Helping Your Baby Develop

Here are some things you can do to help your baby develop language skills and understanding:

• Talk to your baby often as you dress, feed, or bathe her, and imitate the cooing or jabbering sounds she makes.
• Provide some quiet time when the radio and TV are not on.
• Encourage your baby to turn his head toward sounds.
• As you talk to your baby, repeat some sounds often and try to get her to say them back.

Developmental Milestones

For babies, increasing muscle control starts at the neck and moves down the body over time. Babies develop at different rates, but by the end of baby's fourth month, he will probably:

• Laugh out loud
• Look for the source of sounds
• React to his surroundings
• Roll from his stomach to his back or vice versa
• Bring his hands together

Tot Shots

It's pretty obvious that you should take your baby to the a health care professional or clinic when she's sick, but don't skip well-baby visits because nothing seems wrong. These routine visits are your opportunity to make sure she is growing and developing properly and to ask any questions you may have. The visits are also when she will receive the immunizations she needs (and make up any that she may have missed).

Canada has made great strides in reducing preventable childhood diseases through regularly administered vaccines. However, the organisms that cause these diseases have not disappeared.

Regular vaccinations are still the only way to protect your child. Be sure to get your child immunized to help keep her healthy.

Your Sleeping Baby

You've no doubt been told many times that babies should sleep on their backs. But now that your baby is rolling over on her own, what should you do? Don't worry. Once a baby can roll over on her own, generally between 4 and 7 months of age, the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is usually reduced. It's probably okay to let her sleep in whatever position she finds most comfortable. However, it is still a good idea to keep thick blankets, comforters, pillows, and large, soft, stuffed toys out of your baby's crib.