Child Development 3 to 6 months

By the age of three months babies are visually alert and will be attracted to brightly coloured objects that move such as curtains and mobiles. They now put their hands together over their chest and study them thoughtfully, and then put them into their mouth for further exploration. At about the same time babies will begin to produce more saliva and dribbling will increase.

At three months, a baby will look intensely at adults in the room. They will deliberately set about engaging attention by smiling and “talking”, their obvious love of people is hard to resist. They will begin to chatter. If baby has a dummy, ensure baby has time without it to “talk”, socialise and learn through hand / mouth play. Babies of this age will laugh and chuckle aloud in play, making single and double syllable sounds such as a-a, goo, muh, der and eh-luh.

So sociable are they that sometimes babies of this age seem to prefer playing to eating. In the quieter hours of feeding they take enough food to maintain good nutrition – though weight gain may slow down for a few weeks.

Babies begin to develop a sense of trust, knowing that his or her needs will be attended to, such as being fed when hungry, comforted when in need of reassurance and changed when wet. A four month old baby may stop crying and even smile when parents are seen or heard approaching.

Between 3 and 6 months babies will learn to turn over from tummy to back. The ability to roll over and move will develop more quickly (and safely) on a firm stable surface such as the floor rather than a soft bouncy bed. At this age they move their hands and feet purposefully, often moving backwards. They move VERY QUICKLY – never leave baby unattended on a table or the bed.  By six months, babies may sit alone for a few moments.

Most babies of this age will sleep less during the day than they did previously , but probably for longer periods at night.

They have a very strong grasp and they are quick and persistent. All toys need to be safe, with smooth edges and no small beads or bells that can be swallowed. Do not leave plastic bags or other objects that may be hazardous near babies – at this stage everything goes in the mouth!!

Babies teeth begin to form in the gums well before birth. Eruption times, sizes and shape of teeth are determined by inherited makeup. Babies may be born with a tooth, or may still be toothless at 12 months – it really doesn’t matter. What does matter, is the exposure to any sweetened fluid or food such as honey, condensed milk, sugared fruit juices or sweet biscuits. These foods favour the development of acid in the mouth which can attack tooth enamel and is the major cause of early dental decay.

Sleep and nutrition are important. 
The Nurses at Pharmacy 777 or your child heath nurse will give you advice about sleep, feeding and when to introduce solids.