Baby Talk

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There are various speech sounds that babies make such as babbling or cooing and these may be considered also as baby talk. It is interesting to know that babies around the world produce sounds that are more or less similar. Parents may just be very excited waiting for their real first baby words.

However, babies’ speech development may depend on the baby talk skills of both the babies and the adults around them.
Parents though have to understand that baby talk starts at birth through the non-verbal cues that their babies are manifesting. Babies smile, they cry and squirm and at times make faces like grimaces. These non-verbal cues tell parents of their emotions and their needs. Parents have to learn more about these types of first signs of baby talk so that they may be able to provide all of the needs of their babies.
There are also developmental tasks that parents should be aware of especially those that are related to speech development. The rate at which babies learn to communicate starting with their baby talk may vary from one baby to another. However, if parents observe that their babies are somewhat delayed in their speech development, they need to consult with their doctors to determine what is causing it. There may be problems with the parts of their speech organ that need to be dealt with medically.
Baby talk is improved by the time the babies are about three months old. They begin to coo especially when they are happy and playful. At six months, they should be able to babble different sounds although they are not yet able to associate it with any meaning.

They also start to respond when their names are being called. Baby talk is further enhanced when they reach 9 months old. They are now able to identify a few words that are used often like “no” or “bye-bye.” At 12 months old, they can already use a combination of consonant together with vowel sounds that they can form into simple words like “mama.” They also begin to understand very simple instructions.
Baby talk continues to develop as babies grow physically and mentally. When they are about 18 months old, babies are already able to say at least 10 simple words though they may have their own versions of the words that the adults use. At the age of 2, they can now put together words to form short phrases. They also start understanding not only the physical objects but simple abstract concepts as well.

As they grow, their baby talk advances as well and in time, they learn to communicate not only with a few words but are already able to completely comprehend what the adults around them are talking about.

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Caring for the Umbilical Cord of a Baby

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One of the things that a new mother has to learn is the caring for the umbilical cord of a baby. Mothers may not yet have any problem with their umbilical cords of their babies while they are still inside the womb. However, they will have to know how to take care of it as their babies are born. A new mother need to know a little more about her baby’s umbilical cord and she also need to learn what to do with it when she goes home with her baby.

After delivery, the umbilical cord of a baby is clamped and then it is cut by using a painless process. What will be left is a stump which will dry up and then fall on its own after several days. A new mother need to keep the stump always clean and dry and she must fold the diaper just below the stump to expose it to air and to prevent it from being soaked in urine. A new mother is also advised not to bathe her baby in the tub until the stump has fallen off. There might be some small blood that may be observed as it falls off though this is just normal not unless that she sees some heavy bleeding.

A new mother who is caring for the umbilical cord of a baby should never attempt to pull the stump even if there is only being held by a very fine thread. She will have to be patient and wait for it to just fall on its own.  There are times though that some flesh may still remain when the umbilical cord of a baby falls off. There is no need to worry as this will disappear in time or it may also be treated painlessly by a doctor.

Caring for the umbilical cord of a baby starts as the doctor swabs it with some antiseptic before putting a clamp on it. A mother is then instructed to swab it at least once or even twice a day with a cotton or gauze that is dipped in alcohol. However, there may be some doctors who would advice a new mother to just let it on its own to dry. If the baby is healthy and has a strong immune system, his or her umbilical cord will heal in a lesser time than expected. A new mother though has to consult her doctor immediately if she observes any sign of infection while she is caring for the umbilical cord of her baby.

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Brain Development in Babies

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It is important for parents especially the mothers to know how brain development in babies occurs. This may help them better in providing not only for the physical needs but also for the mental stimulation that their babies need which would contribute to their overall development.

Brain development in babies start at the time of conception as millions of neurons are created and connected. A baby while still in his or her mother’s womb can already recognize her voice. This would indicate that the memory of babies is already being developed and is already working even before they come out into this world.
Since brain development in babies start in the womb, mothers will have to be careful with their lifestyle as well as their diet when they get pregnant. These are some of the factors that may affect and alter how brain development in babies occurs.

By the time that babies are born, they have gone through about a fourth of their brain development. The rest of the brain development in babies happens as they grow. The most rapid changes may be seen during their first years of life. There are differences in the way brain development in babies occurs depending on the gender.
Boys develop their brain part for motor skills first before their thinking skills and girls develop their brain part for thinking skills first then their motor skills. Parents should understand this so that they do not make wrong comparisons as to the skills and the rate of development that are expected from their babies. Parents should also be able to discern some important things about brain development in babies.

It is often believed that they babies’ brains are already fully developed by the time that they are born but the fact is that they continually develop because new connections among brain cells are being made while others are discarded when no longer needed.
Although the brain development in babies partially depend on the genes that they have inherited, the environment that provides stimulation for the brain to develop plays a vital role. Hence, early interaction among the members of the family with their babies may help a lot in the brain development in babies.

Social interaction as well as simple but intellectually stimulating activities such as singing, playing or reading contribute a lot. Parents should not also forget that proper nutrition is essential for proper brain development in babies as well.

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