How I Grow

• I turn my head in all directions.
• I lift my head when I'm on my back and grab my feet with my hands.
• I prefer sitting to lying down -- it's more interesting.
• I stretch my legs out straight when I'm on my back or stomach.
• I can hold small objects in my hands.
• I put things in my mouth.
• I splash and kick with my hands and feet when I'm in the bathtub.

How I Talk

• I babble and copy sounds like coughing and clicking my tongue. I can do this for a long time.
• I coo, grin, and squeal with joy when you talk to me.
• I can tell you if I am happy or unhappy by the sounds I make.

How I Respond

• I love to see myself in the mirror.
• I like some people and am shy or scared of other people.
• I can tell if I am in a new or strange situation or place.

How I Understand

• I can remember things for about 5 seconds.
• I know if something is near me or far from me.

How I Feel

• I get excited when I'm having fun -- everything is a game to me.
• I may cry when you stop paying attention to me or take a toy away.

Stranger Shyness

At around 4 months, many babies start to respond differently to the people they know and the people they don't know.

Baby will talk, coo, and laugh with the people he sees every day. But when a stranger (perhaps even Grandmother) picks up Baby, he may be quiet or even scream.

This is normal behavior and a sign that baby is aware of the people around him.

He is learning that not all people are the same. He is likely to accept new people after he has spent some time with them and knows that he can trust them.

Time for a Well Baby Check

Ask your doctor or health care provider any questions that concern you.

Ask about adding infant cereal and juice to your baby's diet.

At this check-up, Baby will have a set of immunizations.

The second set of polio, HIB, and DTP immunizations are given at this visit. Remind the health care provider of any reaction you think your baby may have had to the first set of immunizations.

Keep a record of Baby's immunizations.

Use a health journal, a notebook, or form that you are given. You will be asked about your child's immunizations when she goes to school, changes health care providers, and completes health forms. Make it easy on yourself by keeping this information in a handy place.

Immunizations are available through your doctor, health care provider, or Public Health Centers.

For more information about the immunizations or where to get them, call the Delaware Immunization Program at 1­800­282­8672.

Show Your Love

Your baby senses more from what you do with him than what you say to him.

Your baby learns about himself by the way people treat him. Baby receives these messages from your tone of voice, actions, and facial expressions.

Touch is the way to say, I love you!

Hold your baby in a gentle, secure way. Cuddle and affectionately hug Baby. Tell him you love him by letting your body express all the love you feel for him.

Use your eyes.

Look at him eye-to-eye and smile.

Hum, whistle, or sing to your baby.

Baby will feel your love when your voice is gentle, soothing, joyful, and loving.

Rock your baby.

Sit in a rocking chair or rock Baby in your arms while you share your love.

It is important to spend time enjoying and playing with Baby.

This is how Baby learns to have loving and secure relationships with others.

Showing love may not be easy at times.

Baby may not seem interested. Wait until he is more willing to cuddle.

Baby may get fussy when you do some of these activities. Try being more gentle. A sensitive baby may be upset by jerky motions or loud noises. Try different motions until you find ones that he likes.

Baby may find it hard to show loving feelings, particularly a baby with motor or communication delays. A baby who lacks muscle control to smile may show his joy with a quick look of his eye. Enjoy the way your baby says, I love you.

First Signs of Teething

Baby will want to chew on everything.

She will probably drool more than usual and seem to be cranky and fussy.

As teeth push through the gums, your baby may feel some soreness.

If you put an ice cube in a clean cloth and rub it over her gums for a few minutes, it may ease the soreness.

Let her chew on a plastic or rubber teething ring.

Keep it in the refrigerator so it is cool when you give it to her.

The first teeth come in sometime around 6 months.

Some babies get them earlier than this and some get them later. When teeth do come in, your baby may be fussy.

Drooling and teething go together.

If your baby has a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or other signs of illness while teething, call your doctor or health care provider.

Any of these could mean that your baby is sick and may have nothing to do with teething.

Let's Play ... Help Me Learn

Reach, Grab and Put in the Mouth

Your baby's favorite game is probably putting everything in her mouth.

Baby uses her mouth to help learn what objects feel like.

Since tiny objects can easily become lodged in a child's throat and cause choking, get in the habit of keeping small objects away from Baby.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Baby will think it's a real treat to watch himself in a mirror.

Give Baby a kiss while both of you are looking in the mirror. Move Baby close to the mirror and then away. Let Baby touch the mirror.

Out of Sight; Out of Mind

Next time your baby is playing with something, watch and see if she looks for it when it is taken away.

Probably not. At this age, if she can't see it, she doesn't know that it exists. For Baby, "out­of­sight" is "out­of­mind."

When Baby has something you want to take away from her, give her another toy and take away the other. Put it out of her sight.

This is an easy way to change her attention. If she can't see it, she very quickly forgets about it.

Turn this into a game of Peek­a­boo.

• Cover your face with your hands. Say, Where's Mommy? Remove your hands from your face. Say, Here I am.
• Cover your face with a piece of paper. Say, I don't see ____ and name the baby. Look over the paper sometimes, look under the paper, or out either side of the paper at other times. Say, I see Baby. Watch to see if Baby looks for your face.

Other Ways Baby Likes To Play

• Let Baby reach for hanging toys and cradle gyms while lying on his back.
• Encourage Baby to babble. Don't try to "correct" the sounds that he makes.
• When he figures out how to click his tongue, click your tongue back. Baby thinks this is a great game.
• Encourage Baby to use both eyes and both sides of his body when he is playing. For example, if you give him a toy for his right hand, try giving it to him in his left hand the next time.

Baby Walkers: Risky Babysitter

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that babies not use a walker.

