Child's Growth and Development

It's important to all mothers to know how to take care of her baby. During pregnancy, the mother has to cope with the high demand for DHA from developing baby who is dependent wholly on her dietary intake. Thus, she must ensure her intake of DHA not only meets her own needs but her growing baby's as well. There is a correlation between the mother's DHA intake and her newborn's DHA status. When the mother consumes foods rich in or supplemented with DHA during pregnancy, the baby starts with a better DHA level at birth. After birth, the mother should maintain her intake of DHA during the lactation period. It is much better that the growing baby gets direct intake of DHA and ARA since he or she is not fully able to produce DHA and ARA from the precursors.

Bedtimes stories are great for your baby. Try to read to her every night before bedtime. Mother has to make up stories as you go along or read a simple one sentence per page tale. To make it more exciting for baby, throw in some actions and sounds. Try not to read in monotone, use varying tones to keep her interested. This will also help baby remember the story. Mother always remembers not to over excite baby. Baby will listen to the same story over and over again for several months and not be bored so prepare for repetition. She might even astound you by knowing what the next line will be. Story reading is a great tool in language development. It nurtures creativity and imagination, helps polish baby's listening skills and instills an interest in reading from early age. Baby vocabulary will improve leaps and bounds from these storytelling sessions. Don't be surprise if she uses words fro your stories in her everyday speech.

At this age, baby adores being the centre of attention and she loves having conversations with anyone who will listen and respond to her chatter. At every chance you get, talk to baby and engage her in a friendly banter. Mother has always keep eye contact when talking to baby and pronounce the words slowly and clearly. Alter the facial expressions frequently as you speak. Baby responds well to cheerful, happy and pleasant expressions. When talking to baby, allow her time to respond. Mother has to talk normally and avoid baby's talk. These activities will be invaluable in assisting baby's mental and physical development.