Baby six months old. Things to watch out for parents

Reading time: 8 minutes

More recently, your baby was a small lump that was brought from the hospital. In just six months, he has changed a lot, grew up, confidently holds his head, smiles at his mother. The development of a child at 6 months is striking in its speed, boys and girls are making incredible progress, learning new things, changing their diet, gaining communication skills, and showing individuality.

What does a 6 month old baby look like?

Only six months have passed since the birth of your little one, and he does not at all look like that defenseless and tiny creature that you captured in the first photos. The proportions of his body are changing, approaching the parameters characteristic of an adult. For 6 months, the crumbs could change the color of the eyes, grow the first tooth. Many lost their first downy hairs and got new ones, already adults.

Weight and height

The main indicators that pediatricians use to assess the development of a baby are weight and height. Boys and girls weigh twice as much as at birth. The weight of a child at six months varies from 6.8 to 8.4 kg. Deviations from this average statistical norm of 1 kg up or down are permissible. By the age of six months, the rate at which babies gain weight slows down. For the sixth month they add 600-650 grams. The growth of a child in six months is from 64 to 67 cm. Growth indicators are considered within the normal range if more or less than the figures given by 3 cm.

6 month old baby development

Boys and girls develop differently, which becomes noticeable already in six-month-old babies. They differ in average weight and height: girls are often slightly fewer boys. mental development children at 6 months also differ: young coquettes begin to babble earlier, show emotionality. The difference in behavior and physical development is not always noticeable.

What should a child know

The development of a child at the age of 6 months moves at a gigantic pace. The six-month period is characterized by high physical and emotional activity, the speed of learning. There are several skills that six-month-old boys and girls should master. The list of what a child should be able to do at 6 months includes the following items:

• lift the body on outstretched arms;
• try to crawl
• babble;
• independently roll over on the stomach, sideways;
• try to take a vertical position;
• sit down independently;
• knows how to hold toys, shift objects from hand to hand;
• hold the head well and control its position.

Physical activity

When the little one is born, baby nervous system, which regulates the work of the muscular apparatus, is immature. A six-month-old baby already has the ability to make conscious and orderly movements. The normal development of a child at six months is manifested by the skills of large and fine motor skills. By 6 months, a baby should learn to roll over, hold his head confidently, some of the children already know how to crawl. Holding toys, feeling objects with the palm of your hand are important achievements.

visual perception

Children's vision continues to develop. Boys and girls, having reached the age of six months, can already focus on objects that are at a distance of about 8 cm from a small nose. Toddlers distinguish more colors, objects on far distance take on a clearer shape. Looking at toys, the baby can squint, and from bright light - squint. These are natural reflexes and should not be cause for concern.

auditory perception

By the age of 6 months, a newborn's hearing abilities are actively developing. The little one clearly hears soft sounds, turns his head in search of the source of the noise. sharp and loud noise may scare the child. Even at night, when the baby is sleeping, a sudden noise is disturbing. Babies listen when people talk, catch the intonations of adults' communication. They become interested musical toys, rattles.

Speech skills

In addition to motor skills, milestone development is speech activity. At the age of six months, the baby not only cries and coos, but also makes active babbling. Toddlers try to pronounce syllables, sometimes repeating combinations of letters dozens of times. If adults happily respond to the children's "ma-ma-ma", then the little one babbles even more diligently, will continue to repeat the sounds.

The speech skills of a child at 6 months old allow the little one to imitate the intonations of adults, speak softer or louder, and cough. At this stage speech development the baby begins to enter into a "dialogue". When adults say a cue, the baby is silent, and then continues the conversation. Insert phrases when the little one is silent, and you will see that the child will respond to the remarks in his children's language.

Psycho-emotional development

For the manifestation of emotions, the baby already uses not only crying, but also facial expressions, sounds, gestures. Babies show alertness when they see stranger, exercise caution when hitting new environment. The child needs emotional communication, tries to keep the attention of loved ones, especially mothers. Some boys and girls are able to show tenderness and affection by cuddling up to their mother when they sit on her lap.

Test for the development of the baby at six months

Testing should be carried out in the usual conditions, at a time when the baby feels good, is active and cheerful. The following classes may be included in the test:

1. Put your favorite toy at a distance of 20-30 cm from the little one. The kid should look at the toy, highlight it among the environment.
2. Communicate with the little one by changing facial expressions. In response, the baby should make attempts to repeat the facial expression: smile, frown, wrinkle his forehead.
3. Give your baby a toy and then try to pick it up. Is the child unhappy? Hold the object firmly? So it's all right!

