Six-Month Checkup

Feeding:

  • Continue with breast milk and/or formula with iron until one year old.
  • Your baby should be on solid food now—baby food cereal, stage 1 vegetables and fruits.
  • After stage 1 baby foods, you may start stage 2 baby foods (including meats).
  • Solid foods are usually given 2-3 times a day now.
  • You may start finger foods around 7-8 months of age.
  • Do not give your baby honey until one year of age.
  • Breastfed babies should take a vitamin supplement, either Tri-Vi-Sol with iron or Poly-Vi-Sol with iron, 1 ml (one dropper) daily.

Sippy Cup:

  • Start teaching your baby to drink from a sippy cup.  Give water in the cup.
  • Juice is optional.  Your baby does not need juice.  If you give juice, give no more than 4 ounces a day.  Give juice only in the cup, not the bottle.

Car Seat:

  • Your baby should continue to ride in a car seat facing backwards in the back seat of the car.

Development:

  • Normal development for babies between 6 and 9 months of age:
  • Babbles (makes “da, ba, ga, ma” sounds)
  • Sits alone; may start to crawl; may pull to standing
  • Transfers objects from one hand to the other
  • Reaches for objects
  • Shows stranger anxiety

Flu Vaccine:

  • Flu vaccines are available every fall for all infants 6 months and older
  • The first year that infants get the flu vaccine, they need two doses given at least one month apart to be protected.

Next Checkup:     In 3 months when your child is 9 months old

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