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Home › Articles › Guiding Baby's Development › Dishing on Development

Dishing on Development

Experts Answer Common Questions About Infant Development

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Later, when Baby is mobile, follow the leader is a wonderful game to play. "It will encourage imitating and also provide practice with walking," Pica says. "Be sure to vary the speed of your movements, the pathways you take (possibilities are straight, curving and zigzagging) and your body's shape (big, small, wide, etc.)."

When will my baby say her first word?

Many babies will say their first word before their first birthday, but that is not always typical, according to Hudon. "First words can start earlier or later than 12 months, although they are usually heard at about that time," she says. "One of the most frustrating things for new parents is understanding what their baby wants or needs. Life becomes a lot easier when your baby can tell you that she wants 'juice' rather than crying while you're pulling everything out of the refrigerator until you find the juice."

Can a baby spend too much time in a highchair or infant carrier?

Recent evidence indicates that infants are spending upward of 60 waking hours a week in such things as highchairs, carriers, car seats and the like, Pica says. "That means little to no opportunity for babies to strengthen their muscles – to lift and turn their heads, to push up on their arms, to develop optimal balance, stability and motor skills," she says. "It means little to no opportunity for the cross-lateral (right arm/left leg, left arm/right leg) experience gained from crawling and creeping. And because cross-lateral movement activates both hemispheres of the brain and stimulates communication across the corpus callosum (the matter connecting the two hemispheres), being confined affects much more than motor development; it impacts brain development and can later result in problems with reading and writing."


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