Baby Language Quiz - Answers!

Here are the answer's to this week's quiz:

Typically, how old are babies/toddlers when they:
1. Consistently respond to their own names?

Around 6 months. At the same age, babies will look longer at people who are named, showing that they have linked names with people like "mommy," "daddy," and other close relatives.

2. Start to use a few words consistently with meaning (not just understanding but saying the words themselves with obvious meaning)?

Around 12 months. You'll notice that your baby understands words much earlier than he says them. He will first understand then use new words (often mispronounced) at an amazing rate as his first birthday passes. Remember to pay attention to what words your baby hears from you or any other source. Babies are sponges, soaking everything up including words you wouldn't want shouted out at a family gathering.

3. Use cooing and other noises specifically to attract your attention?

As early as 3 months, your baby will be using sounds that she knows will attract your attention. Remember, your baby loves looking at your whole face and listening to your voice. She is trying to learn as much as she can from you. If you respond to her softer sounds, she'll have less reason to resort to shrieking.

4. Start to combine words into short noun-verb sentences?

Around 20 to 24 months, your baby will start to use sentences and combinations of words. Even though your baby might still shorten or mispronounce words, you'll notice that he seems to follow basic grammar  rules in that he is using words in a specific order, like "I go."

5. First recognize friendly or angry tones in others' voices.

Around 6 months, your baby will respond more positively to friendly voices and negatively to angry ones. She's been watching and learning from you and has learned to prefer nicer tones of voice. Keep in mind that your baby might become upset if she is nearby when people are arguing even if she doesn't understand what is being said.

Resources:
Infant Development 2nd Edition, Volume 1: Basic Research. Bremner and Wachs (Eds). Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.

Stamm, J. Bright from the Start. Gotham Books, 2007.

Baby Language Quiz!

We realized that we haven't had a quiz in a long time, so here we go. Our topic is children's language development.

Typically, how old are babies/toddlers when they:
1. Consistently respond to their own names?
2. Start to use a few words consistently with meaning (not just understanding but saying the words themselves with obvious meaning)?
3. Use cooing and other noises specifically to attract your attention?
4. Start to combine words into short noun-verb sentences?
5. First recognize friendly or angry tones in others' voices.

We'll post the answers on Friday!

Right-handed or Left-handed? How Early Can You Tell?

Being a lefty, I know all about the inconveniences of being one of the 10% (or so) of adults who are left-handed. Of course, I know there are stories about “lefties,” specifically, how our brains work differently than those of our righty brethren. The stereotype lingers that lefties are creative but a bit scattered, illogical and spacey. Ok, the spacey part might work… But, how do babies become right- or left-handed and how soon can you tell which hand your baby will prefer? In this post, we want to share some of the research in this area.

How Do Babies Become Right or Left Handed?

Scientists do not fully understand how babies end up favoring one hand over the other. A few ideas have been tested related to babies’ positioning in the womb. Because of the limited space and the position of maternal organs, developing babies end up looking to the right more often than to the left. This means that they are more likely to see and become familiar with their right hands. Another idea relates that there is more likely to be space in the womb to move the right hand versus the left. If one hand is easier to move around, it may end up as the preferred hand. Some scientists have focused on factors influencing handedness after the baby is born. Typically, newborns do look to their right more often than their left and they will work to move the hand they see. This may result in earlier voluntary movement of the right hand. Another theory relates to the fact that babies watch and learn from their parents. Babies notice which hands are used to feed them, play with them etc. This theory may partly explain why left-handedness tends to run in families.

So, the current thinking is that most babies become right-handed because of several circumstances that slightly but consistently increase in the likelihood that they will see, explore, and use their right hands both prenatally and postnatally. We lefties either didn't have these experiences or reacted to them differently (perhaps that's where the brain differences come into it).

How Early Can you Tell if a Baby will be Right or Left Handed?

Many parents start to imagine that their baby is left- or right-handed based on the percentage of time their 4- or 5-month-old reaches awkwardly with one hand or the other for an object that is held in front of them. But simple one-handed grasp actions are easy to do with the non-dominant hand (you do this every day) so trying to identify the preferred hand so early isn’t likely to be very predictive (at least not of left-handedness because nearly all babies end up right-handed). Handedness becomes more predictable when babies start to use both hands to explore objects. Older babies will use one hand to grasp and the other to keep objects steady or to manipulate them. When they start to play with toys in more complex ways (stacking, pulling them apart, putting them in and out of containers), they are more likely to use a dominant hand. Babies tend to be older (18 to 24 months) before handedness becomes more consistent. No matter what age your baby starts to prefer one hand over the other, there are a couple of things you should know. First, handedness is really a continuum, meaning that most babies can use both hands but they tend to use one hand more effectively than the other. Some people rely on the preferred hand for nearly everything, others can use both hands for most tasks. Handedness in adults and older children seems absolute only because of habits and more practice doing daily activities like eating and writing with one hand. Second, researchers have found that babies are less likely to show hand preference when they are learning new skills. That means that you might see your baby using one hand much more often than the other until he starts doing something new (like standing) and then he might use both hands equally until he masters the new skill.

References

Fagard J. The nature and nurture of human infant hand preference. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 2013; 1288: 114-123.

Michel GF, Babik I, Sheu CF, and Campbell JM. Latent classes in the developmental trajectories of infant handedness. Dev Psychol. 2013; June 17 Epub.

Nelson EL, Campbell JM, Michel GF. Unimanual to bimanual: Tracking the development of handedness from 6 to 24 months. Inf Beh Dev 2013; 36: 181-188.

Revisiting Teething: Part 3

Alternative medicines to relieve teething pain?

By Karolina Gonzalez, MAS

Note: We are not medical doctors. We are providing this information based on articles published in research journals. You should talk to your own doctor before you give any medications or remedies to your child.

As a mom, I totally understand parents have concerns when trying to help their children deal with teething discomfort. I’ve heard a lot of them telling others which of the alternative medicines available today are the best. But I’m sure many parents out there are wondering about how effective those options are. Do they really work? We want you to make an informed decision regarding the product you choose to relieve your child’s teething discomfort. So let’s take a look at what the scientific evidence tells us!

