Your baby may soon start pointing, so watch out for this fun milestone and encourage your little one by pointing and explaining things. By now your baby`s vision is almost fully developed! Also find out how to deal with your baby`s fears this week, tips for when you`re feeling overwhelmed, and why babies cough.

Baby Development

The clarity of your baby`s vision and depth perception is now almost adult-like. While your baby`s short-range vision is still the best, its long-range vision is good enough to recognize people and objects in a room. It may see a toy on the other side of the room and try to crawl towards it. Its eyes are probably close to its final color as well. It`s probably starting to master the pincer grip as well—the precise maneuver that allows it to pick up small objects with its thumb and first finger. Your baby also loves to poke things and poke its little fingers in holes, which is a great time to cover up sockets around the house.

Mastering these fine motor skills means your baby is developing more control over its hands and fingers. Self-feeding helps prepare for important achievements such as holding a crayon or pencil.

Your little one may prefer to use both hands. Your baby will chat and laugh a lot. It will be sensitive to your voice and will love to listen to melodies sung by you. Your baby will be curious about its genitals and may discover them during diaper changes. This is a normal process. You can divert its attention. Your baby will practice crawling, standing and sorting in the coming days and weeks.

Nutrition

Your baby will gradually try to transition from pureed and mashed foods to solid foods. Your baby will eat three meals a day plus snacks up to three times a day.

Your baby will try to feed itself by reaching for the food on its plate and will show interest in this. You can try serving finger foods. Make sure they are easy to chew and soften foods by steaming or mashing them before serving. At first, it will have trouble drinking from the sippy glass and feeding itself, and a lot may spill. Keep the ground ready for this and be patient.

Sleep

Your baby may be teething or having growth spurts. Depending on this, the sleep pattern may be disturbed. We recommend that you do not depend on the clock and pay attention to sleep tips. Adjust your work and lifestyle schedules to the rhythm of your baby`s sleep patterns.

Care Tips

1. There will be times when your baby is afraid of things it can`t understand. Even things that have never bothered it before, such as a ringing doorbell or a whistling kettle, can scare it. It`s your baby`s chance to start labeling its emotions so it can self-soothe and develop emotional regulation skills. "Oh, that kettle frightened you and you were frightened. That loud noise is gone now. Your mother is here. You`re safe." you can say. The worst word to say would be `don`t be afraid`. Your baby may feel that you do not understand its feelings, that it is alone, or that its feelings are strange.

1. Keeping up with your baby on move can sometimes be a tiring suggestion. When you feel overwhelmed, put your baby in a safe play area for a short time. If it is crying at night, collect yourself for a few moments before you intervene to consider what might be wrong.

1. Taking a few deep breaths or counting to 10 before responding to a problem are other ways to stay balanced on tough days. If you can, call in your partner to take over - not just when things get rough, but at regular intervals. It can be helpful to know that babies this age are naturally curious and being physically active is critical to its health and development.

1. Babies learn by imitating and doing the same things over and over. Understanding that your baby is not intentionally doing anything to upset or anger you can help you have more appropriate expectations about its behavior and respond more lovingly and positively.

1. Say nursery rhymes throughout the day to teach your baby new words. Read bedtime stories.

1. While it`s good to be talkative, take a break sometimes. Discover the silence.

1. Purchase cutlery and feeding equipment of various colors and shapes.

1. Remove sharp objects and maintain proper hygiene so that it does not swallow harmful particles from the floor. A bit of dirt and dust walking around isn`t bad for immune boosting but make sure it`s not too much.

1. Your baby will be using its hands to hold, transfer, manipulate and toss objects. It`s a good idea to buy new toys and let it explore.

1. Know that even the healthiest babies can cough several times a day. Not every cough is a disease.

Cough Tips

Even healthy babies cough every day, and a cough can help your baby breathe better by clearing secretions from the airway. Coughs often linger after other symptoms of a virus have disappeared, but not all are alike. Examples when it is necessary to consult a doctor:

1. It can be bronchiolitis caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

1. If its cough is deep and sounds like barking, it may have croup.

1. If your baby seems to have a prolonged cold and chronic nocturnal cough, it may actually have allergies or sinusitis.

1. If it`s a sudden, persistent cough without other cold symptoms, it could mean your baby has asthma or is breathing in an object.

1. If a persistent cough is accompanied by difficulty in breathing, fever, and chills, it could be pneumonia.

1. If your baby has 20 to 30 second episodes of nonstop coughing and makes an unusual, bird-like sound when trying to take a deep breath in between coughs, it may have whooping cough.

1. If your baby is constantly coughing with thick mucus, has difficulty in breathing, have it checked for cystic fibrosis.

Do not give your baby a cough suppressant, decongestant, or antihistamine without consulting its doctor. Cough syrups are not recommended for the first 2 years. You can try thinning secretions first by giving your baby extra fluids and using a vaporizer in its room at night.

Holding your baby in a steamy bath can also calm it down and help it breathe better. If you suspect that allergens in its room may be the cause of its chronic cough, remove the stuffed animals and other bedding, keep the room as dust-free as possible, and keep pets out of the room. Make sure your baby is not exposed to cigarette smoke at home or in the car. If it produces phlegm, lay it face down. If there is also nasal congestion, it is necessary to raise the head of the bed. Thus, you prevent the runny nose from going to your baby`s throat. Lightly patting the back helps the baby to sputum. Since milk increases secretion formation, you can reduce your dairy products a little.

If the cough is preventing your baby from eating or sleeping well, then it deserves attention. Call the doctor right away if your baby is coughing up blood, has trouble in breathing, or has other symptoms of a serious illness, such as fever, increased heart rate, lethargy, or vomiting. Call your baby`s doctor if a standard cough lasts longer than a week, as allergies, foreign bodies or asthma can cause a chronic cough.

Tests and Vaccines

The following tests may be done if the baby is delayed in reaching milestones or in case of another medical problem:

1. Hearing and vision examinations

1. Blood control to determine blood group

1. Screening tests for different common and rare diseases

1. Lung tests

1. Glucose, salts, calcium and other similar vitamin / mineral tests

1. Urine tests

1. Ultrasound screening tests to examine the development of your baby`s organs, brain and heart.

Plays and Activities

Toy box: Take a toy box and fill it with objects from different materials (like plastic, wood and furry textures). Your baby will soon begin to explore.

A play mat: Use different fabrics to create a play mat or `exploring area`. This is great for its sensory development, improving its sense of touch and texture.

Socializing with others: You can socialize your baby with other kids of its own age by participating in playgroups.

Hide and seek: Hide some toys and objects and ask your baby to find them. This will allow it to master crawling and develop its visual perception.

Cause and effect: Give different objects to show cause and effect. Let your baby throw things around and notice what sounds they make when thrown around.

When to Apply to The Doctor?

See a doctor if it shows no interest in playing with toys, does not try to crawl, or sits still for long hours or has a very poor appetite.