Baby BABBLES
The first consonants babies pronounce, such as m,
b and p, originate in the front of the mouth. These
sounds are largely made with the lips. The second
sets of sounds like d and t originate midway along
the upper palate. Later consonants such as g and
k originate in the rear of the mouth and require
partial closing of the throat.
• It has been found that babies often use
ma and na sounds when they are in a fussy mood.
Mothers have been the ones who comfort babies and
attend to their needs most of the time. So, it naturally
follows for babies to utter mama for mothers and
nana for grandmas.
• Babies often use pa sounds when in a playful
mood. Fathers tend to be more playful than mothers
are. Following the above reasoning, this may the
logic behind papa as a name for fathers in dictionaries.
Baby's LEARNING
By the time your baby reaches
this age, her brain has reached 50% of its weight
at maturity! Development is going at an incredible
rate. From a newborn who was unable to do much to
an active baby who rolls over, probably sits up
and plays actively, your baby has come a long way.
Her visual development begins at birth and continues
for many years. Her understanding of speech and
syntax was developing in the utero. This will also
continue for years to come. Her emotional &
social attachments develop the most during her first
18 months. Her motor development begins at birth
and grows in stages for years. Now is a good time
to expose baby to another language - she absorbs
experiences readily and easily now. Allow baby freedom
to explore and experiment safely within her environment;
this is the time baby is able to embrace new skills
and accomplish more.
Decay
and Baby's TEETH
Baby's teeth are susceptible to tooth decay, just
like everyone else. Decay happens when plaque and
sugar mix forming an acid, which can attack the
tooth enamel. Sweetened drinks such as juices or
formula and milk are potential acid makers. The
longer the liquid remains in the mouth, the greater
the chance for decay. If your baby sucks from the
bottle for longer periods or uses the bottle as
a pacifier, her teeth will be exposed to lots of
acid. During the day, saliva helps to wash some
of the liquid out of the mouth. At bedtime however,
saliva flow decreases, allowing sugary liquid to
remain around the teeth. Teeth are thus constantly
attacked by acids.
Preventive measures
• Avoid giving baby soft drinks, powdered
drinks, sugar water between regular feedings; fill
it with plain water instead. If your pediatrician
has recommended, other bottle feedings, you should
follow that advice.
• Never allow baby to fall asleep with a bottle
in her mouth. Feed her in your arms until she is
ready for bed.
• Avoid using the bottle as a pacifier if
possible. Find an alternative soother.
• Once baby's teeth start coming in, clean
them regularly.
