 BY FOUR MONTHS
By four months your baby should weigh between 10-18 pounds and will be between 23-27 inches long.
You should find that your baby is sleeping about 6 hours before waking during the night. She will sleep on average 14-17 hours of sleep daily
Your baby is still developing physically, you will notice that your baby can now lift her head and chest when lying on her stomach. She will also be able to hold both eyes in a fixed position and follow a moving object or person with her eyes.
She is also more active at this stage and can wiggles and kick her arms and legs and roll over from her back to her stomach. If you give her a rattle or even your finger, you will see that she can now grasp it.
At this age your baby cries to communicate pain, fear, discomfort, or loneliness. She loves to be touched and held close and will return a smile. Shake a rattle or play Peak-a-boo, you will find she responds and will react to sound of voice. You will also notice that she will turn her head towards bright colours and lights atthis age and is exploring objects with her mouth.
At this age baby’s love to play with their fingers, hands and toes , which can make nappy changing difficult!
 BY EIGHT MONTHS
By eight months your baby should weigh between 14-23 pounds and will be between 25-30 inches long.
You should find that your baby is sleeping between 11-13 hours at night although this varies greatly. He will need 2-3 naps during the day
Your baby is still developing physically, and his first teeth are beginning to appear. You baby will chew on objects and drool. His hair is growing and begins to cover is head and his true eye color is now established
Your baby needs at least 3-4 feedings per day at this stage and reaches for the cup or spoon when being fed. With help, he will be able to drink from a cup.He will also enjoy finely-chopped solid food and will close his mouth firmly or turns away when he is no longer hungry
He is more active at this stage and can roll over from his back to his stomach. He will also be able to sit alone without support and hold his head erect. You will notice that he raises up on arms and knees into crawling position; but may not actually move forward
At this age your baby cries to communicate hunger, wet and pain. He makes noises to voice displeasure or satisfaction. He can also recognise familiar voices and sounds. He now learns by using senses like smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing
Your baby can now focus his eyes on small objects and reach for them. He will explore objects by touching, shaking, and banging
Your baby will now respond to his own name and will spend a great deal of time watching and observing. If you remove a toy, your baby will show distress.
He loves to be tickled and touched and will raise his arms to be held.If you place him in front of a mirror, he will smile at his own reflection.
BY 12 MONTHS
By Twelve months your baby should weigh between 17-27 pounds and will be between 27-32 inches long.
You should find that your baby is sleeping between 11-13 hours at night. Some babies will stop taking a morning nap; others will continue with both morning and afternoon naps
Your baby now begins to refuse her bottle or weans herself from the breast during day. She needs 3 meals a day wit 2 snacks in between.
He is more active at this stage and is crawling now. Yu will aso find that she opens and closes cupboards and can stand alone with adult help or holding on to furniture.
Your baby will say it’s first word and will dance/bounce to music. If prompted she can clap her hands, and wave goodbye.She will als imitate adult actions such as talking on phone. She may also become attached to a favorite toy or blanket
Your baby will express fear or anxiety toward strangers and want caregiver or parent in constant sight. Stay with your baby when someone new is around. Introduce your by name, and let her explore someone new in the safety of your presence.
Hold and cuddle infants when feeding them. Even infants who hold their own bottle need to be held. Being held and cuddled frequently is
extremely important in the development of baby's sense of self-worth and security. Do not prop up infants drinking from a bottle as it may cause choking.
Baby-proof everything! Store medicine, dishwasher detergent, make-up, paint up high. Put safety latches on cabinets and covers on electrical outlets. Lower crib mattresses so that older infants can't fall over the rail. Cover corners of tables or shelves that infants might bump into.
Expose babies to bright colors and objects to look at. Pictures, moving objects and brightly colored toys attract infants. Large wooden spoons, and wet washcloths are favorite household toys.
Help babies develop a sense of movement and balance by gently bouncing, swooping, and swinging with them. Also read to your baby, babies enjoy cuddling on your lap, looking at colorful picture books, and hearing your voice. In time they will begin to understand that words have meaning and can be used to identify objects.
Give your baby the freedom to move around. Young infants enjoy being on their backs so that they can kick, wiggle, and look around. Older
infants need space to practice crawling, pulling up, and walking.
CARING FOR YOUR CHILD
EAR INFECTIONS
These are common in young children and can be very painful. Recent studies have found that Xylitol ( natural sugar alternative) can reduce ear infections by 50%. This can be sprinkled on cereal. You can find this in Holland & Barrett under the brand name ‘Perfect Sweet’ |
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HEAD LICE
With almost 90% of head lice now untroubled by over the counter treatments & more than seven million ‘super head lice’ now nesting in our children’s hair every year, parents are retuning to old fashioned methods |
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ECZEMA
Eczema is now affecting one fifth of all children and is very distressing for them. Dermatologists recommend a complete emollient therapy regime, to help reduce the symptoms. Emollients are lotions, creams and bath products that keep the skin moist. Visit www.eczema.org.uk
E45 offers formulations which are hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested. Try ‘emollient wash’ £4.99 for 250 ml & also try ‘skin soft & comfortable’ from £2.19
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FLAT HEAD SYNDROME
This is a disorder that affects the baby’s skull making the back or side of the head look flat. This happens because young babies spend a lot of time lying on their backs putting pressure on their skulls at a time when they are still soft and malleable.
A rolled up towel, put under the head end of the mattress, may help him sleep with less pressure on the flattest part of his head.
Physiotherapy can also be useful for babies who struggle t turn their heads one way and always lie on the same side.
For more info visit www.gosh.nhs.uk/factseets/families/p.html and click ‘plagiocephaly’ |
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NAPPY RASH
Sudocrem is the most popular nappy rash cream in the UK, it will soothe and heal your baby’s delicate skin. www.sudocrem.com
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ORAL THRUSH
This is common in newborn baby’s and it can affect you too, but don’t worry, oral thrush can be treated easily.
Your baby’s mouth is a perfect breeding ground for thrush, an unpleasant yeast infection that causes irritation and inflammation. It’s not unusual in babies under 12 months, because their immune systems are not mature and the amount of naturally occurring yeast in the mouth can increase and lead to infection.
Thrush will require treatment because it’s sore and uncomfortable for your baby and may affect feeding.
You may notice creamy white spots inside your baby’s mouth that look like the remains of milk. If you wipe them off with tissue, they may reveal a soft red patch beneath. These patches of irritation may make your child reluctant to feed.
If you suspect your baby may have oral thrush, consult your doctor who will prescribe a gel or liquid containing anti-fungal drugs, which should be dropped on to the sore patches in your baby’s mouth after every feed, within a day or so, the sores should start to improve/
If you are breast feeding, both you and your baby will need treatment, your DR may prescribe anti-fungal cream for your nipples and you’ll need to wash your nipples before feeding. |
 
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 Q. My toddler has conjunctivitis, what should I do?
A Most cases are viral and can be treated simply by bathing the eye with cooled, boiled water.If your child has bacterial conjunctivitis then she will need to be treated with antibiotics. If your toddler is at nursery, she may need to stay at home.
Q.My one year old suffers from a house dust mite allergy can I do anything to help?
A House dust mite allergies are very common. Runny nose & itchy, watery eyes are triggered by the droppings of tiny dust mites, which thrive in warm places like carpets, curtains and mattresses. Keep your home as dust free as possible, remove carpets and dust your home using a damp cloth Wash your child’s bedding often at 60oC and use protective covers fro the mattress and pillow. An antihistamine syrup like piriton syrup can relieve itching and irritation. It costs £3.99 for 150 ml available from your pharmacist.
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