Tips for Raising an Infant: Newborn to One Year Old
When it comes to infants, cognitive development involves learning process of language, memory, thinking, and reasoning.
At this stage of life, a baby is learning to recognize your voice. He or she is also learning to focus vision. Until this point, a baby’s vision stemmed from the periphery or the corner of the eyes. Now, the baby is learning to use the center of the eye. Further, language development progresses at this point. Babies move away to the babble and to more defined words for objects. At this point the baby starts bonding with you and trusting you. The way you hold and interact with your baby will determine how he or she will interact with you and other people.
Follow these tips on raising an infant to ensure that you are providing your child with what he or she needs.
1-Read to the baby. This promotes the development and understanding of sounds and languages.
2-Talk to the baby. Your voice soothes the child.
3-Sing to the baby. Your voice and melodies are relaxing.
4- Play music for the baby. This assists the child develop a love for music and math.
5-Hold and cuddle the baby. This adds a sense of security and care.
6-Give the baby plenty of love and attention.
7 -Respond to the sounds the baby makes by repeating them and adding more words. This helps the infant develop language skills.
8-Play with the baby when he or she is awake and comfortable. This is the most effective time.
9 -Make sure that you take care of yourself. An alert and happy parent is what the baby needs.
Your baby’s safety is very important. Parents might mean well, but their actions may be dangerous at times. Here are some tips on raising an infant in a safe and secure environment.
1-Do not shake your newborn. The neck muscles of newborns are very fragile. They cannot support their heads. Shaking of the baby may result in brain damage and delayed development.
2-Put your baby to sleep on his or her back, in order to prevent the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
3-When you are holding your baby, do not carry hot liquids, food, or other substances. Baby skin is very soft and fragile.
4-When your infant is old enough to eat, cut his or her food into very small bites.
5-Do not give your baby access to things that he or she may use to cover his or her face or accidentally swallow.
6-Whenever your infant rides in a car, place him or her in a car seat in the back seat of the vehicle. Children who are less than a year old or lighter than 20 pounds should face the rear of the car.
7-Make sure that your child receives proper immunizations shots. This is critical for his or her safety and health, as children as prone to develop serious illnesses. Your health care provider will let you know what you need to do in terms of the childhood immunizations.