Baby care at 6 months

The development of a child at 6 months makes changes in baby food and regimen. If until now the baby has been fed with breast milk or a mixture, then complementary foods are introduced by 6 months. It's time to offer breastfeeding adult food by controlling the reaction of the body. In the diet of the baby, cereals, vegetables, fruits gradually appear. Check with your doctor before changing your diet. TO baby food must be approached carefully and carefully, because digestive system not yet fully developed. Look closely at the changes in the children's body after the introduction of new products.

It is important to follow the daily routine. Eat meals at the same time, keeping equal intervals. Instead of 3 daytime sleeps, 2 remains by 6 months, the little one can oversleep without night feedings for 7 hours. For healthy babies it is important to stay awake actively. There must be a sufficient number exercise. Do massage, gymnastics, strengthening the muscles of the back, legs and arms. Take walks between naps, play with your daughter or son. Hygiene procedures do not undergo changes. Wash your hands often, because the baby spends a lot of time on the floor.

How to develop a child at 6 months

Huge impact on full development a child from 6 to 7 months is provided with games and activities that contribute to the development and consolidation of new skills. To teach the baby to crawl and roll over, the little one is often left on the floor, where there are toys at some distance from it. You can develop the baby's speech by reading books, telling rhymes, naming the surrounding objects, colors, shape, location in space.

Psychologists and speech therapists say that fine motor skills are the basis for the development of speech. Offer a six-month-old baby pyramids, cubes, teethers. different textures of materials, bright colors preferred for children. Under the supervision of parents, it is permissible to use small items: buttons, beans, pebbles, cereals. Put the items in bags and give the crumbs.

Games

To develop speech skills, intelligence, logic and communication skills, it is not enough interesting toys. Only an adult contributes to the growth of achievements, helps to understand the world. Games are important for a child, for example, you can offer your baby the following activities:

1. Hide and Seek. There are several ways to play. The child can hide himself by covering his face with his hands or a diaper. Help him until he learns to do it on his own. Joyfully greet the baby when you "find" him. An adult can hide behind a curtain or headboard. Call the baby by name, further contributing to the development of auditory skills.
2. Finger games. The well-known "Forty-white-sided", "Horned Goat", "Ladushki" will be useful and interesting for your child.
3. Ball games. A small ball is your assistant for the development of coordination of movements, fine motor skills, sensory skills. Sit the baby (if necessary, with support) and roll the ball so that he can catch it with his hands.

Exercises

When you give a baby a massage or a gymnastics session, include a number of exercises in the procedure aimed at physical development crumbs. Strengthen the muscles of the back, abdomen, massage your fingers. One of the proven ways to strengthen the immune system, muscular system child - a visit to the pool. For home use the following exercises:

1. Lay the baby on your back, grab the shins. Bend one leg at the knee and straighten the other. Change the position of the legs, strengthening the joints, muscles.
2. Put the child on the fitball with his stomach. Holding the back, swing the ball left and right, back and forth. Exercise effectively affects the abdominal muscles.
3. Knead and lightly sip each finger in turn. Give massage 2-3 minutes every day.

Video for a 6 month old baby

The Internet is replete with educational cartoons designed for children from 6 or even 3 months old. The usefulness of such a video is questionable. Experts say that by attracting the little one to the screen, you negatively affect the organ of vision, to some extent limit motor activity. A six-month-old child cannot yet consciously perceive what is happening on the screen.

Frequent problems

Most parents face new challenges when their toddler is 6 months old. The most common troubles attributed to early age include the following:

1. Discomfort from teething. The gums swell and itch, causing whims. Use cooling gels, special teethers to minimize discomfort.
2. Awakenings at night. Babies often wake up several times during the night. Bathing at night and feeding after it will help to improve the sleep of the crumbs. Make sure that at least 4 hours pass between the last daytime and nighttime sleep.
3. Injuries. Increased activity leads to the fact that the chances of injury in a child increase. Falls from the bed, hitting the furniture when trying to crawl and other troubles can be prevented by parents only if they provide constant control. Inspect the room where the little one is located, make it as safe as possible.

