6 month olds are perfect. Any child who giggles, sits and plays but does not crawl away, talk back or disobey is perfect. There are 3 great challenges facing your child in the second six months: 1.) Crawling - Most parents eagerly wait for their child to crawl, but few are ready for the changes mobility brings. Once crawling children often wander off, get into unintended things and need to be disciplined. 2.) Teething - The average child gets their first tooth between 7 to 8 months. Parents report a variety of symptoms: fussiness, diarrhea, or a runny nose. 3.) Stranger Anxiety - Typically, children between 12 to 36 months cry when being examined or held by strangers. Often the 6 month visit is the last calm visit for a few years. Expect your child to become increasing nervous and louder at their doctor visits. 6 month development A 6 month should be able to: rolls over, bears weight on legs, turn to noise or voice, track 180 degrees, brings chest up with arm support see Developmental Milestones Immunizations At the 6 month visit, children typically receive a 3rd Dtap, 3rd Hib, 3rd Prevnar, 3rd (and final) Hep B and 3rd (and final) rotateq. It is rare to see any side effects after this visit. If you would like to give infant tylenol before the immunizations bring some to the appointment. After your child is weighed, we can help you give an accurate dose. See full immunization schedule. Feeding The 6 to 9 month period involves dramatic dietary changes. At six months, some children are taking a variety of stage 1 foods and some children have not started solid foods. By 9 months most children are able to (... more feeding a 6 month old) 7 month old who dislikes baby food My 7-month old son isn't very fond of baby cereal or baby food (out of a jar).  Do you have any other food suggestions (i.e., mashed bananas, mashed avocado, etc.)?There is great variation on what 7 month olds ar (... more on 7 month old dislikes baby food) Citrus for babies Can I feed my 8 month old citrus? Yes you can. Oranges, grapefruit, limes and lemons are a great source of vitamin C and should be encouraged. While most tolerate citrus well, it can cause some children to get diaper rashes. (... more on citrus for babies)

Sleep

At 6 months, your child should be sleeping undisturbed throughout the entire night. At this age, children should be placed in their cribs for bedtime groggy but definitely awake. Children need to learn to calm themselves (... more on sleep for 6 month olds)

Screaming while Sleeping

My 6 month old son has started a screaming cry when he awakens from sleeping.  It's a different cry than I've heard before...more desperate than anything.  We have begun feeding him solids 3x/day.  He goes to be (...more on Screaming while Sleeping)

6 month old waking at night

My son is turning 6 months in a few days. He is not sleeping through the night. Right now he sleeps from 7pm to about 7am. He has had a consistent bedtime routine since 3 months. Going to bed isn't the issue, (... more on 6 month old waking at night)

Sleep problems in a 7 month old

We have a delightful 7 month old who is a terrible night time sleeper, much unlike his big brother. We do everything the experts suggest: plenty of day time stimulation, he is eating nutritious solids and  (...more on Sleep problems in a 7 month old)

Waking in the middle of the night

Our 7 month old goes to bed around 7pm and sleeps pretty consistently until 2 or 3 am. She usually wakes up and I nurse her back to sleep. The rest of the night isn't quite as predictable but most nights (... more on Waking in the middle of the night)

Rolling over and SIDS

Our son was down to only waking up once a night and now has reverted to waking up every 2 to 3 hours.  Randomly, he was put down for a nap on his tummy and slept better than he had in two weeks. (... more on Rolling Over and SIDS)

Feet stuck in crib bars

Our baby is about to transition to her crib, and does a lot of position shifting.  She maneuvers to where her feet stick through the slats.  Is there a danger here?  If so, any suggestions? (... more on feet stuck in crib bars).

Boycotting Naps

My 6 month old has now decided to boycott naps.  She went from 2 naps a day and sleeping through the night to naps of 1/2 hour each?  Is this a phase?  And yes,  blah blah blah she sleeps through the night.  (... more on refusing naps)

When children 6 months to 18 months cannot fall asleep on their own and are waking throughout the night:

First, I recommend working on falling to sleep and then working on the rest of the night later. Parents should go through a strict bedtime routine and then place the child in their bed awake. (... more on crying it out)

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is approved for use in children 6 months and up. I would rather my infants had sunscreen than a sunburn. On this is agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics which states on (... more on suncreen).

Fluoride

A healthy dose of fluoride protects against cavities. Too much fluoride (fluorosis) can discolor and cause pitting in developing teeth. The optimal amount of fluoride in water is between 0.7 to 1.2 ppm. In Orange county Florida (... more on Flouride for Children)

Constipation in a 6 month old

What do you recommend for curing constipation in an infant of less than 6 months olConstipation is painful, large or hard pellet stools. I do not worry about children who poop infrequently unless it is causing (...more on constipation in 6 month old)

Constipation in a 7 month old

My 7 month old son's stool is round and semi mushy (like play doh balls) and He is very regular.  Is his stool normal? In general, infant stools should be loose/mustard consistency. As children age, their stools shou(more on constipation in a 7 month old)

Updated October 2010 by
Dr. Gordon, Windermere Pediatrician

gregorygordonmd.com is intended to help parents understand the needs and behaviors of children. The information presented in the site is the opinion of Gregory Gordon, M.D. and does not reflect the opinion of his partners. The advice in this site does not apply to all children. Always consult your healthcare provider for your individual needs.

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