Tips for your 5-6 month old baby

HELP ME BE HEALTHY.

At this checkup:

• The nurse will weigh and measure me. I will get a check-up.
• I will get the next set of vaccines. Write down the date of these vaccines in my health journal. If I had a reaction to the vaccines before, tell the doctor.
• I should get a flu shot in the fall.
• The doctor might check my eyes for crossed eyes or a lazy eye.
• I might get a blood test to see if I have enough iron in my blood.
• Ask about my eating habits. Tell the doctor when and how much I eat.
• If I need them, I will get hearing aids. I might get help from my nearby Early Childhood Intervention program. An audiologist will check my hearing every few months until I’m a year old, and after that, every six months.
• Ask if I need fluoride supplements to help my teeth. Ask about my eating habits. Describe when and how much I eat.

Start feeding me vegetables and fruits.

At 6 months, I’m old enough to try vegetables and fruits. Start with veg­etables. Try an orange vegetable like squash or sweet potatoes first. Give me only one new food each week. This way, if I have an allergy, you will know what food caused the allergy.

TAKE CARE OF MY TEETH.

• Start planning for my first dental visit for when I’m 6 months old or when my first tooth comes in.
• Call your dentist or a dentist just for me and set up my first visit.
• As soon as my teeth come in, gently brush my teeth with a little, soft-bristled tooth­brush and some water.
• I should not have toothpaste now.

If you don’t have health insurance for me, call the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) toll-free at 1-877-543-7669 (1-877-KIDS-NOW) to find out about children’s health insurance.

KEEP ME SAFE.

When we ride in the car, put me in a car seat with the straps on right.

• My car seat is the safest place for me when I’m in the car.
• Until I’m a year old and weigh 20 pounds, my car seat should be in the back seat of the car and placed so I look out the back window.
• If you have questions about my car seat or how you put it in, call Safe Riders toll-free at 1-800-252-8255.

Put gates at the stairs so I don’t go up or down the stairs. After you make our house safe for me, teach me to be safe.

• Tell me what you want me to do, over and over. Don’t get tired of telling me. I’m too young to remember.
• Until I learn what to do, take me away from the place I shouldn’t be or take away the thing I shouldn’t be playing with. Get me interested in something else. Don’t slap my hands or hit me. Try not to yell at me, either.
• Tell me, hug me, and praise me when I do what you want.

Help me use the high chair safely.

• Put the safety belt on me when I’m in the chair.
• Be sure the tray is locked in place. Make sure my hands are out of the way when you lock the tray in place.
• Be sure there are no sharp edges to cut me or you
• Don’t let me stand in the chair.
• Don’t leave me alone in the chair.
• Don’t leave the chair too close to a table or counter. I can push on the table and tip my chair over.

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN.

• Talk to me in complete sentences. Tell me what you are doing. Make sounds for me to copy like “eee,” “uh-oh,” and “aaa.”
• Tell me about a toy and show me how to use it. I will want to look at it, smell it, chew it, squeeze it, pat it, and bang it.
• Put a favorite toy just out of my reach. Help me move to get to it.
• Hide a toy under a cloth so I can look for it.
• I like to use blocks that I can hold in my hands.
• Read to me. Point to the pictures as you tell me about them.

Each child grows and changes at a different rate.
I might do some activities earlier than others. Playing with me helps me learn new things. If you are worried about what I do, talk to my doctor or nurse or call the OARS Help Line toll-free at 1-800-628-5115.

Watch for me to:

• Pick up my head and chest when I’m on my stomach. I can hold myself up with my arms.
• Stand up if you hold me under my arms.
• Roll from my stomach to my back or from my back to my stomach.
• Notice small things that are placed in front of me.
• Reach for toys or other interesting things near me.
• Squeal and make high pitched sounds when I’m happy.
• Start to have my teeth come in.
• Lie on my back and look at my hands. I can bring my hands together over my chest or at my mouth.