Video

A six-month-old baby is very different from a baby who has just been born, both physically and emotionally. What did the little one learn by the age of 6 months, what skills does the parent enjoy every day, and how can adults stimulate the development of the baby at this age?

Physiological changes

The muscles of the back and shoulders by the age of 6 months have already strengthened so much that the baby can sit without outside support. Sitting, the baby maintains balance and freely controls his hands. Muscle development is also important to start crawling.

The child rolls freely in any direction and is very mobile, which requires heightened attention by adults.

The vision of 6-month-old babies is fully developed and functions like an adult's. The child easily follows objects that move, as well as the views of other people.

Many children at this age erupt the first teeth. They appear on the lower jaw. As a result, the secretion of saliva six month old baby intensifies.

Physical development

During the sixth month of life, the little one gains approximately 650 grams, and the growth of the baby becomes 2 centimeters larger. By this age, the weight of the crumbs becomes twice the indicator that was determined immediately after the birth of the baby. The chest for the sixth month increases by 1-1.5 centimeters, and the circumference of the head - by 0.5-1 centimeter.

Each child develops at his own pace, however, in order to understand whether the baby is growing normally, the boundaries of the norm were determined, as well as the average indicators of the physical development of children of a certain age. Knowing about them, parents can identify whether there are problems with the growth of the baby and whether the child needs additional consultation with a pediatrician. We presented the main indicators for 6-month-old children in the table.

half year old baby little man who can already sit and evenly hold his back, twist his head in different sides, it arches and turns around, can hold toys and a spoon. At this age, even his first taste preferences: The child may show a dislike for a certain type of complementary food.

How does a baby develop at 6 months? What should you know about sleep and nutrition? What problems should alert parents of six-month-old children? Let's figure it out.

Weight: how much should a baby weigh at 6 months

Now the child is gaining 600 or 650 grams per month. Boys and girls have different rates of weight at this age. Yes, under the data World Organization Health care low weight of boys is considered to be 6.4 kg, medium - 7.9 kg, high - 9.8 kg.

As for girls, for them low weight in half a year is 5.7 kg, average - 7.3 kg, high - 9.3 kg.

Nutrition: how much should a child drink and eat at 6 months

Many young mothers are worried about the sufficiency of weight gain by children. They think that their babies are not eating enough. So that there is no doubt, one simple formula should be used. A child from 6 months to a year should gain 1/8-1/9 body weight per month. If your girl weighed 7100-7200 grams, then for her the total volume per day should be 900 grams. When this portion is divided into 5 feedings, you get 180 grams at a time. This applies to breastfeeding. If it is about artificial feeding, then the menu for the day should be something like this: 4 main servings of food, 200 grams each ( breast milk or a mixture), 30 grams of vegetable and fruit puree, half the yolk and 30 grams of fruit juice.

The total volume of water per day (together with milk) should be 1 liter. Many pediatricians say that up to six months a child should not drink water at all. Others are of the opinion that a child should drink up to 200 grams of water per day.

Should the child eat at night

There are many children who, by the age of two months, absolutely calmly manage without night feedings. They just endure a six-hour pause. It is not right to force a child to eat if he does not want it. If the baby is healthy, his mother has enough milk and the baby is full, he has enough breast milk for normal growth, then it is necessary to refuse feeding at night. If the mother suspects that her breast milk is decreasing, then you can return to night feedings or introduce an additional portion of complementary foods during the day. The second will be more appropriate, and the mode will not need to be changed.

Sleep: How Much Should a Baby Sleep at 6 Months?

At six months, the baby should sleep for 14 hours a day. At the same time, children can sleep for 7 hours in a row at night. Sometimes a child can confuse day with night and sleep so much during the day. Want this characteristic more early period development. If the child sleeps for more than 7 hours and wakes up briefly, falling asleep again on his own, then this is very good. It means that your sleep lover is growing up, and that the child is developing well. Sleep is the best growth period for a baby.

As for the daytime periods of sleep, the baby may fall asleep several times a day. It can be periods of one and a half hours of sleep or two hours. Parents need to remember that the stable mode of the night and daytime sleep the baby has a great effect on his development. It helps regulate relaxation habits. To establish a sleep schedule, doctors advise accustoming the child to certain rituals of going to bed. First, it should be a nocturnal sleep ritual, which may consist of lullaby mother, telling a fairy tale, taking a bath, in a word, doing procedures that form a baby's sleep reflex. The child will appreciate this, and after a few repetitions of such a ritual, he will fall asleep faster. After all, a fairy tale or a song for him will become a clear signal of the beginning of the holiday.

