I sarang

7-9 months

• Development
• Relationship and Communication, Behaviors, Safety
• Feeding and nutrition
• Excretion, Sleep
• Health and daily life
• Playing and Learning

1. Physical growth

The average weight of boys is 8.3 to 8.9 kg, while girls are 7.6 to 8.2 kg. The height of boys is 69.2 to 72.0 cm, and the height of girls is 67.3 to 70.1 cm.

(Source : Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency: 2017 Korean National Growth Charts for Children and Adolescents)

2. Development

• 1) Movement/Exercise

  Your baby's fine motor skills are improving. Your baby can pick up objects with one hand, pass objects from one hand to the other, and even clasp their hands together.
  By 7 months of age, many babies can sit without support. They may also start to crawl, and when standing up, they will stretch out their legs to support their body.
  By 8 months of age, they can stand up and walk while holding on to furniture. Babies who develop quickly can take a step or two while holding an adult's hand but may fall and have safety accidents often, so heed caution.

• 2) Cognitive skills (Learning, thinking, problem-solving)

  As their memory improves, babies at this age enjoy imitating adults' simple actions and exploring hidden objects. They like to play games such as giving and receiving objects or putting and taking objects out. They can point to objects with their finger and remember the faces of their family members.

• 3) Language/Communication

  They begin to babble, producing vowel sounds of various syllables such as 'ah, oo, eh'. They also say repetitive consonants like "papa" and imitate the sounds. They may make noises to get attention and communicate using facial expressions such as frowning or smiling.
  They can respond when you call their name and even recognize the names of their family members.
  At 9 months, babies begin to understand the meaning of words.

• 4) Social/Emotional

  At this age, they prefer their mother and may be afraid of strangers. They respond to the other people’s emotional changes. If you try to take away the toy they are playing with, they start to rebel and get upset. They also become very curious and they like to imitate other people's actions.
  They particularly enjoy Peekaboo, hand clapping, and bye-bye games.

3. How to Promote Development

• Maintain a normal lifestyle.
• When your baby sees something, point to it with your hand and explain what you are pointing to.
• Your baby responds to and imitates sounds and words.
• Play Peekaboo and hide-and-seek.
• Show your baby books or pictures and tell them a story.
• Provide a safe space for your baby by removing any dangerous objects from places where they can reach, such as the floor or shelves.
• Demand an action using positive language. For example, instead of saying, “Don’t stand up,” say, “Sit down.”

If any of the following occurs, consult a doctor:

• Your baby does not try to reach for objects that are within their reach.
• They do not produce vowel sounds.
• They do not respond to surrounding noises.
• Even with help, they cannot support themselves with their legs.
• They do not respond to their name.
• They do not look where you are pointing.
• They cannot sit up even with help.