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Your baby is growing and changing every day. In fact, by the end of their first year, most babies have expanded their vision, fine-motor skills and communication abilities. That means they can see things better, are more able to coordinate their hands with their eyes and are increasingly able to speak. Read on to learn what the healthy growth of your baby will look like. It’s important to recognize the growth patterns in order to know when it’s time for an adult check-up or a doctor’s appointment. The more you know about your baby’s health, the easier it will be as you parent. Keep reading to learn the different signs that indicate your baby is healthy, from physical development to cognitive maturity.
Development of Physical Growth
Babies go through a lot of growth in the first year. Your baby will double in length and gain a few pounds. They’ll also grow faster farther down the belly, so if you’re comparing your belly to yours at the end of the first year, you’d be eight months pregnant. This rapid growth can be more pronounced in some babies than in others, so it’s important to keep an eye on how your baby is growing. As your baby’s physical growth evolves, you can expect to see a few key changes. Your baby’s height will increase by around one inch in the first few months, then remain relatively the same for the next several months. This all happens while your baby’s still growing in their head, arms and legs so they can stay relatively the same weight. During the first year, your baby’s head will get larger as their brain grows and their eyes, ears and nose will develop further. This will be your baby’s first experience with smells and sounds. Babies are designed to get bigger during a pregnancy, so this can result in some strange growth spurts. If your baby seems to be growing faster than normal, take it as a sign that they’re getting a healthy boost from your growing body.
Development of Cognitive Growth
Babies are remarkably quick to pick up complex concepts. They can recognize faces and sounds, understand basic words, recognize colors and follow basic instructions. You can expect your baby to gain these cognitive abilities as they grow, but it’s important to note that each baby develops at their own pace. When it comes to the cognitive growth of your baby, there’s a lot you can expect. But, when it comes to babies, you really can’t predict much. In fact, research suggests that when it comes to cognitive development, both genetics and environment play a role in how your baby grows. This means that no matter how much you prepare your baby’s environment, there’s no guarantee that they’ll ever reach the same level of cognitive development as their peers.
Oral Health and Nutrition
You might be concerned about your baby’s teeth getting a little too strong for a teething baby. But there’s no need to be panicked about your baby’s teeth. Your baby will also lose their teeth during their first year, usually between 6 and 9 months old. This will happen as your baby’s teeth come in, pushing the ones that are going out back out of the way. While your baby’s teeth are growing, you’ll want to make sure they’re getting enough of the right nutrients. You’ll want to watch closely for signs of poor oral intake, such as delayed tooth development or an increased frequency of fussiness or lack of sleep while teeth are being grown.
Sleep Patterns and Resiliency
One of the challenges of parenting is figuring out the optimal amount of sleep that your baby needs. And while you’re still figuring this out, make sure you’re keeping your baby’s sleep patterns healthy. Babies spend a lot of time sleeping in the first year. When they’re awake, they’ll often be napping so they can get some rest. And while your baby might sleep for 16 hours, they’ll likely be up for at least a few of those hours. When your baby is first born, you’ll want to monitor their sleep closely. This is because their body needs to adjust to sleeping on a regular schedule. If your baby doesn’t get enough sleep in the first few weeks, they might become irritable. Your baby’s resiliency will continue to grow as they get older, as your baby’s body becomes more accustomed to dealing with the outside world. This means that your baby will likely grow more accustomed to dealing with the changes in their environment, like more awake time.
Safety Concerns
You don’t want to be overprotective of your baby, but you can use safety concerns to your advantage. Keep an eye out for developmental milestones that could signal potential safety concerns. You might notice that your baby isn’t crawling or walking at the expected age, or they might seem to favor one side or be less coordinated than expected. These are all signs that something might be off in your baby’s life. When you notice a potential safety concern, it’s important to address it right away so that it doesn’t turn into a safety issue down the road. To address safety concerns, it’s best to get them out in the open. While you can’t address everything in one conversation, a little prodding can get some issues out in the open. Along these lines, it’s important to remember that your baby isn’t necessarily more likely to be harmed by a potential concern. It’s just that a potential concern could be a red flag for something else.
Wrapping Up
Keeping track of all the growth of your baby can be a lot to handle. It can be easy to get sidetracked by other things and forget to keep up with your baby’s growth. However, this is an important sign of health, so don’t ignore it. When you know what to look for, it’s easy to see what signs indicate your baby is healthy and growing. Keep track of your baby’s growth by checking the different signs, including the physical development, cognitive development and oral health and nutrition.