Physical development: the child does not sit, does not crawl, does not roll over at 6 months

A child up to six months already lies confidently on his stomach, tries to crawl, sits and keeps his back straight. This is typical for healthy children. They also try to roll over and even stand briefly on all fours. Usually for this, parents use toys as incentives for the actions of the baby. They also do massages for children, carry out general strengthening procedures in the form of air baths, bathing and gymnastics.

But sometimes, in rare cases, it happens that a six-month-old child is not yet sitting and does not even turn over. Perhaps this is due to the characteristics of the baby's body, its phlegm.

Some doctors say that the child does not owe anything to anyone. And this also applies to the skills of sitting, coups, crawling at 6 months. The inability to do this may be due to excess body weight. But, most likely, the reason for such physical passivity is the low muscle tone of the baby (hypotonicity). If the parents do not work with the child, then this is possible. In cases of lagging development of physical skills, it is recommended to take a course of massage with the baby. Perfectly help in this case tonic baths. If you combine one and the other, then progress will accelerate. In any case, if your child does not sit and roll over at 6 months, he will normal weight, then go to a pediatric neurologist, possibly an orthopedist.

Should a baby at 6 months sit and stand on legs?

At 6 months, the baby is usually already sitting. Today, children develop very actively, and the skill of sitting they usually develop before this age. Moreover, the baby even has a desire to walk with your help. But you should definitely pay attention to how the legs bend at the knees and the feet turn out. Indeed, at 6 months, the muscles of the thigh, lower leg and pelvic girdle are not ready for such loads, they are not developed to ensure full walking. But dancing and jumping, if you can call them that, can be done with a child. This is standing up for a few seconds, turning in different directions, which will train the development of all the muscles involved in walking. Such exercises will significantly improve the mood of the baby. Turn them in daily procedures baby activity.

You can also use walkers. If we take into account that a child can move with their help, it is necessary to ensure him complete safety. Do not leave alone, isolate outlets, remove heaters and pots with flowerpots, make partitions - these are just individual security measures that will help you be calmer for your child. It is at this age that the cognition of babies can cause trouble.

Baby standing on tiptoe at 6 months

It often happens that a child who does not yet walk can stand on his toes or, as they say, on tiptoe. Most likely this increased tone foot muscles. It is better to turn to a pediatric neurologist and not follow the advice of neighbors. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe you a course of massage - and all this will pass. The main thing is not to start the problem. It is also good in these cases to "swim" in a large bath. If you let everything take its course, then in the future the child may simply get used to walking on his toes. This, in turn, will negatively affect the development of all muscles and bones involved in bipedalism and deform their development.

If your child does not have eye problems, then he sees the world around him from birth. The child uses vision to assimilate information about environment. In the first months of life, the baby's eyes develop very actively, and vision improves. And at 6-7 months, he already sees the world the way we see it - in color. The child can recognize objects even after seeing only a part of them. It is this skill that can be used up to a year when playing hide and seek with a baby using a handkerchief.

Most healthy babies already at 5 months distinguish similar primary colors, they begin to distinguish pastel shades. Therefore, parents at this age need to maintain the child's interest in toys, that is, primary colors.

A little later, it is necessary to introduce variety into the color world, maintaining interest in the shades of the primary colors. In the crib, the crumbs must be hung bright toys that will attract attention and stimulate the activity of the child.

Baby development at 6 months: games

The achievement of a six-month-old baby is confident coups from the stomach to the back and vice versa. If the child is supported, then it will step over with its legs. Such steps, turns in a horizontal position in the form of dances, springs in the form of squats will strengthen the foot gradually, which in the future will help to master walking skills.

At six months, a child can play with a pyramid. Of course, it is still too early to collect it on your own, but the child will be able to remove one ring, and parents can show how the rings are put on the rod, do it consistently and daily. In the process of observing this, the child will develop sensory skills in picking up the toy from larger to smaller rings. Be sure to voice your actions when collecting the pyramid.

