Child Development at Seven Months
By: Katie McKinney & Avery Malatesta
Teething
At 7 months, the baby's first tooth should be arriving soon. Teething may cause pain. Here are some signs that your baby is in pain:
- He might start drooling more heavily and biting on his hands.
- Saliva might cause a rash to develop on his chin.
- Inflamed gums can make him irritable and uncomfortable, and can also keep him up at night.
To relieve your baby's teething pain, you should:
- Give him a frozen teething ring or other teething toy, or even a frozen wet washcloth to chew on to help relieve the discomfort.
- Replenish your stock of bibs, and try to keep cloths close by to help keep his clothes and face dry.
Nutrition
If solid foods were not introduced at 6 months, you may want to start now. Remember to introduce new foods gradually and one at a time to help spot potential food allergies.
Some foods to consider feeding your child at 7 months including breast milk or baby formula include:
- Iron-fortified baby cereals (rice, barley, oats)
- Pureed meat (fully cooked beef, pork, chicken)
- Pureed or strained fruits (bananas, pears, apples, peaches)
- Pureed or strained vegetables (well-cooked carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes)
- Pureed tofu
- Pureed legumes (black beans, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, and kidney beans)
Development
Every baby grows and learns at a different pace, but by the end of your baby's 7th month, he will likely be able to do the following:
- Get up on all fours and rock back and forth
- Eat finger foods that are soft on his own
- "Creep" or scoot around on his belly
- Look for something that has dropped
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Language & Social Skills
There are many activities that will help improve your baby's language and social skills. These include:
- Chat with your baby every time you are together.
- Expose him to a variety of sounds, and help him locate the sources.
- Imitate the sounds your baby makes, and try to get him to make those sounds back to you.
- Provide quiet time when the radio and TV are not on.
- Make a photo album of familiar family members, and point to and name objects and people to help your baby absorb new words.
Babies also start to recognize the names of people and things at 7 months.
Sleep Patterns
- Separation anxiety your baby might have developed last month could keep him up at night.
- Your baby might stay awake later, or wake up more often, to practice his newest crawling and sitting abilities.
- If your baby begins waking up in the middle of the night, try putting him to sleep earlier.
Baby Proofing
When your baby reaches 7 months, it is time for serious baby proofing.
With her added dexterity, increasing mobility, and expanding curiosity, he'll soon be reaching and grabbing for everything. Keeping him safe (and your stuff protected) is a constant vigil.
Researching and implementing some baby proofing strategies and techniques will make everyone's lives a lot easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
Toys
At 7 months, you should consider getting the following toys for your baby:
- Bat-at floor toys: These toys may roll across the floor and encourage your baby to crawl.
- Shape sorters: These toys help babies develop cognitively. As your baby tries to fit the shape in the hole, name the shape so they can become familiar with it.
- Action/reaction toys: These toys help babies recognize sounds and colors.