WELL CHILD CARE AT 9 MONTHS



BRIAN W. CARLSON, M.D.

Intermountain Logan Clinic

412 North 200 East

Logan, UT 84321

(435) 713-2800

WELL CHILD CARE AT 9 MONTHS

Feeding

Your baby should continue having breast milk or infant formula until he is 1 year old. Most babies now breastfeed or take 6-8 ounces of formula 4 times a day. You can begin adding meat to your child’s diet. Between baby cereal, fruits and vegetables, and now baby food with meat; you can get on a schedule of three meals a day. You can try soft finger foods such as banana pieces, cooked carrots, macaroni, etc. Choking can be avoided by chopping all food into very small pieces. Eggs, wheat, orange juice, peanut butter and honey should be avoided until 12 months. Also avoid cookies, candy, pop, and Kool-Aid type drinks. Encourage you child to drink from a sippy cup. By now, many children have 2 or more teeth. After meals and before bedtime, try to wash off the teeth with a clean cloth or infant tooth brush. Fluoride supplementation is recommended if you live in an area where fluoride is not added to the water.

Development

Babies at this age are usually sitting by themselves and starting to pull themselves up to stand. They are usually crawling or scooting around. They can pick up small objects with their thumb and forefinger and they love to bang things together to make sounds. Soon, they may start to say “dada” and “mama.” It is not too early to read to your baby. At this age, babies learn what “no” means. Say “no” calmly and firmly and either take away the item that your child should not be playing with or remove him from the situation. Nine month-olds have a lot of energy and it requires a lot of energy to take care of them.

Sleep

Most infants at this age are sleeping through the night and are napping 1-3 times a day. Never put your baby in bed with a bottle. Put your baby to bed awake, but drowsy. They may fuss for a short time after being put in bed. A regular bedtime hour and routine are important. Read your baby a bedtime story, it will make bedtime more fun and help establish a bedtime routine. A favorite blanket or stuffed animal may help your baby feel secure at bedtime.

Safety

Accidents kill more children in the United States then all diseases put together. Preventing an accident is well worth the extra time and effort. Here are a few reminders to help keep your infant safe. Avoid foods on which a child might choke. Cut food into small pieces. Check your smoke detector to make sure it is working. Put plastic covers

in unused electrical outlets. Keep hot appliances and cords out of reach. Use the back burners on the stove with the pan handles out of reach. Turn your water heater down to 120º F. Never leave an infant or toddler in a bathtub alone – NEVER. Continuously supervise your baby around any water, including toilets and buckets. Make sure windows are closed or have screens that cannot be pushed out. Don’t underestimate your child’s ability to climb. Keep all medicines, vitamins, cleaning fluids, and chemicals locked away. Install safety latches on cabinets and gates on all stairs.

Immunizations and Lab Tests

Unless your child is behind on immunizations, or it is influenza season, there are no shots with the 9 month visit. We may check your child’s blood count and screen for lead poisoning based on your child’s risk factors. This involves a blood draw and it may need to be done at the hospital lab. The next routine immunizations will be done at 1 year of age.

Next Visit

Your child’s next visit should be at the age of 12 months (Happy Birthday!). Please bring your immunization card with you each time so we can keep it up to date.

Updated 7/2008

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