The development of the child is very well promoted by the activation of motor skills of the fingers. Therefore, ordinary pampering can be turned into games that help such development. If your child is constantly trying to remove the diaper with handles, poking around in the plate, then let it amuse you that this is how your researcher develops hand motor skills. He needs to be given that opportunity. For example, put a toy in a bag with a large zipper. Do this in front of the baby and demonstrate several times how you close and open the zipper. Children also like opening Velcro fasteners, so you should let them play with these pockets by putting something bright and safe inside.

You can also play with your child, flipping through the pages of books and showing him how to do it. You can play by tapping the piano keys with your fingers, squeeze a washcloth in the bath. All this will help develop your baby's motor skills.

Especially for - Diana Rudenko

One of key points in the development of a toddler, 6 weeks old is a smile. It is already meaningful, intended specifically for mom (dad), instantly uplifting and illuminating the whole house with joy. And a 6-week-old baby can ...

However, first things first.

Physical development and growth of a child 6 weeks from birth - how did a one and a half month old baby grow up?

Your baby not only got older by one week, but also increased in height, body weight, and also learned a lot in the past 7 days.

• Height and weight. By 6 weeks, the baby has gained about 200 g (30 g per day), the change in growth is not significant (the increase is no more than 1 cm). In general, the average growth per month is now about 3 cm (since birth, the increase in height is about 4.5 cm, and chest- by 2 cm). The average weight gain since birth is about 800 g.
• Night feeding still left (about 3 am). On night sleep 9 hours are allotted (from 9 pm to 6 am).
• For sleep in general, the crumbs take about 18 hours, and wakefulness - about 5-6 hours.
• The amount of food has not changed : per day - 1/5 body weight (about 600-800 ml).
• Number of feedings - 7 times / day. Feeding cannot be introduced yet. If there is not enough milk, then mixes are introduced. Be sure to give your child water.
• Bowel movement at 6 weeks - 3-4 times a day, or after each feeding. Constipation is considered not the best indicator, if it is observed, then reconsider your diet or mixture.
• Physiological development. The movements of the 6-week-old baby are not yet particularly coordinated, fingers in fists, arms bent at the elbows. Visual achievements: the baby can fix his gaze on an object for a long time, he catches the movements of his mother. Watch your child: with pain in the ear, the child can turn his head violently, and with bloating of the tummy, twist his legs.
• How much to walk with the baby, how to dress? The baby does not yet warm itself, so we wrap it up for winter walks in a quality way so as not to freeze. For winter walk 1 hour is enough, for summer - too much fresh air can not be.

Spitting up in a 1.5-month-old baby - why do they happen and how to fight?

There are two reasons for this phenomenon - the extensibility of the gastric walls and the underdeveloped sphincter ("lock") of the entrance to the stomach (like a bottle without a cap). When sucking, the stomach stretches, after which the muscles of the gastric wall contract, and the milk "splashes" out.

How to be?

What a one and a half month old baby can do: smile and actively explore the world

The main achievements of the child 6 weeks of life

How does a child learn to explore himself and space, how does he communicate with his parents?

Rules for caring for a newborn 6 weeks of life: what should mom know?

About bathing

For the cold season, bathing is limited 1-2 times a week with soap and daily with plain water. And in the summer, you can bathe the baby as many times as the mother sees fit - as long as the baby likes it. It is no longer necessary to add potassium permanganate to the water, and wipe the body calmly, without worrying about the umbilical wound.

Intestinal colic: causes and ways to get rid of them

Causes intestinal colic 1.5-month-old crumbs are the same as in the other neonatal period

1. Immaturity of the enzyme system and incomplete breakdown of fats/carbohydrates. As a result, gas formation, bloating small intestine and the appearance of colic. Spasm of the intestinal area is accompanied by crying, reddening of the face, twisting of the legs and general anxiety.
2. Mom's poor diet(or illiterately chosen mixture).

How to deal with colic in infants? Basic Rules

What to do if the temperature in the baby rises? Possible reasons

First of all, we note that for crumbs up to six months, a temperature of 37.2 can be considered the norm (of course, in the absence of symptoms of the disease). It depends on many factors, including individual characteristics, room temperature, etc.

It is also worth remembering that the temperature of infants tends to rise very quickly with illness. Be careful, but don't panic.

Possible causes of fever at 6 weeks

1. Heat stroke or overheating of the baby.
2. Any disease (stomatitis and SARS, one of intestinal infections etc.).
3. An allergic reaction to a vaccine or to stress.
4. Neurological reasons.
5. Dysbiosis and diathesis.