First of all, it is important to point out that even though many parents might think that “natural” options are safer than “drugs,” that is not true. There are, for example, highly toxic natural substances. You should also know that while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates "conventional" foods and drug products, it regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations, per the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. Manufacturers of dietary supplements, including herbal treatments, are not required to prove a product is safe and effective before it reaches the consumer. For example, there’s insufficient evidence to support the use of any herbal teething remedy as an effective method for treating teething discomfort (McIntyre & McIntyre, 2002). However, herbal compounds such as Chamomile (Matricaria Chamomilla) are still popular among certain communities to relieve infants’ teething pain.

Homeopathic teething tablets and gels, another type of alternative medicine, are also marketed to soothe pain, reduce inflammation and ease irritability associated with teething. Homeopaths treat disease using very low dose preparations administered according to the principle that “like should be cured with like.” The remedies are prepared by a series of dilutions and vigorous shaking. The more you dilute it, the greater is its strength (Vickers & Zollman, 1999).  

Homeopathic remedies are also regulated by the FDA. For example, Hyland’s Teething Tablets were voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer on 2010 to ensure all the lots of the product contained equal amounts of the ingredients. The product was re-introduced with a new formula in July 2011 when all concerns were addressed. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) parents can safely use the tablets as well as the gel with young children. But there is currently insufficient evidence that homeopathy is clearly effective for any single clinical condition, including teething pain in infants (Ernst, 2010).

Amber teething necklaces are a traditional European remedy for relieving teething pain and widely available today. It is important to stress that these necklaces are designed to be worn, not chewed. They supposedly help to reduce teething pain due to an analgesic compound in the amber that is absorbed into the body through the skin. But according to research, there is currently no scientific evidence suggesting that such necklaces are effective for treating teething discomfort (Markman, 2009).

From my own experience, I can tell you that an extra dose of loving care and attention has been the most effective method for “treating” my now 11 month-old teething baby. But no matter which method you choose, remember to talk with your doctor before giving your child any medication. And feel free to tell us about your experience!

References:

FDA. Dietary Supplements. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/food/dietarysupplements/default.htm

McIntyre GT & McIntyre GM. Teething troubles? British Dental Journal. 2002;192: 251-255.

Vickers A, Zollman C. ABC of complementary medicine: Homeopathy. BMJ. 1999 October 23; 319(7217): 1115–1118.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Homeopathy. Available at: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy#sideeffects

Ernst E. Homeopathy: What does the “best” evidence tell us? Med J Aust. 2010;192(8):458–460.

Markman L. Teething: facts and fiction. Pediatr Rev. 2009;30:e59-64.

 

 

Revisiting Teething! Part 2.

By Karolina Gonzalez, MAS
Some time ago we shared information about common ways parents may "treat" their teething infants. We discussed the pros and cons about the use of teething toys, pain medications and mouth gels. New information is available about the latter two, so we decided to share it with you today!

We want to remind you we are not medical doctors and we are not recommending the use of any medication, pharmaceutical or natural. We are just reporting what research tells us about those options, to help you to decide which of these methods, if any, to use with your own infant. Please consult your doctor before giving your child ANY medication.

Common Teething Medications
Acetaminophen: Pediatricians often recommend acetaminophen products, such as Tylenol, for infant and toddler teething discomfort. Until quite recently, there were two suspension strengths: one for infants (80 mg/0.8 mL) and one for children (160 mg/5 mL), which resulted in the potential for confusion, as well as the potential for an accidental overdose. In response to recommendations from an FDA Advisory Committee Meeting, since 2011, some manufacturers have changed the amount of acetaminophen in these medicines to one standard amount to help reduce dosing errors that can lead to accidental overdoses (Krenzelok, 2009). Infant drops, which contain 3 times more medicine than the children’s liquid, are being phased out and will no longer be available. You need to be aware that the dosing amounts are different depending on the concentration they are using. And please remember, even though teething pain might affect some children on-and-off for several months, acetaminophen is not appropriate for long-term pain-management.
Mouth gels: Even though teething gels have been popular, on April 2011, the FDA warned the public that the use of benzocaine, the main ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) gels and liquids applied to the gums or mouth to reduce pain, is associated with a rare, but serious condition. This condition is called methemoglobinemia and results in the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream being greatly reduced. In the most severe cases, this condition can result in death. Analysis of the incidence of adverse reactions to benzocaine and dose required to produce an adverse reaction revealed 132 cases of methemoglobinemia between November 1997 and March 2002. Only 69 of the reported events specified the dose used, but of those, 37 indicated use consistent with package directions (i.e. appropriate dosing) (Moore et al, 2004). As of today, the FDA recommends that benzocaine-containing gels and sprays not be used on children younger than 2.

References:

Krenzelok. The FDA Acetaminophen Advisory Committee Meeting – What is the future of acetaminophen in the United States? The perspective of a committee member. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2009 Sep;47(8):784-9.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Drug Safety Communication: Reports of a rare, but serious and potentially fatal adverse effect with the use of over-the-counter (OTC) benzocaine gels and liquids applied to the gums or mouth. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm250024.htm Accessed on May 27, 2013.

Moore et al. Reported Adverse Event Cases of Methemoglobinemia Associated With Benzocaine Products. Arch Intern Med. 2004 Jun 14;164(11):1192-6.

Additional resource:

American Academy of Pediatrics. Fever and Pain Medicine: How Much To Give Your Child. Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/medication-safety/Pages/Fever-and-Pain-Medicines-How-Much-to-Give.aspx  Accessed on May 26, 2013

Revisiting Teething! Part 1

By Karolina Gonzalez, MAS

 

Is your little one too fussy? Always consider the “big picture” before blaming those tiny pearly whites

As a new mom I’ve already been there! When my baby starts getting fussy and irritable in the grocery store, there appears that helpful advice from an empathetic woman: “He must be teething! Have you tried this? And what about that?” Everywhere you go and your baby starts showing any disengagement cue, together with the excessive drooling and the desire to chew on something hard, someone shares with you a popular treatment to help him soothe his tender gums, right?