They are considered to be very dangerous. Nearly 24,000 infants each year have an injury from a walker that requires them to go to an emergency room. These injuries are usually serious -- skull fractures and other head injuries.

Many of the injuries were caused by an infant falling downstairs in a walker. The stairs either did not have gates on them or the gates had been left open.

Baby walkers do not help most babies learn to walk.

Some doctors and researchers think that baby walkers do more harm than good for leg muscle development of most babies.

Have Stroller -- Can Travel

When buying or borrowing a stroller, look for one that has:

• a firm backrest to help the baby sit up.
• a canopy or covering for the head high enough that a 3­year­old can sit under it.
• a seat belt that is secure and comfortable.
• wheels that can be locked.
• a special latch to prevent the stroller from accidentally folding.
• a wide base to prevent tipping.

When you use the stroller:

• Never leave the stroller in the driveway or behind a car.
• Keep Baby with you at all times.

New Abilities Create Safety Hazards

Baby can wiggle out of an infant seat, out of the bathtub, off the changing table, or off the bed.

Never leave Baby alone in one of these places. If you need to leave Baby alone for a few minutes, put him in a crib or a playpen.

Baby can reach and grab.

He can grab your coffee cup or stick his hand in your soup. Hot liquids can badly burn an infant. Keep Baby away from hot liquids and foods.

Feeding Your Baby

Introducing Solid Foods

Here's how to tell if your baby is ready for solid foods.

• She has control of her neck muscles.
• She can sit up alone.
• Her head will be steady when sitting.
• She will open her mouth for a spoon and close over the spoon.
• She will swallow normally.
• She will turn aside when she is "full" or satisfied.

  These skills are needed before Baby can eat from a spoon. Most babies are able to do these between 4 and 6 months. When Baby has these skills, check with your doctor or health care provider. Tell the doctor which skills from this list your baby has. Ask about beginning to feed her cereal.

Iron-fortified cereals are the first solid foods for Baby.

A baby needs more iron than she will get from breastmilk. Most infant nutrition experts suggest beginning with rice, oat, or barley cereal. Avoid wheat cereals. Many infants are allergic to wheat cereals.

Mix the cereal with formula, breastmilk, or water.

As Baby starts with cereal, you may mix about a teaspoon of cereal with 2 teaspoons of the liquid. This will be a very soupy mixture. As she gets better at eating, use more cereal and less liquid to make the cereal thicker.

Offer Baby more cereal each day.

Overtime, increase the amount you are feeding Baby to 2-3 teaspoons of cereal mixed with formula, breastmilk, or water each day.

The first feedings will probably be messy.

Don't forget, your baby has only been used to sucking. She will soon learn how to swallow food. Be patient while you help your baby learn to eat and like different foods.

To make swallowing easier, place food well inside your baby's mouth.

When Baby opens her mouth, put the spoon in her mouth.

Food placed in the front of the mouth will be pushed out by the tongue before Baby swallows.

Baby will take rests during her feedings.

She will put her fingers in her mouth or turn away from food. Wait a little while and offer food again. If she doesn't want any food after several tries, she is telling you, I'm not hungry anymore.

Serve Baby only one new food a week.

This month the new food will be different cereals. Watch for signs of an allergy:

• rash
• diarrhea
• vomiting.

Stop feeding the food to your baby if you see any of these signs.

If there are allergies in your family, your doctor may suggest that you wait awhile to starting feeding wheat, eggs, and dairy products.

Babies have a keen sense of taste.

Some babies show that they like some foods and don't like other foods.

If she doesn't like a food, don't take it personally. Serve the food in a few weeks. Baby may like it then.

Meal time is a time for loving and learning as well as eating.

Plan to have Baby's meals at a time when you are not rushed.

Talk or sing to Baby as you feed her.

Introducing Juice

When you buy juice, look for the word "juice" on the label.

Do not buy something that says fruit "drink." This has much more sugar than your baby should have.

Mix the juice with water to dilute it.

For an infant, mix equal parts juice and water. For every tablespoon of juice, use a tablespoon of water.

Offer Baby 2-4 ounces of juice a day.

Divide this into 2 or 3 servings. This will mean that each serving will be 1 or 2 tablespoons of juice.

Begin with apple, pear, apricot, or white grape juice.

Use 1 type of juice for a week before trying another juice to see if Baby has an allergy. Do not give your baby orange juice or tomato juice now.

Serve the juice in a bottle or covered cup.

If you are breastfeeding, offer the juice to Baby in a cup. It is OK to wait to begin serving Baby juice until he can use a cup, which may not be for another 2 months.

Invisible Invader: Lead

Eating or breathing lead can cause serious health problems to infants.

Lead dust from old lead­based paint is the most common source of lead for infants. When lead­based paint gets old, it breaks down into dust, chips, and flakes. The dust clings to toys, fingers, and other objects that children put into their mouths.

The dark area in the box below is about the size of 3 grains of sugar. In homes with flaking lead-based paint, this is the amount of lead found in household dust. If young children eat this amount of lead everyday for several months, it can cause lead poisoning.

Call if you are concerned that your child may be exposed to lead.

Call your public health clinic, your child's health care provider, or the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program in New Castle County at (302) 995­8693 or in Kent and Sussex Counties at (302) 856­5350.

Great Beginnings   is sent to you by:

Patricia T. Nelson, Ed.D.
Family and Child Development Specialist

This newsletter has been edited by Deborah J. Amsden, CHE, and prepared with the assistance of Dr. Penny Deiner, Department of Individual and Family Studies, University of Delaware. This series has been adapted from Parent Express, by Dr. Dorothea Cudaback, Cooperative Extension, University of California, and her colleagues throughout the national Cooperative Extension System.

GB-4M
6/17/97