Children 8 months: Development and nutrition

8-month-olds are very active and will want to discover everything around them. She also developed many new skills during this period.

If you are wondering about the development and nutrition of an 8-month-old child, let aFamilyToday Health find out through the following article.

Weight height of 8 months old baby

The average weight of an 8-month-old boy is about 8.6kg, while a girl will have an average weight of about 7.7kg.

A boy at this age is usually 70.5cm long and an 8 month old girl is 68.58cm long.

Child development milestone 8 months old

Some developmental milestones that 8-month-old babies can achieve in this stage include:

Cognitive development

Cognitive ability is related to the child's intellectual capacity, the development of the brain as well as the ability to understand everything around, including the following factors:

Language skills

Now, your child should be able to speak the basic syllables like “A”, “B”, “M”, “D”. Babies also begin to try to associate words with things and even react when called.

Curiosity

The 8-month-old baby is very curious, she will constantly move to explore everything from appliances to toys and at the same time learn about their functions.

Understand basic instructions

8-month-olds will learn and recall basic instructions if you do this over and over again. Example: If your baby reaches out for something and you say "no" with a shake of head or hand wave, your baby will understand that this is not true and listen to their parents.

Track objects

Try dropping a ball and watch the baby follow the object until the ball stops moving. At this stage, the child develops the ability to follow the movement of objects and begins to chase to retrieve them.

Use hand signals

8-month-olds will probably use their index finger to point to objects that interest them.

Physical improve

These developmental milestones related to gross motor skills, muscular dexterity and physical strength, they include:

Eyesight is more developed

Chew and swallow food skillfully

Roll left or right and can crawl

Sit steadily without parents' help

Grasp objects firmly by using fingers.

Timetable for 8 months old baby

An 8-month-old's day might look like this:

7:00 am: Wake up, do body hygiene, and suckle milk

8 am: Play

10 am: Have a solid meal and go to sleep in the morning

12 noon: Wake up to play, take a bath and suckle

1 - 5:30 PM: Play, have an afternoon snack and take a nap

5:30 pm: Play and suckle

7 - 7:30 PM: Hygiene for the baby, breastfeed, change clothes and go to bed and soothe baby to sleep.

Nutrition for children 8 months old

A healthy 8-month-old diet includes foods rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals as they are essential for a growing baby.

In addition to breastmilk and formula, you can consider the following foods and include them in your baby's daily menu:

Fruit

Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and other micro-nutrients. In addition to the common fruits such as banana, papaya, ripe persimmon, sapodilla, watermelon, dragon fruit, apple ... you can also let your baby taste strawberries, kiwi, oranges, grapefruit ...

Vegetables

At 8 months, your baby can start to try pureed vegetables or soft steamed fruits, cut into long sticks. Incorporate a variety of vegetables into your baby's diet like cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, green beans and pumpkins.

Fish

Fish is a very nutritious food and is good for babies 8 months old. Fish such as tuna, salmon ... are rich in omega-3 fatty acids , beneficial for the growth and development of the baby's brain. You can feed your baby fish in the form of meat, steamed with bones, pureed or cooked with soup or porridge.

Tofu

Tofu is rich in protein and good for growing children. This food can be used for babies with lactose intolerance .

Chicken

Chicken is arguably one of the healthiest foods for children. Your baby can be introduced to the chicken when the baby has just reached the 7-month mark in the form of minced meat or cooked porridge, soup. Bone broth and chicken are also very nutritious for babies 8 months old so you can use this broth to prepare baby food.

Egg

Eggs are a healthy food because they contain good fats and proteins. You can give your 8-month-old a chopped or chopped hard-boiled egg. However, some babies are allergic to eggs, so you must pay close attention to the warning signs in case something unfortunate happens.

Yogurt

Yogurt is considered as an excellent snack option for children 8 months old. This dish not only provides beneficial bacteria for the intestine but also provides essential vitamins and minerals.

How much is enough for 8-month-old children?

Most 8-month-olds usually eat actively, but sometimes babies may show discomfort when they eat and be distracted from food due to a variety of factors.

Some babies begin to learn to crawl at this point often eating on the go because they are more interested in exploring things around. Children 8 months of age should be fed 2 meals with solid food, 2 snacks and at least 3 breastfeeds.

When should I take my child to the doctor?

Here are a few of the signs of concern that suggest that you should bring your 8-month-old baby to the doctor for an examination to detect the abnormality in time:

Can't sit by herself

If your baby does not sit on its own, even with help from an adult or has unusual positions, easily falls down during sitting practice, this may be a sign of some disorders.

Stiff muscles

When you help your baby stay upright, your baby's feet should naturally touch the ground. In the event that the child's arms and legs are still tightly held or curled up, this is an unusual sign that you should bring your child to the doctor for prompt examination and treatment.

Do not make noise or sound

8-month-old babies cannot of course speak, they can only babble a few words, but they can still make simple sounds. However, if the baby is too quiet and you rarely hear any sounds in the baby, this may indicate that the little angel has a delay in development.

Unrecognizable familiar faces 

If the little angel always cries and fusses when held, whether the person is a parent or someone strange, pay attention to this feature as this can indicate some neurological disorders that 8 months old children experience. . Babies who encounter this condition when growing up are often quite separate as well as less sociable with everyone around them.

Unusual look

If your child has trouble concentrating to find places that make sounds or can't keep up with slow-moving objects, parents need to take them to see the doctor as soon as possible.