Parents and caregivers attribute a wide variety of signs and symptoms in young children to teething. Excessive drooling, runny nose, diarrhea, fever, and sleep problems are just a few examples. A few days ago I even heard a mom saying she was sure her baby gets constipated when teething.

Such parental beliefs are consistent worldwide, across all education levels, and for both first-time and experienced parents (Markman L, 2009). We’ve already mentioned in previous posts though, that results from research studies indicate that no symptoms are linked consistently with tooth eruption in all children. However, those popular beliefs might lead parents to try possible solutions that will not always help and in some cases, may even pose a risk for their children’s health.

Remember that young children are exposed to a wide variety of environments, illnesses and situations that may cause episodes of congestion, diarrhea or fever; and that local symptoms may occur, but systemic (whole body) symptoms are not caused by teething. This perspective will help you avoid using the “teething diagnosis” to explain either normal baby behavior or a serious illness that should be treated right away.

My baby’s first two lower teeth appeared when he was 7 months old. And even though we noticed one of his upper teeth coming in a few weeks ago, we can’t say more teeth have appeared yet at almost 10 months. I must say, though, as first-time parents, learning everything from scratch and getting to know our baby day by day, we’ve considered teething pain as the cause for him being pretty irritable at times!

Next time, we’ll continue with this series about teething, sharing an update regarding common over-the-counter medications used to treat teething pain in infants. Stay tuned!

References:

Markman L. Teething: facts and fiction. Pediatr Rev. 2009;30:e59-64.

Babies' Firsts: Standing

It's been quite a while since we've done a Babies' Firsts post (click here to see previous posts in this series). In these 2-part posts, we start by asking or readers to share their experiences watching their babies achieve various milestones. Then, 1 to 2 weeks later, we share what the research shows about the milestone and explain how it may effect a baby's behavior.

Today, we want to hear how your baby learned to stand! To share your experience with us, post a comment with your answers to the following questions:

• How old was your baby when he or she first tried to pull up to stand?
• What did you baby use to pull up on (for example, furniture, toys, etc)
• How long did it take for him or her to stand alone, without holding onto something?

We look forward to seeing your comments and will be back next week with the follow-up post!

Quick Tip: Don't Move Bedtime Up too Soon

If you've been reading this blog, you know that babies typically start to concentrate one longer stretch of sleep during the night time hours sometime between 3 and 4 months of age. Of course, parents are more than ready to get a little more sleep by then and it is easy for them to believe that babies should always sleep for 4 to 5 hours once they can "achieve" that first concentrated stretch. Parents who have been putting their babies to bed at 11 pm or midnight in order to sleep until 4 or 5 am, might think they can now move the bedtime up closer to 7 or 8 pm, enjoy some time together, and get two or even three long stretches of sleep each night. Well....you might want to wait on that.

When your baby first starts concentrating a long stretch during the night time hours, you might find that you only get one longer stretch. If you put your baby to bed at 8, she might give you that long stretch until midnight or 1 a.m. then, wake up again at 3, 4:30, and 7 am! You're not doing anything wrong, your baby just isn't ready to have several long stretches of sleep yet. To avoid some frustration, you might want to wait to move up your baby's bedtime until she becomes more consistent with combining shorter periods of waking with longer stretches of sleep. For lots of babies, that happens when they are around 6 months old. It will happen...no really...it will. In the meantime, remember to get some help at home. More sleep is just a few weeks away.

Reference:
Heraghty JL et al. The physiology of sleep in infants. Arch Dis Child. 2008; 93: 982-985.

Does "Back to Sleep" Delay Babies' Rolling Over?

By Jennifer Goldbronn, RD, MAS

The Back to Sleep Campaign, now known as the Safe to Sleep Campaign, educates parents about ways to decrease SIDS risk, including putting babies on their backs to sleep.

There has been some controversy in the past that this campaign has actually decreased the total time babies spend on their tummies not just during sleep but while they are awake.  There was some concern that less time on the tummy would delay some motor skills such as rolling over, sitting up or crawling. What followed was a campaign to promote “tummy time” during awake time.

Studies then followed looking at whether or not specific developmental milestones were delayed since inception of the Back to Sleep Campaign.

Some studies found slight delays but results were still within developmental norms.  Other studies showed that the age of rolling tummy to back was older and that babies were reversing which milestone they hit first, rolling back to front first instead of front to back. For information on the age at which babies roll over, click here.

Thus, a new study aimed to see if there really was a difference in the developmental milestone (rolling over) before the Back to Sleep Campaign compared to now, 20 years later. Current data were compared to the AIMS (Alberta Infant Motor Skills) data set, a measure of normal infant motor abilities, collected 20 years ago. The current data set used the same assessment guidelines and age ranges as the AIMS data set, and the proportion of infants passing each of four items (immature and mature front to back rolling and immature and mature back to front rolling) by 36 weeks of age was assessed.

What did they find? Infants in both groups achieved the milestone of rolling over at almost the same age. The order with which the infants reached the four milestones (passing each item) was the same in both the pre-campaign and post-campaign groups. The age at which 50% of infants could perform each milestone was also the same in both groups.

The results of this study show no significant effect of the Back to Sleep Campaign messaging on infants’ ability to reach the "rolling over" milestone. The authors of the current study will continue to assess the effects of the Back to Sleep Campaign on other motor skills such as crawling, sitting and walking. Stay tuned for the results!

For more information about making tummy time easier for your baby, click here.

We also clarified some common misconceptions about tummy time in this subsequent post.

Reference

Darrah J, Bartlett DJ. Infant rolling abilities- the same or different 20 years after the back to sleep campaign? Early Hum Dev. (2012) [Epub ahead of print]

Your Baby’s Senses (Part 4): Sight

By Jennifer Goldbronn, MAS, RD

Today, we’ll continue our series on infants' senses by sharing information about the sense of sight. First, we’ll look at some of the milestones related to visual development in the first 6 months of life and then we’ll answer 2 common questions parents have about their babies’ sight.

