Nine Months | Download to Print

Development
Your infant should be able to do most of the following:
Gross Motor Skills: sit well, crawl, walk holding onto furniture
Fine Motor Skills: pick up small objects using a thumb and index
finger, bring hands to mouth, feed self with fingers, bang objects together.
Communication Skills: respond to own name, participate in verbal requests
like “wave bye-bye” or where’s mama/daddy,” understand the word “no,” imitate vocalizations, and babble using several syllables.

Nutrition
Offer three meals a day with snacks. Begin table foods such as potatoes, soft carrots, peas, noodles, and fruits. Avoid foods your infant can choke on such as peanuts, popcorn, carrots sticks, whole grapes, raisins, whole beans, and hard candy, and tough meat. Supervise eating. Continue to breast-feed or offer formula until 12 months. Encourage drinking from a sippy cup or regular cup. Encourage water, rather than fruit juice. All eating and drinking should be supervised. Do not leave baby in bed with bottle, or alone in high chair while eating.

Sleep
Most infants take two naps during the day and sleep through the night by this age. A regular bed time routine should be established. A transition object may help your infant fall back to steep. Your infant should not be fed or played with if he/she awakens during the night. Brief periods of crying will encourage him/her to settle himself/herself and resume sleep.

Parent/Infant Interaction
Model talking, sing songs, play games such as pat-a-cake, peek-a-boo. Give opportunities offer exploration. Use distraction as discipline. Limit rules, but reinforce them consistently. Encourage music, avoid TV.

Safety
Check for hazards at your baby’s eye level. Sharp objects, beads, pins, medications should be place high and in a secure place.
Keep Poison Control Center number available: 1-800-222-1222
Keep water heater temperature at 120° F.
Use gates at stairs and install safety devices on window and screens. Provide covers for electrical sockets.
Guns in the home are a danger to the family. If a gun is kept in the home, store the gun and ammunition locked up in separate locations.
Check smoke detectors regularly and replace batteries twice a year.
Your infant will need a larger car seat at 20lbs, but needs to remain rear-facing until one year.
Avoid walkers – they have been associated with many accidents and do not help your child learn to walk!

Vaccines
Your baby may not need vaccines today. Please discuss with your pediatrician.