Growth and development: Infants 7 to 9 months
Your baby has passed the half year mark and is more alert and interested in the world around them. Many physical and emotional changes are happening with your 7 to 9 month old. From rolling over to sitting up – to smiles, coos and babbles and waving bye-bye. These changes are exciting and as a parent you still have an important role to play in your baby’s development. Let’s find out a little more about what to expect…
Over the past several months your baby has developed a strong relationship with you and the familiar adults they see on a regular basis. It is common during this stage of development for your baby to be afraid of strangers and suddenly become more “clingy” with their parents. You are still a main source of comfort for your baby making them feel secure and safe in their environment.
Ways to encourage development
Playing with and talking to your baby is a great way to encourage development. There are many opportunities to talk to your baby like during a bath, a diaper change and even while feeding. Your baby loves to hear your voice and the more your baby is exposed to words the more your baby’s brain continues to develop. During this time your baby will enjoy engaging in imitation play. You will notice if you smile at your baby they will smile back, if you make cooing noises they will try to mimic the same noises. There are many different ways to foster brain development through playful activities.
Reading to your baby can start from birth. It helps to develop a close bond and enhance your baby’s introduction to language experiences and early literacy.
Your child’s milestones
Physical development is important to monitor and measure. Keep in mind that every infant is unique and grow and develop at different rates. Monitoring your infant’s physical growth will help you to understand the realistic expectations according to their age. Check out your child’s 7 to 9 month milestones.
The Nipissing Developmental Screen is a tool you can use to track and monitor your baby’s growth and development. Visit ndds.ca and have the screen sent to you for a complete picture of the milestones according to age.
This item was last modified on June 4, 2018