The First 8 Weeks

A baby’s vision begins to develop at birth and is dependent on normal function of both the neurological system and structures of the eye. Newborns can see black, white, and shades of gray and can focus well to about 8-12 inches; they can see longer distances, but they can’t control the muscles in their eyes that allow them to see distant objects clearly. Because they can only focus a short distance, much of their vision is blurred. However, practice makes perfect; babies improve their focus by first focusing on faces and then moving on to bright objects nearby. At first, newborns can focus for only a few seconds at a time, but by 8 weeks, babies can focus their eyes on their parents’ faces for longer periods.  The ability to focus is not the only thing needed for babies to see clearly. They must also develop "visual acuity," or the ability to see details. While most structures of the eyes are completely developed at birth, the visual parts of the brain are not fully developed.  Studies show that during the first month of life babies’ visual acuity is about 20/120 (The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute). What exactly does that mean? If given an eye exam (and they could read), they would be able to read the big “E” at the top of the eye exam chart only. This is about 6 times worse than a normal adult seeing 20/20.

2-4 months

By 2-3 months, babies are able to follow people or objects with their eyes, and by 4-months, babies begin to learn hand-eye coordination as they begin to reach for objects. Their ability to see details (visual acuity) improves as well; by 4 months, babies’ vision has improved to 20/60. Then, as babies learn to roll over, sit up, and pull up, eye-body coordination begins. Eye-body coordination is simply learning to control body movements within the world around them.  Babies’ peripheral vision becomes almost as good as that of adults by about 4-months old. One study using flashing lights as part of a test of peripheral vision in infants found that newborns oriented towards the flashing lights out to 30 degrees in their field of vision. As babies got older, peripheral vision improved until infants at 4-months old could see almost as far as adults do.

4-6 months

 “Two-eyed” or “binocular” vision begins by 4-5 months so that babies fuse what they see from both their right and left eyes into one image, allowing them to develop strong depth perception. By 4-5 months, babies also begin to see in full color! Imagine how exciting their world becomes. All of these visual skills continue to improve over time, and by 6-months, many babies have developed 20/20 vision as they are able to see images more sharply and in greater detail.

2 Common Questions about Infant Vision

Should I worry if my newborn is cross-eyed?

No! Young babies must learn to use their eyes together. They begin to practice this skill by following objects with their eyes as they learn how to track and use their eyes together. This takes neuromuscular control that babies must learn over time. By about 4-5 months most babies have learned to coordinate their eyes together and the crossed eyes should stop. You shouldn’t worry about a young babies being cross-eyed unless his eyes cross after 5 months of age; then you should contact an ophthalmologist.

How important is it for my baby to have black and white toys?
Many toy stores sell black and white toys, claiming that these encourage visual development of infants. While it’s true that infants prefer to look at high contrast (like black and white) images because they are the most visible to them, high contrast patterns are not the only ones babies can see. Babies can actually tell the difference between much subtler shades of gray and their sensitivity to contrast becomes 10 times better than at birth by only 9-weeks, meaning it’s almost as good as that of adults. It’s important to give babies the opportunity to see other colors (besides black and white) and their subtleties and to let them explore important objects such as your face, your hand or their own hands and feet.

References and Resources

Lewis TL, Maurer D. Multiple sensitive periods in human visual development: evidence from visually deprived children. Dev Psychobiol. 2005; 46: 163–183.

Children’s Vision Information Network: http://www.childrensvision.com/development.htm

American Optometric Association: http://www.aoa.org/x9420.xml

What Can My Baby See? The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute: http://www.ski.org/Vision/babyvision.html

Babies' Firsts: The Science Behind Rolling Over

A few weeks ago, as part of our Babies’ Firsts series, we had the following questions for our readers:

1. How old was your baby when he or she rolled over for the first time?
2.  Did your baby roll from back-to-tummy or tummy-to-back first and how long did it take before he or she could roll both ways?
3. What kind of adjustments or modifications did you have to make in your baby's environment to accommodate his or her new skill?

First, we’d like to thank everyone who commented! Your stories show that every baby is different and that even siblings who grow up in the same environment achieve milestones, like rolling over, at their own pace. Today, I’ll share the story about when my youngest daughter, Charlotte, learned to roll over and then explain what research shows about how and when babies tend to develop this important skill.

Charlotte’s Story
Charlotte is 7 months old now and she’s been rolling over for 3 ½ months. She first rolled from her back to her tummy while we were playing together on the floor. Although we had been having “tummy time” a few times each day, she never seemed to like it, so when she first rolled over, she promptly started crying. I helped her roll back onto her back, but within just a few minutes she was back on her tummy again. It went on like this for a few weeks until she learned to roll from her tummy to her back.

We had to make quite a few changes when Charlotte started rolling over. We had to be much better about keeping the floor clean and making sure that her big sister, Olivia, picked up her toys. We also had to start keeping all the dog toys out of reach and I bought a foam play mat to make our hard floor a little softer for her. All of the effort came in handy, because before long she was army crawling all over the house (but that story is for another post!).

Rolling Over Research
Everyone knows that there are 2 ways babies must learn to roll, from back-to-tummy and tummy-to-back, but many people (including me, until today) may not know that within each of these rolling methods there are 2 types, with and without rotation. Here is information about each type:

Prone to supine (tummy-to-back)

• Without rotation – Rolling from tummy-to-back without rotation means that the shoulder and pelvis are aligned, body is extended, and the movement starts from the head.  It can start as early as 1 month of age, but only about 10% of babies can roll this way by 3 months; 50% and 90% achieve it by 6 and 8 ½ months, respectively.    
• With rotation – Rolling from back-to-tummy with rotation is characterized by a shoulder and pelvis that are not aligned, movement originating from the shoulder, pelvis, or head, and rotation in the body.  Because the rotation is a more complicated movement, this type of rolling typically starts around 4 months with 50% achieving it by 7 months and 90% by about 9 months.