What to do with an increase in temperature in the baby?

• Check your child for allergies , the appearance of other symptoms (all changes associated with an increase in temperature).
• Remember what you ate for the last days.
• Check if you have wrapped your child too much. When overheated, the face of the little one turns red, the body is full of heat, and breathing becomes frequent. In this case, we ventilate the room up to 21-22 degrees, and we apply the child to the chest.
• With dysbiosis (note Violation of the intestinal microflora) the temperature rises to 37.5. Toxins of harmful microbes enter the bloodstream, and this raises the temperature. And with her comes poor appetite and unstable chair.
• Testing for dysbacteriosis , we consult with the doctor.
• Diathesis. Yes, and it can also be accompanied by a temperature (+ rash on the cheeks, redness of the skin, itching). Review your diet.
• Intestinal infection. It usually starts with high temperature, and then manifests itself as vomiting and nausea, diarrhea. Call a doctor.
• Viral infection. Newborns get sick with ARVI less often, and during the illness they show completely different (than in adults) symptoms. The temperature with the flu usually does not rise high, and viral infection often confused with the common cold. How to be? There is only one answer - call a doctor to avoid serious complications.

Symptoms accompanying a rise in temperature and prompting parents to urgently call an ambulance

1. Vomiting, diarrhea, prolonged crying, restlessness, lack of appetite.
2. Rash on the body, convulsions, rare urination.
3. lethargy, cloudy urine, unsuccessful attempts to bring down the temperature.
4. The baby does not allow the chin to be bent to the chest and strains the neck.
5. Rapid pulse, heavy noisy breathing.
6. Legs rolling, eye rolling.

We play and develop: games and activities for the development of a one and a half month old baby

Your little one is just starting to feel with his fingers different surfaces and fix your gaze. Accordingly, he now needs toys that will help in the development of visual / sensory perception.

• Music carousel. Not too bright and loud, slowly spinning. We hang it higher, and for the time of wakefulness we lower it lower so that the baby can touch it with his hands. Experts advise temporarily hanging clear portrait photos or large bright drawings instead of toys on your mobile phone.
• Play mat. WITH different texture, colorful and bright, with areas that rustle, with details that are interesting for the baby. You can lay out the little one on the rug by removing the socks from it - let it feel different materials not only with the handles, but also with the heels.
• Rattles. Only safe and durable to small parts did not end up in the baby's mouth.
• Rubber toys-squeakers. Enough 1-2.
• Clockwork toys. For now, the baby can only watch them. Choose a toy so that its sound does not frighten the child, and the movements are not too abrupt.

New educational games for a newborn baby 6 weeks from birth

Each game is accompanied by physical contact with the baby (stroking, massage) and communication with him (songs, poems, etc.).

1. Nose to nose. Holding the baby with 2 hands, we bring our face closer to the baby's face and sentence one of the nursery rhymes. 2-3 times we move away, we bring the face closer, for the 4th time we touch the nose of the crumbs with our nose. During the game, we change the tone and volume of the voice.
2. Dereza goat. All parents know this game well. Saying “a horned goat is coming ...”, we gently gore the child with the little finger and forefinger.
3. Where is the baby? We hide our face in our palms, sharply spread them apart and exclaim: “Where is my baby? Here he is!".
4. We make faces. We round / stretch our lips, puff out our cheeks, squint, stick out our tongue, etc. We run the baby’s palm over our face - let him feel your cheeks, nose, lips, forehead. Be sure to talk with the little one - "this is the nose of the mother, these are the mother's eyes, and this is the nose of the baby ...".
5. Twinkle. We turn on a lamp or flashlight next to the child (the light should NOT fall in his face!), Exclaiming “Spark!”. After we turn off “Oh, went out! No light!" Repeat the steps until the baby is interested.

Hardening and gymnastics for a 6 week old baby: new exercises

For special gymnastics and massage - it's time. First, talk to your pediatrician to find out what is allowed and what is not. After all, otherwise you can harm the crumbs.

What is possible at this age?

We conduct all classes and games with the baby in game form so that they give him only pleasure.

And do not forget to communicate with the child. He needs to hear your voice all the time.

Beloved baby has passed the first stage of his development and celebrated the first "anniversary". During this time, he grew stronger, grew up, acquired a lot of skills and knowledge. The development of a child at 6 months will bring new achievements.

