CChild Health: Baby 3-6 Months (Child Development Information) - Child Development

3 to 6 Months

PHYSICAL HEALTH
In the 3- to 6-month period, you probably don't need to be told that infants continue to grow rapidly as they conquer new milestones and develop their own unique personalities. While fever is somewhat less concerning than it was in the first three months, colds may start to become more frequent and teeth may begin to appear. Babies' fat stores increase, giving them their characteristic chubby appearance, and one of the fastest growing organs during this period is the brain.

Growth. By four months most babies have doubled their birth weight. Between the ages of 4 and 6 months, they gain approximately one and a half pounds a month and grow about an inch a month. While boys tend to be longer and heavier than girls, you've undoubtedly noticed that there's plenty of room for individual variation when it comes to size.

Fever and Illness. By this stage, the infection-fighting antibodies with which babies are born begin to diminish. At the same time, a baby's own immune system starts to produce its own antibodies, but is not yet working at full capacity. Combine this with the fact that many babies have older siblings or are exposed to other children in day care, and it makes sense that many babies are more likely to catch colds at this age. Attempting to keep your baby's hands and toys clean and out of direct contact with others who are sick may be a losing battle, but it may be worth making some degree of effort whenever possible. Babies who are breastfed still get the benefit of their mother's antibodies through the breast milk, and may get fewer colds or milder symptoms than they would otherwise. While many doctors are less concerned about fever in babies after they reach 3 or 4 months of age, it is still important for parents to take the temperature with a thermometer — preferably a rectal one — and discuss any fevers with a health care professional.

Teething. While babies drool for many reasons, teething is one of the most common causes at this age, since teeth commonly make their first appearance during these months. If your baby follows the typical pattern of teething (if there is such a thing), you'll likely see the bottom, center teeth erupt first, followed by the two upper front teeth and then the two on either side of them. That said, for some babies it will be months before their first tooth erupts, and for others, they will show up in a completely different order. Some may come in all at once while others take their own sweet time, and then poke through one at a time. While parents often assume their babies' fevers are caused by teething, this is not a standardly accepted cause of fever by most health professionals — at least not for anything more than a low-grade fever. It may help to give your baby hard things to chew (some parents swear by frozen bagels). You should discuss the use of medicines or other teething treatments and remedies with your baby's doctor.

Well-Baby Check-ups. The current recommendation is for babies to go for well check-ups at both 4 and 6 months of age. Not only will your baby's doctor be able to check your baby's growth and development, ask about his eating and sleeping habits, and answer questions you might have, but you should expect to be given information sheets about the immunizations that your baby is due to get at each of these visits.

If you have questions about how your baby is doing, don't hesitate to ask your pediatrician at the visit. Unless there is a specific reason to need sooner follow-up, most babies won't be scheduled for another doctor visit until 9 months.

Safety. While your baby is not likely to be able to get into too much trouble at this age, it is your job, as a parent, to anticipate what she will soon be able to do and make sure that her surroundings are safety-proofed accordingly. At this age, that means never leaving her at any height unattended or unsecured, since she's likely to begin rolling at any time now (if she hasn't already). And given that she's becoming more mobile, take the time now to crawl around your house and protect sharp corners, secure electrical cords, remove small objects, and place all dangerous or fragile objects safely out of reach.

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