Supine to prone (back-to-tummy)

• Without rotation – When a baby rolls from back-to-tummy without rotation, his head will be up, his body will be stretched and his shoulder will be in line with his pelvis. The movement will begin from the head, shoulder or hip, and his body will move as one unit. Fifty percent of babies can roll this way by about 5.5 months and 90% reach this milestone by 9 months.
• With rotation – Rolling this way requires the baby to lift his head and stretch his body and the movement starts from the head, shoulder, or hip, but the shoulder and pelvis will not be aligned, the baby’s body will rotate, and the legs will move separately from the rest of the body. Just as with tummy-to-back, rolling with rotation is mastered a little later than rolling without; 50% achieve it by 7 months and 90% by 9 months.

So, the take-away message: The age at which babies master rolling over varies greatly! If you think about it, it makes sense given that rolling over requires the coordination and use of many muscle groups.  Regardless of the age of your baby, rolling over means that you have some baby-proofing to do! For more information, refer to Baby Proofing Part 1 (for birth to 6 months) and Part 2 (for 6-12 months).

Reference:
Piper M, Darrah J. Motor Assessment of the Developing Infant. Philadelphia PA:W.B. Saunders Company 1994.

Reader Question: 7 month-old "yelling"

In October 2009, we posted an entry titled Infant Development from 6 to 7 months: New Wonders, New Skills, and New Fears, as part of our infant development series. Recently, we received the following comment on this previous post from a reader:

My 7 month old daughter is in this phase where she will yell. And it doesn't seem to just be yelling to hear her voice, its when she wants something. And if

you do not respond, she gets louder and at times even shows an angered face. I am curious...Is this a negative behavior leaning towards fits or just her way of communicating? And how should I handle it. I feel if I respond to the yells, it is teaching her that yelling is appropriate to get things you want. But if I ignore her, how else is she going to communicate? A little confused.

Even though this comment is referring to a post that is a few years old, it is very timely for me personally. My youngest daughter, Charlotte, is almost 5 months old and if I had to choose one word to describe her, it would be LOUD! She started cooing a few months ago and since then, she has gotten very comfortable with her own voice! She loves to “talk” to her older sister and “sing” to the dog. Most of the time her noises are happy, but there are times, like when the mobile stops before she’s ready, that her babbling turns to squealing, or as the reader called it, yelling!

While I understand why the reader feels that her baby may be developing a bad habit, I don’t think she has reason to worry yet. The reader’s daughter is a little older than Charlotte, but they are both doing the same thing; they are experimenting with their vocal ability and learning from the response they get! Babies learn cause and effect at about 4-5 months of age, and with this new found understanding of the world around them, they also begin to show frustration. It seems that the reader’s daughter is showing her frustration by yelling, and for her age, that is perfectly normal; what other option does she have to express those feelings? The important thing to remember is that even though she is learning through trial and error at this stage, she is also learning by watching people around her. Ignoring her when she is yelling won’t do anything to ease her frustration, but responding quickly and acknowledging her feelings will teach her that you are there for her and want to help her understand her world. Even though she isn’t communicating with actual words yet, she does understand a lot of what is said. Her language skills are developing and talking to her will help her learn to communicate more effectively. She will also learn to deal with her feelings by watching how others react to theirs, so modeling the appropriate way to express emotions is very important.

We hope we’ve answered this reader’s question, and we welcome you to ask questions too! Simply post a comment to any of our blog posts and we will do the research and find an answer for you.

Our Favorite Baby Books Part 2: A Few More Good Books for Baby

Here are some more of our favorite books to read to babies and toddlers.

From Taryn:
Both of my favorite books have spectacular illustrations. While babies will not follow the stories (they’ll be more interested when they are about 2 or 3 years old), they will love to look at the colors and pictures on the pages.

1. Baby Honu Saves the Day by Tammy Yee
Baby Honu is a sea turtle who recruits some special friends to save a beached dolphin.

2. Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger
This is a beautiful story about how the moon gets up into the sky. The pictures are beautiful and there are very few words, a nice bedtime book to share.

From Jane:
1. Pat the Bunny - by Dorothy Kunhardt
A classic from many years ago, this book includes a simple story on pages filled with different textures for babies to touch. I had a few of these books; my kids tended to wear them out while exploring the pages.

2. Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton
This cute little rhyming book is another story about how much parents love their babies. Sandra Boynton books are always good choices for imaginative characters and bright colors.

3. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
While this book is nearly as old as I am, it is a classic. With all the silly rhymes and pictures, babies will love to hear your voice repeating the same sounds over and over.

4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond
Another fun rhyming book that your children will want to hear again and again. They’ll love the crazy results from the simple beginning of giving a mouse a cookie. The pictures and colors will keep babies’ attention until they can follow the story themselves.

5. May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice de Regniers and Beni Montresor
While it is not as well known as the other books, this story was one of my daughter’s favorites. It is a lovely rhyming story about a little boy who asks a king and queen if he can bring animal friends to his many visits to the palace. This one will be a favorite for years.

Next time: We’ll Solve Some Baby Behavior Mysteries!

Our Favorite Baby Books: Part 1

Last time, Taryn shared the latest research about the value of reading to your baby or toddler. After talking excitedly about the special baby books we had read to our own children (or remembered from childhood), we realized that we needed more than one post to share our favorites with you! As you know, we don't promote or name products on this blog but we had to make an exception for these wonderful books (and no, we don't have any investments in bookstores or publishers). First up, JenG and Kerri share their favorite baby/toddler books.

JenG's Favorites

1. Counting Kisses By Karen Katz
This was a fun interactive book that I read to my daughter from the time she was only a few weeks old all the way until she was about 2 years old. In the beginning she simply loved being talked to and kissed. As she got older she learned all of her body parts as we kissed them throughout the book.