The baby's muscles are getting stronger, which will allow him to sit on his own and prepare for crawling. The intelligence of the crumbs is rapidly developing. He learns speech and overcomes new logical tasks.

Table

By the age of six months, the baby doubles its body weight in comparison with the weight at birth and grows by an average of 15 cm. The width of the shoulders should ideally be ¼ of the length of the body itself. Indicators of height, weight, head volume depend on many factors, but heredity plays the main role.

However, there is a norm that pediatricians and parents are guided by. Below is a table with data developed by WHO. It shows that the physical development of a girl at 6 months is slightly different from the development of a boy. Indicators for both sexes correspond to the norm if the data for height, weight, head volume are in the range from “below average” to “above average”, inclusive.

Height, weight, head circumference of a six-month-old baby

Indicators	boys
			Head circumference, cm			Head circumference, cm
Very low
Below the average
Above average
Very tall

How to assess the correctness of development?

For every mother, it is important that the baby grows up healthy. You can evaluate the physical development of a child of 6 months on your own by conducting several tests. You should know that observations should be carried out when the baby is full and rested. Tests to check:

1. If you put the baby on the tummy, then he, firmly leaning on outstretched arms, raises the body and head at an angle of 45-90 ° to the plane.
2. In the supine position, you need to let the crumbs tightly grasp their thumbs and pull it up a little. The development of the child at 6 months, in contrast to younger age, will allow him to happily make an attempt to rise. At the same time, the baby controls the head well, and can also touch the chest with the chin.
3. Putting the baby on its feet and supporting it under the armpits at the same time, you can see the new skill that the baby learned at 6 months. Development will allow him to keep his body weight on his legs for a couple of seconds, while straightening his feet.
4. If you offer a child beautiful toy, then a six-month-old baby will be able not only to hold it, but also to shift it from hand to hand.
5. It is necessary to interest the baby in a bright new object on the table, then, as soon as the child reaches out to him, begin to mix it and drop it on the floor. Interaction with the outside world is a skill that a 6-month-old baby has already mastered. Development at the age of six months is characterized by the fact that the baby will follow the object of interest to him until he disappears from sight.

Changes in behavior

A six-month-old baby begins to realize what emotions are. He manifests them in accordance with the situation and subtly feels the mood of loved ones. If the parents talk and joke merrily, then the baby also smiles and brightens up with joy. But an angry tone in communication spoils his mood. The baby frowns, is alert and may even cry.

Laughter, joy, revival, tears, gestures, changes in facial expressions are normal reaction on the world around, which a baby of 6 months can show. The development of a six-month-old baby, in contrast to more early age, has another striking feature - it can clearly distinguish strangers and close people in the environment and reacts to them differently. If children at 3-4 months go into the arms of everyone indiscriminately, then at the age of six months they strangers taken with caution. At the sight of a stranger, the baby freezes, carefully studies the new person, and then reacts with a smile, animation or crying. The appearance of close people, and especially mothers, he always meets with delight and babble.

Intelligence

The baby begins to understand the meaning of human emotions and look at the world consciously. The development of a child at 6 months is characterized by the fact that the baby knows the name of him, his brother (sister) and everyone else from his inner circle. With this comes understanding. simple words(“on”, “give”, “no”, “bye”) and expressions (“let's go eat”, “let's go for a walk”, “it's time to swim”). It recognizes items that are used daily or found in the same place, such as a pacifier, a bottle, a clock on the wall. At this age, a passive vocabulary is formed. Over time, after repeated study, hearing the repeated pronunciation of the name of the subject, the baby will look at it. Receptive speech skills come before the ability to pronounce words, so communication and activities with the baby are extremely important.

Speech

Starting from the age of six months, the child starts new period in the development of speech. At this time, he is already trying to take part in communication with loved ones. The baby does not just babble, but begins to train intonation. He raises or lowers his voice in response to the reaction of the interlocutor. The development of speech at 6 months allows the baby to consciously pronounce the first sound formations. He gets different syllables, consisting of vowels and consonants. The combinations “me-me”, “da-de”, “pe-pa”, “ge-he” and other similar formations make up the sound “repertoire” that the baby pronounces at 6 months.

Development correct speech six months of age - this is not the presence of all the vowels and consonants listed above, but the changing height of intonation and tone, as well as stress in sound formations.

