The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-30
four STAGES
OF BABYHOOD
ARE PRESENTED
Here Are Development
Steps Mother May Expect
in Infants Growth.

mother IS often surprised Wflen Sne
checks up on what and when"
Here's an outline of four early
stages, which will give her some
idea about what development to
expect.
AT first the average baby weighs
about seven pounds and measures
20 to 81 inches in length. He has
a good pink color He squirmS and
wriggleS when handled. He pulls
up his legs and stretches them out,
clencheS his fists. FUCKERS his face
and cries Justify. He sucks and
swallows his food and sleeps.
He has no habits at birth. Habits
are formed only by doing the same
thing over and over Immediately
after birth he will begin to form
habits which, if they are the right
kind, will be useful to MIN all his
life.
The tiny baby should be trained
in regular habits of feeding, sleep
ing and elimination.
Four Months Old Baby
AS parents watch the baby for
signs of development, they will see
marked changes during the first
three or four months.
At four months the baby viii be
round and chubby. He will have
nearly doubled his weight. He will
have grown 2la to 3l2 inches in
length. His head viii have grown
about two inches in circumference.
AT four months his muscles are
getting much stronger, for he is
kicking more vigorously and makes
more efforts to turn over. By that
time he is beginning to hold his
head Up steadily if his body is sup
ported.
The four months old baby looks
about, discovers his own hands, be-
gins to recognize his mother and
perhaps other members of the fam
lily, and is learning to reach for OBJ
jectS around him.
He makes known his likes and
dislikeS by gestures and facial ex-
preSSionS. He J1ually has begun to
laugh aloud In four months he has
changed from a little wriggler to a
baby with definite individuality. He
has already begun to form habits
of daily living. The parents must
see that these habits are the right
ones.
Eight Months Old Baby
During the period from four to |
eight months, the baby Will still be /
growing fast in weight and height |
At months he will weight between |
10 and l9 pounds, and he will meas
ure between 25 and q inches in
length-depending on his type.
His head will be growing but not
fast is it grew for the first four
months. His muscular activity Will
have increased until he is able to sit
up without support He probably will
have begun to creep.
He will be using his hands better,
and will have learned to pick up and
handle large objects such as rattles,
blocks, balls and dolls, and later
smaller objects, such as SpoolS, large
buttons. safety pins.
He will be interested in looking at
objects, and in learning about the
things around him.
Most babies at months will have
discovered their own voices and will
make various sounds, but they do
not say words to which they attach
any meaning. BY months the
baby should have been trained to
have regular bowel movements
Many babies will have cut one or
two teeth. Weaving will have be-
gun by this time. Between 4 and 8
months the baby should have begun
to learn to eat solid foods.
Child at One Year
In the ninth to the twelfth month,
the baby will continue to gain
weight buc not SO fast as before.
When he is one year old. the aver
age child will weight 81 pounds
(three times what he weighed at
BIRTH.
He will measure 25 to 35 inches
in height. Many children by the
time they are II months old have
lost some of their chubbiness and
are frightening out into the slen-
derer type of body build, seen in
the second year. Some children
remain fat during this period, and
some grow tall without gaining
greatly in weight They vary con-
Siderably according to the family
type and nationality and race.