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6 Month Old Baby: Developmental Milestones

Here we will take a look at all the developmental milestones your baby acquires at the sixth-month.

Physical Development

Growth detailsBoysGirls
How much should a 6-month-old weight14.10 to 21.38 pounds [2]12.78 to 20.28 pounds [3]
What should the height of a 6-month-old be25.03 to 28.18 inches [2]24.21 to 27.55 inches [3]
How much should his head size be16.14 inches to 17.7 inches [2]15.62 to 17.55 inches [3]
 What is the respiratory rate of a 6-month-old [36] 25 to 40 breaths per minute 25 to 40 breaths per minute
 What is the heart rate of a 6-month-old [36] 80 to 120 beats per minute 80 to 120 beats per minute

What should a baby be doing at 6 months

Motor skills

Most babies will be able to roll from front-to-back and back-to-front. However, if your six-month-old directly crawls or scoots without rolling over, there is nothing to worry about [6].

Some will attempt sitting unsupported while others display back-and-forward rocking motions [1, 4]. As their leg muscles are getting stronger, they bounce up and down when held in a standing position [4, 5].

Communicative development

Your baby continues making babbling, cooing, squealing and bubbling sounds [11]. He expresses his happiness and displeasure by intonating his voice in various ways [5]. A series of interesting vowel and consonant sounds like ‘eh’, ‘oh’, ‘ah’, ‘m’, ‘b’, ’d’ are heard [4]. At times, he even makes complex sounds using these vowels and consonants [11].

Cognitive and behavioral development

He learns imitating actions and sounds, also forming a firmer notion of object permanence, understanding that an object will be present even when dropped, only requiring to be picked up [12]. His anxiety about being in the company of strangers increases a step further than the previous month [13].

At six months, some of them might show the first signs of separation anxiety, getting clingier towards their parents, craving for their attention [13, 14].

Sensory Development

How clearly can a 6-month-old see

Your baby’s eye color undergoes a change in this month [1]. His depth and color perception skills strengthen by this time, helping him to focus all around the room, looking at everything intently [7]. At this age, your baby should go for his first comprehensive eye checkup [8].

How well can a 6-month-old hear

Your infant’s brain is coordinating perfectly well with his ear at this month. He, therefore, turns his head around on hearing any familiar or interesting sound and can respond to noises made at a distance [12]. The baby also gets startled on hearing any loud or sudden noise [9, 10].

What feeding schedule does a 6-month-old follow

What solid foods can a 6-month-old eat

Start giving the baby iron-fortified cereal, mixing it with breast or formula milk [1]. You can also give him cooked pureed or mashed vegetables such as potato, carrot, and parsnip as well as pureed fruits such as pear, mango, banana and cooked apple [16]. Most babies cut their first tooth at this month, thus soft baby food will be a good choice for them [15].

How much milk should a 6-month-old drink

Your baby will still need breast milk or formula feed for nutrients. Most nursing babies might require to be fed at least six times or even more in a period of 24 hours [17]. Formula-fed babies, on the other hand, should be given 500ml to 600ml of formula each day [16].

At this age, you can give your child sips of water to drink [18]. After consulting a pediatrician, pure fruit, as well as vegetable juice, may be provided to your six-month-old during mealtime in a cup or beaker and not a bottle. However, make sure that the amount does not exceed 4 ounces per day as drinking too much of juice may make the baby overweight or lead to diarrhea [19].

What sleep schedule does a six-month-old follow

Most babies will sleep for six to eight hours in one go by this month [1]. Their daytime sleep will be of about three and a half hours divided into two to three naps [20].

When to call a doctor

  • Body temperature remaining between 101°F and 103°F for more than a day, with symptoms such as fussiness, reduced appetite, difficulty in breathing, runny nose, rashes and vomiting [21, 22].
  • Baby showing pinkeye symptoms, where his eyes get red and teary along with a sticky discharge [23, 24].
  • Pulling ears too often along with fever, trouble in sleeping and a yellowish-white discharge from his ear [25].
  • Having hives ( pink bumps on the skin) as well as other symptoms like dizziness, breathing problem, difficulty in swallowing, swollen feet and hands, abdominal pain and heavy drooling [26, 27].
  • Going through severe bouts of hiccups, also spitting, coughing a lot and displaying cranky behavior [28].
  • Diarrhea persisting for more than a day, along with other signs like vomiting, fever, dry skin, tearless crying, blood or mucus in stool, drowsiness and decreased urination [29, 30].
  • Passing hard, and dry stool on being severely constipated [31].
  • Skin turning yellow, especially the sclera (white portion of his eyes) as well as his arms, legs and stomach [32].
  • Vomiting for more than a day or the color of vomit being yellowish-green, along with fever and abdominal pain [33].

What vaccinations should a 6-month-old baby be given

Pneumococcal or PCV: The third dose of this vaccine is given to combat pneumococcal diseases that may lead to ear infections, meningitis, and pneumonia [34].

Rota: The rota vaccine helps to fight against rotavirus that may cause fever, vomiting, dehydration, and diarrhea. The third dose is not required if your baby was given a certain brand of the vaccine (Rotarix) in the second and fourth months [34, 35].