Problems in development

All parents want their baby to develop properly. But, unfortunately, there are some deviations that require correction and attention of a specialist. For example, if a baby at six months old cannot pronounce any vowel sounds, this is a reason for consulting a pediatrician. Parents should be alert to the following results of monitoring the baby:

• his cooing and babbling stopped;
• the baby absolutely does not react to the facial expressions of others, does not look in the face when communicating with him;
• constant backlash on physical contact: the baby does not just repel loved ones with displeasure when he is dissatisfied, but always does it;
• the child does not show emotions: there is no smile, gestures, animation;
• lack of reaction to different intonations of the mother's voice or their inadequate perception.

Features in the development of girls

IN vertical position the baby opens the world in new colors. Sitting is one of the main skills that accompanies the development of a 6 month old baby. A girl differs in her physiology from boys, so the parents of daughters ask specialists a completely natural and timely question: "When can I sit down a baby with support?"

According to pediatricians, healthy six-month-old girls with normal development can sit with the support or support of a parent, and by seven months they are already able to do it on their own. In no case should you artificially plant a baby up to 6 months. If at the age of five months her muscles have strengthened, and she will take a semi-sitting position on her own, it makes no sense to lay the baby back in a horizontal position. The baby will still take the position in which she is interested. Leaving the daughter half-sitting for a short time, then you can distract her with something interesting, put her on her tummy or pick her up. It is necessary to observe that a girl at this age sits no more than an hour a day.

Baby 6 months: development, nutrition and first complementary foods

At the age of six months, the first teeth may appear in the crumbs. Most often, the lower incisors grow first. Sometimes, of course, the teeth are late, but bright feature in the development of the baby is his interest in the food that the whole family eats.

Here comes the moment of the first feeding. According to research, today pediatricians recommend first introducing one-component puree of white or green vegetables into the child's menu. Zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower are perfect for dating. You can choose a special ready-made product or make your own puree. A new dish can only be offered to a healthy baby in good mood. It is better to do this in the morning. You need to start with one teaspoon, gradually bringing the portion to 180 g and replacing one milk feeding. When meeting anyone new product it is obligatory to control the reaction of the body (the nature of the stool and the condition of the skin).

Problems with the introduction of complementary foods

The baby is not always happy with new food. He may get upset and spit out the puree.

What should mom do? There are many tips, but each baby is individual. You can offer another vegetable the next day, for example, instead of not liking broccoli, give zucchini for testing. Some mothers add a little breast milk to the puree so that the taste of the dish seems familiar to the baby. If this does not help, then it is better to postpone the introduction of complementary foods for a few days, and then try again. The most important thing is not to scold or force-feed the baby. The main food product for a six-month-old baby is breast milk or formula, so it is wiser to postpone acquaintance with new food for a while than to rush and cause negative emotions in the baby. 3-4 weeks after the successful introduction of vegetables, you can try cereals.

Entertainment and activities

On proper development a child at 6 months is affected not only by a balanced diet, quality care and sleep, but also activities in a playful way, aimed at improving movements and developing intelligence. It is very important during this period and constant communication with loved ones. You can sing songs to your baby, read funny children's poems, look at picture books and just talk about everything, highlighting keywords. For example, a bus passed, you need to indicate: “Look, a bus. Where is the bus? When communicating, a passive vocabulary develops.

At the age of six months, the baby will be interested in floating figures for bathing, lockable boxes with contents, thick picture books, balls, a spinning top, a pyramid, soft animals with a sound effect, a plastic mirror, chewing toys. Should not be given to a toddler small items. Any toy purchased for him must be safe and must be certified.

Results

The first half of a baby's life is restless and difficult period. To its end six month old baby achieved a lot:

• freely controls the head and torso;
• can turn in any direction;
• takes the toy he likes with precise and coordinated movement of the handle;
• easily rolls over from stomach to back, and vice versa;
• knows his own name;
• sits confidently with support or support;
• he has teeth;
• for the first time he pronounces conscious sound formations, including consonants;
• receives the first food for adults;
• demonstrates his mood and emotions;
• matches objects and their names.

All of the above skills are healthy child 6 months. Development, nutrition, care and love of parents played a major role in all the achievements of the crumbs. The care and support of mom and dad will help the baby overcome all difficulties and grow up as a healthy and smart child.