2. Goodnight Moon By: Margaret Wise Brown
This is a classic! If you haven’t already added it to your library, you probably should! This book is written as a beautiful poem that starts with saying goodnight to everything in a little bunny’s room. At an early age my daughter would point to the objects we were saying goodnight to as we went through the book, later she would finish my sentences: Goodnight ____. Goodnight____. The story ends with bunny asleep in his bed. This book provides a great transition to bedtime.

3. Guess How Much I Love You By: Sam McBratney
This story is the tale of a daddy rabbit and baby rabbit that try to outdo one another with examples of how much they love each other. It is very sweet. When I read it, I changed the wording so that it was mama rabbit. My daughter would always have this wide, confident smile after we read this book.

4. Llama Llama Red Pajama By: Anna Dewdney
A very sweet bedtime book that I found when my daughter was 12-18 months of age and struggling with bedtime. The rhyming was very comforting and almost lulled her to sleep. I was working during the day and so my favorite line was: “Mama is always near, even if I'm not right here." I wanted her to know that just because she couldn’t see me at times, didn’t mean I wasn’t coming back to her.

Kerri's Favorites
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar teaches about the days of the week, and the life cycle of a caterpillar. My daughter loved this book, especially the end when the caterpillar came out of the cocoon and was a beautiful butterfly.

2. White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker

This is a fun book about a white rabbit who jumps into different colors of paint (red, yellow, and blue) to become a different color. The rabbit takes a shower to wash each color paint off, but soon runs out of water and only has a little paint left. This is a great story to teach your child about colors and how 2 different colors can be mixed together to make a third color.

3. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen

My daughter and I read this book every night before bed for months. This book is about “dinosaurs” that don’t want to go to bed but by the end they let the parent tuck them into bed and say goodnight. “They give a big hug, then give one kiss more. Goodnight, goodnight little dinosaur."

4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

This is a great rhyming book that teaches about colors and animals. My daughter’s favorite part was at the end when it lists all of the animals that the children would see!

Now its your turn! What are your favorite books?

Next time: More of Our Favorite Books!

A Baby, A Book, A Lifetime of Benefits

By Taryn Barrette, RD

How important is reading to your baby? Does it really make a difference? After all babies can’t understand what you read, right? Wrong. Research shows us that the sheer number of words spoken to babies (by people, not computers, phones, or TVs) between birth and 3 years of age improves babies' brain function, vocabularies, as well as their abilities to speak and relate to others. This advantage begins early and extends into preschool, grade school and beyond. Reading to your baby is an easy and fun way to create some wonderful memories while increasing the number of words your baby hears.

Books Benefit Brains
Babies are born to learn. When babies are introduced to books, they gain a broader exposure to words they wouldn’t hear during typical day-to-day activities. For example, a baby may hear the words “dad, diaper, table, door, and potato” on a regular basis, but words like “zebra, princess, Saturn or cactus” are not part of daily conversations. Additionally, books can help children learn about human emotions, numbers, colors, and word-picture associations. Researchers are still unsure about the best age to start reading to children but we do know that children who are read to as babies have higher scores on oral language, reading comprehension, and general intelligence tests than children who were not read to as infants.

Books Benefit Babies’ Relationships
Reading to your baby creates a warm positive atmosphere around books so that your baby will enjoy exploring books later in life. Reading may also provide special one-on-one bonding time with your baby as he snuggles in your lap, pointing to the pictures or words on the page. Reading can also create opportunities to bring the whole family together. Your baby will love to hear your voice as you read more complex stories to your older children. Just be ready with a distracting toy in case your baby loses interest too quickly.

How Do Babies Experience Reading?
Though they aren’t actually reading the words, babies are observing you as you turn the pages, point to pictures, and make facial expressions to show emotions. Reading is an interactive experience. Reading will help you develop a comforting routine, especially at bedtime. Babies will enjoy reading the same book many times. Though The Very Hungry Caterpillar or another baby-classic may not be intellectually stimulating for you, your baby will enjoy the familiarity of the words and pictures and love being able to predict what will happen next.

Picking a Baby Book
It seems like there are an infinite number of options for baby books these days. While you should pick stories you like (you’ll be reading them over and over!), some important attributes of good baby books are:

• Sturdiness – babies like to explore with their mouths. Enough said.
• Colors – bright, contrasting colors and patterns are best for babies.
• Length – pick short books with few words, an infant’s ability to focus is relatively short.
• Texture – as babies get older, they will enjoy flipping and opening doors and labels on books. Having scratchy, fuzzy and smooth surfaces is interesting and engaging.

We hope these tips will help inspire you to get your baby off to the right start by exposing him to the joys of reading.

Next time: Our Favorite Baby and Toddler Books!

References:
1. Jack, Kate. ‘Why Babies Need Books’ http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1513. Accessed Jan.13, 2011.
2. Debaryshe, B. (1993). Joint picture-book reading correlates of early oral language skill. Journal of Child Language, 20, pp 455-461.
3. Karrass, J. (2004). Effects of shared parent-infant book reading on early language acquisition. Applied Devel Psych, 26, pp 133-148.
4. Tomasello, M. (1992), The social bases of language acquisition. Social Development, 1: 67–87.

Baby Proofing by Baby’s Stages Part 2: 6-12 months

Welcome back! Today’s post is part 2 in a series focused on using your baby’s developmental stages to help baby-proof his environment. Now let’s take a look at the older baby, age 6-12 months. Note: If your baby is just now moving into his crib, review part 1 of this blog for links to check crib safety.

