods he is already eating. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson

followed their doctor’s advice, but Ali still had diarrhea and a rash around his mouth. Their

doctor told them that Ali is probably lactose intolerant and should stay away from dairy

products for now.

Month 11-12 Ali weighs 22 pounds and is 27.5 inches tall. Mrs. Patterson wants to return to work now that

Ali is one-years-old. She uses a breast pump to leave bottles for the sitter. Ali can stand alone

longer and can understand simple instructions. He is also eating finger foods like baby crackers.

Ali did not have any medical problems his first year. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson believes that this is

because Ali was breastfeed and given fresh fruits and vegetables.

Sources BabyCentre Medical Advisory Board. "Milestone Chart: Seven to 12 Months." BabyCentre. 1 Jan. 2014.

Web. 13 Aug. 2014. <http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a6477/milestone-chart-seven-to-12-months>.

Kemp, Samantha. "When Can You Give Cottage Cheese to a Baby?" LIVESTRONG.COM.

LIVESTRONG.COM, 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Aug. 2014. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/497342-

when-to-give-cottage-cheese-to-a-baby/>.

Parker, Steven J. "Baby Development: Your 7-Month-Old." WebMD. WebMD, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Aug.

2014. <http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/baby-development-your-7-month-old>.

Smith, Keith L Ph.D. "Family and Consumer Science Series Fact Sheet Index." 29 October 2009. The Oh