6-12 Months
Dramatic changes occur during this part of the first year of life, as your baby’s physical and intellectual abilities take an giant leap forward. Your 6 to 12 month-old will learn to sit, stand, crawl, and perhaps even walk. As you eagerly anticipate your baby’s new mobility and achievements, remember that milestones only represent the approximate age that the average baby accomplishes any given task. In general, infants between 6 and 12 months of age develop better control of their actions such as their pincer grasp and coordination, aren’t fooled by “out of sight, out of mind”, may develop stranger anxiety, begin teething, and will babble, are able to learn sign language, and may even say a few words.
A baby’s interest in play expands greatly throughout these months. Play is a baby’s “work”, so offering your baby as many enrichment opportunities as possible promotes not only their motor development, but cognitive, memory, and social, as well. And of course activities such as reading, talking, singing, and signing with your baby all promote language development. Now that your baby is becoming mobile, you’ll want to make sure to double-check that her surroundings are safety-proofed accordingly.
As the months progress your baby will begin to show an interest in solids and attempting to feed herself. Although this can be a messy venture, practicing using a cup and utensils enhances a baby’s eye hand coordination and fine motor skills. Formula or breast milk continues to play an important nutritional role for the entire first year. Until children reach a year new foods should still be introduced one at a time, with a few days in between so that it is easier to recognize any signs of food allergies and be able to identify which food(s) caused them. In general, parents should not give their infants cow’s milk, or foods that are more likely to cause reactions (such as peanut products or egg whites), until after they reach a year. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed for the first year of life, and indeed there are 100 benefits to date.
The amount a baby sleeps in any given 24-hour period tends to change only slightly between 6 and 12 months, varying by only half an hour by their first birthday. The most common pattern of sleep at this age, if in fact a baby has learned to sleep well through the night, is a 10 to 11 hour stretch at night, and 2 daytime naps that gradually decrease in length. Maintaining a good bedtime routine–such as feeding, bathing, infant massage, and reading a book while listening to calming music can help your child anticipate bedtime and fall asleep more easily.
Remember that milestones are only meant to help health professionals (and parents) assess whether children are developing as expected. Despite the temptation to compare your child’s abilities — whether crawling, talking, signing, or walking — with those of your friend’s child, remind yourself that every child is different. Your child is a unique individual who is likely to be anything but average!