6-7 months
Your baby may have mastered rolling as an efficient mode of transportation or he may be getting ready to crawl. Warning! If you haven’t already completely baby-proofed your home, now is the time. Your baby’s instinct will be to poke, hold, and taste anything and everything he comes across. Almost everything that is small enough to pick up can end up in your baby’s mouth. The 6-7 month old is also learning to have more control over his body movements. What does this mean for you? Your baby will be even more explorative because he has an innate drive to practice his newfound motor skills (rolling, crawling, etc.) almost constantly. Here are a few specific tips to keep him safe:

• Remove any hanging toys from the crib when you notice your baby can reach up and touch them.
• Put outlet covers on all outlets; even those hidden behind furniture. Little arms and fingers can find their way into the smallest of holes.
• Lock cabinets; especially those that contain any poison or chemical that could be ingested.
• If unable to lock cabinets, remove all poisons and chemical cleansers to a safer location; like the garage. This includes medications, alcohol and even vitamins.
• Clear all objects off coffee tables, or other low furniture. Even magazines and newspapers can be a hazard. Babies will be able to tear pages and it will almost always end up in their mouths. This can be a choking hazard.
• A good rule to follow: if an object can fit through a toilet paper roll, it is a choking hazard and can get stuck in your baby’s throat. These items should be placed in a locked drawer or up out of the reach of your child.
• Keep pet food (if any) out of the reach of the baby. This might sound like a silly tip, but I can attest from experience that your baby will be drawn to your dog’s bowl of puppy chow. It’s amazing how quickly they can move towards the food and pop a few pieces in their mouths!

8-10 months
Many babies this age are beginning to pull up on furniture (or people) to get themselves from a sitting to a standing position. With this new ability comes a brand new perspective of his world! Soon he will be walking along furniture and exploring everything that is in his new line of vision. Baby proofing must now be taken to the next level.

• As soon as your baby can get up on all fours he could use the crib bumper pad as a step to climb out. Remove it from the crib.
• Coffee tables and other furniture that babies could pull themselves up on should be cleaned off completely. Babies can pull heavy objects over on themselves easily or put things they find lying about into their mouths.
• Furniture that can be potentially pulled over onto baby should be secured to the wall (upright book case, TV, etc.)
• Double check outlets and cords. Remember, pulling up brings baby to a new height!
• Watch sharp corners on furniture or any sharp object that is just the right height for head bumping. There are soft, non-permanent corner covers available for corners of tables. Or move the offending piece of furniture elsewhere for a while.

12 months
Most babies are learning to take steps and some are walking pretty well by this time. Again, more mobility leads to more exploring! Babies become little scientists, exploring and testing the world around them. When it comes to walking and movement, 12-month-olds often have a one track mind. It is common for babies this age to focus all of their energy on perfecting their newfound skill, leaving little time for eating, sleeping, or getting their diapers changed.
Now that your baby is more mobile, you may want to consider the following tips in addition to those mentioned earlier in this post:

• Keep the bathroom doors closed or purchase toilet locks
• Make sure breakables are completely out of reach. Remember babies are stronger and more mobile now!
• Do not leave sharp objects such as scissors, clippers, pens and pencils within your baby’s reach.

Other Resources
For more information about keeping your environment safe for your child visit: www.safekids.org.
For information on crib safety click here.
For information on recalled baby items click here.

Next time: Reasons for Reading to Your Baby!

Baby Proofing by Baby’s Stages -Part 1: Birth-6 months

By Jennifer Goldbronn, RD

Knowing about your baby’s developmental stages can help you baby-proof your home effectively. By anticipating how your baby’s development will affect his ability to explore his surroundings, you can be ready for almost anything! Now let’s get down to your baby’s level (physically, at least) and see what potential dangers lurk around your baby’s environment. Remember, baby-proofing alone does not ensure your child will be completely safe; so never leave your baby unattended.

Birth-4 weeks
At this age, baby-proofing your house may seem unnecessary since your new arrival isn’t very mobile yet. However, it is always better to be prepared before your baby reaches the next stage of development. You will be amazed how quickly your baby will grow and begin to explore. The best way to begin the baby-proofing process is to get down to your baby’s level. Crawl around your home and you will quickly find dangerous places where little bodies could get injured or unsafe objects that little fingers could grab. Your baby may not be able to move much yet, but it won’t be long before he is up and walking and finding ways to get into things. Here are a few more safety tips to keep in mind:

• Never leave your baby unattended! Newborns are born with the ability to move their arms and legs in a swimming motion and lift their heads when placed on their stomachs. Do not assume that a newborn is safe while lying on a changing table or bed (even king size beds)!


• When your baby is on the changing table make sure to use the safety belt to avoid accidents.


• Be sure to remove all blankets and pillows if your baby is lying on a bed. Also, an adult should always be close by in the same room.


• Babies begin to explore objects by mouth as soon as 1 month old. Remember to check the objects near your baby to make sure they are safe, soft and no smaller than a toilet paper roll in diameter.


• Before buying a crib, review the following crib safety tips published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).


• Use caution when buying used baby items or using hand-me-downs. The CPSC has also launched a campaign to keep dangerous used children’s products out of thrift and consignment stores and off the internet, click here for more information.

6-8 weeks
By 6-8 weeks of age, your baby’s neck is growing stronger, and he is able to hold his head up for longer amounts of time. His ability to reach for and grasp objects consistently is right around the corner! With so many possibilities for movement, it is still very important to never leave your baby unattended. Never leave a young baby on an adult bed, couch, or other high surface. You won’t believe how far they can move, long before they can roll or crawl!

4-5 months
By 4 or 5 months of age, babies are learning to sit with support and to use their hands to balance while sitting. They may also start rolling over and can quickly figure out how to use rolling to transport them from one area of a room to another. Babies start to reach for objects and learn how to transfer them from one hand to the other. Babies always seem to find your cell phone or the remote control to the TV around this age, and they will suck and chew on them until you can't make a call or are unable to change the channel! All of this means that your baby’s ability to explore his surroundings just got a lot easier.

• Keep breakables up and out of your baby’s ever-extending reach


• Shorten or remove any cords, especially around window blinds


• Block the fireplace and use gates near stairs or other unsafe areas


• Think twice when putting baby down. Your baby can easily roll off of any elevated surface at this age.

Your baby’s first 6 months will fly by (if they haven’t already). Now it’s time to prepare for the second half of your baby’s first year. Next time we’ll explore how to continue the baby-proofing process as your older baby develops and becomes even more mobile.

