Garrett's check ups
Nine month
Garrett's nine month check up was on June 6, 2003. He weighed 20.8 pounds (62nd percentile) and measured 30 inches (95th percentile) in height. He got two immunization shots. His next check up will be his twelve month appt. What follows is the info from the nine month hand out.
Diet and Nutrition--At this age your infant may eat finger foods such as crackers, cooked pasta, cereal, and banana chunks as they learn to feed themselves. Your child is likely to swallow without chewing. Avoid nuts, popcorn [I violate this one all the time--you have to bite off all husk so that the rest just melts in his mouth], raw vegetables or other foods that need a lot of chewing. ABC Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage you to continue feeding breast milk or infant formula until one year of age. Now is a good time to introduce your child to drinking from a training cup. This will be messy at first, but your child will get better with practice. Do not allow your child to take a bottle to bed. As your child approaches a year of age begin offering three meals a day with nutritious between meal snacks. Our example as parents will greatly influence our children's eating habits. Also start now trying to decrease your child's pacifier use since they are associated with more frequent ear infections in this age group. [Garrett has never taken a pacifer. Shea only used one when going to sleep. This made it a little harder to get Garrett to sleep as a baby.]
Development and Sleep--Continue talking to your baby to encourage language development. Your baby's vocalization will become more recognizable as words. The first words are an impressive accomlpishment. Your child may sleep as long as 12 hours at night [Yeah, right!] and take two naps during the day. Establish a sleep routine. Experiment with different ways to help your child sleep. When awake, your nine month old may begin to explore with fingers, hands, and mouth. Your child will start crawling and cruising also. You may notice how quick and active he has become. [No kidding! Shea wasn't into everything nearly as much as Garrett is.] As a result of all this positive development, your child is able to get into many interesting and precarious situations. Your child's intellect and personality are developing quickly now. Continue to enjoy them as they amaze you with their advancement.
Safety--Car seats, smoke detectors, fire avoidance, poison prevention, hot water temperature, passive smoke and dental health are issues to consider now and in the future. "Kiddie locks" on cabinets and removal of dangerous items such as scissors, knives, cleansers and dangling electric cords are ways to help prevent injuries. Lowering your child's crib mattress is also recommended. Because accidents and ingestion of harmful material may take place, we recommend you have emergency numbers handy and that you have on hand, Syrup of Ipecac. If your baby has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, call Poison Control 404-616-9000 for immediate advice before using the Ipecac. [Recent studies have changed the views on when to give Syrup of Ipecac, so always call first.] Babies may face forward in their car seats once they reach 20 pounds and are 12 months old. Soft, flexible, comfortable shoes with non-skid soles will help protect your child's feet.
General Well-Being--The appropriate dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) is 5 to 7 milligrams per pound every 4 hours as needed for relief. Your baby's dose is 100 milligrams. Ibuprofen is 5mg per pound every 6-8 hours.
Teaching your child safe, polite and appropriate behavior is a very big job that is already underway. Many books have been written and you may find these helpful:
The
New Dare to Discipline & The
Strong Willed Child James Dobson
Good
Behavior Stephen Garber
How
to Really Love Your Child Ross
Campbell