Development

Babies thrive and learn with love and attention. They are happy when they are spoken to, given lots of cuddles and have time playing with you and other people.

You may be amazed at how quickly babies grow and learn. They will become very aware and interested in everything around them.

Bathing / swimming

The bath provides your baby with time to be washed and to play and relax. Most babies enjoy splashing, floating and playing with safe toys. To keep your baby safe in the bath, an adult (or teenager over 14 years) needs to stay with your baby at all times until they are 5 years of age.

Some parents start taking their babies to public swimming pools once they are 6 months old. Avoid dunking baby under the water too often as they may swallow too much water. You can buy special disposable nappies or togs which will contain any bowel motions your baby may pass.

Language / Te reo

Between 4 months and 1 year, your baby will try making many different sounds.

At 4 or 5 months they may be starting to laugh and squeal. You will notice their sounds change from cooing to babbling.

At 1 year they may be saying 2 or 3 words and repeating simple sounds. Your baby will use a variety of tuneful sounds that resemble speech patterns. You may notice them starting to take turns waiting for you to speak, then babbling back. They will understand lots of words. Children understand what you say to them long before they can talk themselves.

They will also let you know what they want through gestures (eg pointing and reaching out their arms to be picked up).

Your baby may enjoy:

• listening to the sounds of words and trying to copy sounds
• listening to songs and action songs
• listening to you naming objects, teaching them names of body parts, and talking about what you are doing and why
• looking at pictures and reading books with bright, clear pictures.

Hearing / Te rongo

At about 7 to 9 months you can expect your baby to:

• turn towards sounds and voices
• stop moving and listen to a new sound
• make different babbling sounds (eg mama, dada, bubba)
• smile when you talk.

By 1 year you can expect your baby to:

• respond to their name
• look around for sounds
• listen to people talking
• understand some words
• try to talk back when you talk
• copy sounds
• point to people or things they know when asked to.

Children who are born with a severe hearing loss may still gurgle and coo in the normal way and progress to mum-mum and dada sounds. For your baby’s development it is important to observe and identify signs of hearing problems and discuss any concerns with your Plunket nurse, well child health provider or doctor.

Eyesight

By 6 months you will notice your baby:

• follow a slowly moving, brightly coloured object with their eyes
• reach out for toys and other objects, hold them firmly and look closely at them.

By 1 year you will notice your baby:

• watch people and movement with interest
• look for dropped toys
• pick up small objects about the size of a pea
• follow the movement of a dangling ball in all directions.

Discuss with your Plunket nurse, other well child health provider or doctor if your child:

• tilts their head in an unusual way as it may mean they are using only one eye to see with
• has a lazy eye (eye turns in or out), cross-eye or squint
• shows any unusual eye movement, such as roving eyes or jerky movement
• searches with their hands without looking at the object they want
• brings objects close to their eyes
• hates bright lights
• does not look at your face or turn to look at bright objects.