Next time: Part 2: Baby Proofing by Baby’s Stages - 6-12 months

Babies Development in the Second Year: 19-24 Months

Most parents have heard about the “terrible twos” reportedly filled with wild mood swings, tantrums, and defiance. For those of you with children closing in on their second birthdays, you may wonder when, and if, your sweet toddlers will turn to the “dark side.” In our last 2 posts, we described development that typically happens in infants between 12 and 18 months. Today, we’ll wrap up the series by focusing on changes that occur in most children between 19 to 24 months. A better understanding of development during these important months may help parents cope with the highs and lows of toddler parenting.

Cognitive Development – Planning, Perseverance, and Pretending

Between 18 months and 2 years, children’s ability to anticipate and solve problems expands. You can see this happening in your own child when she suddenly hesitates before she starts an action, like trying to put on her own socks. She'll look thoughtfully at those socks as she concentrates on each step in her plan. With each attempt, she may pause again, puzzling through solutions to each barrier along the way. Play becomes more creative and complex. Many toddlers are able to play noticeably longer by themselves. They love to pretend and will invite you to join them. With improved memory and the ability to anticipate, perseverance begins to emerge. No more “out of sight, out of mind” for loud toys or dangerous objects because 2-year-olds can remember what they wanted minutes, hours, days, even weeks after you've said no. Meanwhile, toddlers' use of language blossoms. Words turn into short sentences structured loosely on their parents’ language.

Toddlers imitate everyone and everything that interests them (especially older siblings) as if they were walking video recorders. Most will believe that they can doing anything they see others do, including climbing, jumping, and swimming. Be extra vigilant around pools! I speak from experience. Unfortunately, toddlers' abilities often do not match their ambitions and many end up in tears when they aren't able to accomplish their goals. Routines can be a source of comfort for busy 2-year-olds and many love the closeness and relaxation that comes with cuddling with you to read a favorite book. Just be prepared to read that favorite book over and over again.

Social Development – A Sense of Self

As children approach their second birthdays, they become increasingly self-aware. They passionately embrace their independence from their parents...to a point. They simultaneously wish to be independent and completely protected and cared for. Emotions like pride and embarrassment become evident as toddlers celebrate their successes and struggle to cope with the inevitable accidents and mistakes. With all the distractions in their world, most toddlers find it difficult to concentrate on any one thing for very long. Listening to your instructions becomes a real challenge. When you need your child to listen carefully to what you have to say, it may help to get down to her level using your face and body to block out distractions as you talk. With her new found problem solving abilities, your child will try to discover how to get her way through experimentation and perseverance. Many parents believe that 2-year-olds are manipulative but toddlers are a still a long way off from a sense of right and wrong. Toddlers who point and cry in the store to get their favorite candy are experimenting to learn how best to get what they want. Keep in mind that toddlers will remember and repeat actions that work. Toddlers feel all of their emotions with passionate intensity and, without the developmental changes that come along in the next couple of years to help them control those emotions, they lose control fairly easily.

Physical Development – A Whirlwind of Activity

At 2, many children are more active than they will be at any other time in their lives. Between 2 and 3 years of age, they learn to walk steadily in all directions, to climb stairs, to run faster, and to kick a ball. Most 2-year-olds still fall a great deal, especially when chasing older siblings. Two year olds are whirlwinds of activity because they are interested in nearly everything and have limited control over their emotions and actions. All of your stamina will be needed to keep your own little whirlwind safe!

We hope that you’ve found this short series helpful even if 2 years of age is a long way off for your baby. Coming up soon, we’ll have a post specifically about tantrums.

Next time: We celebrate our 1st birthday!!!

Babies’ Development in the Second Year: 16-18 Months

In our last post, we talked about how babies change and grow from 12 to 15 months. Today, we continue our series on babies' development in the second year by focusing on 16 to 18 months. As we mentioned last time, most parents are thrilled (and challenged) by the speed with which their younger toddlers change and develop new skills but, as the old saying goes, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Cognitive Development – Problem Solving in an Expanding World

One of the most remarkable things about toddlers is their ability to set their own pace, no matter how busy their parents are, as they focus on investigating their expanding world. As they approach 18 months, babies' insatiable curiosity drives them to experiment and observe according to their own schedule. As their brains grow, toddlers are better able to remember past experiences and events. They begin to mimic what they've seen others do several hours or even days earlier. For the first time, they are able generalize past "experiments," realizing that toys at grandma’s house will work the same way as toys at home. Babies’ vocabularies also expand rapidly (they add about 3 new words per day) and babies start to put words together into basic sentences.

Social Development – Emotion Explosion

As babies’ thinking becomes more complex, so do their emotions. Their need to be near family and friends remains strong, as does babies' fear of separation. While toddlers want to show their independence and do everything themselves, they are easily frustrated by their limited physical skills. Playing with older children, who are better able to run and climb, can be a source of both great pleasure and consternation for toddlers. Emotions become more intense but also more focused and it becomes easier for parents to identify the source of their children's sudden outbursts. Naps, snacks, and routines can go a long way in limiting toddler meltdowns. It is common for babies of this age to seem to prefer the company of one parent versus the other for several hours or days at a time. Mom or dad may feel left out but no need to worry, babies will happily reach for both parents as their needs and interests change.

Physical Development – Picking Up Speed

For many children, the days between 15 and 18 months are spent perfecting their ability to walk upright. Standing, walking, balancing, crouching, and climbing become obsessions to be practiced all day (and sometimes all night!). As they become steadier on their feet, babies will walk less on their toes and use a narrower stance. After that, running is only a heartbeat away, often before parents are prepared. If you thought your toddler was busy before, watch out! The pace is really going to pick up. Babies' fine motor and problem solving skills continue to improve and they become highly skilled at getting into closed containers and cupboards. Baby proofing needs to be ramped up yet again.

By 18 months, babies are showing off their individuality even as they struggle (sometimes dramatically) to understand and fit into their parents’ world. The tiny baby once so easily held in his parents’ arms has grown into a child who will twist and squirm away as he learns to stand on his own two feet.

Next time: Babies Development in the Second Year: 19-24 Months