7 Months Old Baby Milestones

Your baby at seven months of age finally laughs, understands basic gestures and emotions, is starting to crawl and be playful, and is a treat to watch! He has started having basic solid food (textured to preference), and is filling your days with surprises. From this age group onward, your child will get more inquisitive, will begin to form words, and gain a broader perception of the world around him.

Video: 7 Months Old Baby Milestones

A Seven Month Old Baby’s Milestone Chart

Milestones Your Child Should Reach By 7 Months of Age

Once your baby hits the seven-month mark, watch out for the following developments:

Cognitive Development

Your infant’s ability to grasp and understand things grows consistently. It is therefore important to know that your baby’s brain is growing at a rapid rate compared to his body in order to equip him to adapt to the environment around him. Your baby will also begin to test cause and effect, and will begin to understand the relationship of things.

You can aid your child’s cognitive development by recognizing the following things:

1. Starts developing memories of recent events
2. Starts babbling in conversations with people around him, from parents to caregivers
3. Loves bright colours and patterns on things, and will reach for them
4. Displays curiosity about the world around him, especially items that are out of reach
5. Understands the word ‘no’
6. May recognize his own name in conversations
7. Follows moving objects more closely
8. Will try to find hidden objects in blankets or elsewhere

Physical Development

While your baby starts looking at himself in the mirror, and is able to read people’s expressions closely due to the growth of cognitive abilities, he will also start getting stronger and steadier physically.

Here are some signs to watch out for in your baby and encourage his motor skills:

1. Will start holding food/ small long pieces of item firmly between the forefinger and thumb, also known as pincer grip
2. Rolls on the stomach and starts crawling or rolling, or tries to move forward
3. Kicks his arms and legs with the intention
4. Picks up small toys and starts moving them around
5. May be able to sit with minimal assistance
6. Reaches for objects close to him, with one or both hands
7. Tries and brings small objects close to his mouth

Social and Emotional Development

Social and emotional growth is an important milestone in your baby’s life, as he will start laying the foundation for his interactions to come in the adult world.

Some of the vital things your infant will develop:

1. Smile or laugh or express emotions correctly
2. Will observe closely the emotions of his guardians or parents, and try to mimic them
3. Start developing individual personalities including likes and dislikes
4. Want to take part in any activities with the people surrounding him
5. Be sensitive to other children and cry if they do
6. Pay attention to loud noises and react with fear or worry

Communication Skills

Seeking attention with gestures and sounds maybe one of the things that your baby does while developing his communication skills.

Some of the others are:

1. Starts using vowels such as ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ in speech
2. Makes gurgling sounds
3. Tries participating in conversations with the adults around him
4. Changes the tone of his voice to imitate questions or declarations
5. Starts asking for attention with a purpose

Teething

One of the fundamental physical changes in a seven-month-old infant is teething, where your baby slowly starts experiencing the emerging of small baby teeth. You can manage the pain or discomfort of teething by giving your baby mashed food or food such as banana, sliced fruit or cucumbers, which are easy to bite into and digest.

Some of the signs to watch out for:

1. The baby will drool more.
2. He will start being fussier about food or in general.
3. He might have a disturbed sleep pattern, and may not be able to sleep at night.
4. Pulling of ears and rubbing of cheeks and chin is a sure sign of discomfort.
5. There are visible teeth emerging from the gums.
6. Has fever or rashes.
7. Has diarrhoea or constipation.

Eating

At this age, your infant will have anywhere between 113-250 g of food, including breast milk and formula.

1. Start experimenting with food textures by making it mashed or pureed to know your baby’s preferences.
2. Give a lot of options of vegetables and fruits, such as cucumber, carrot, beans, bananas, apples, pears as he is developing likes and dislikes.
3. Iron-fortified rice or oatmeal is good to meet the daily nutrition requirements for your infant.
4. Start by slowly introducing finger foods as well.

When to Consult a Doctor

You may not have to call the doctor every time your baby sneezes or hiccups, but make sure you look out for a few classic signs:

1. Start brushing the baby’s teeth gently with a baby brush, but make sure you ask your doctor about the safest method.
2. Infants in this age group sleep for anywhere between 12-14 hours, including naps during the day, so make sure to call the doctor if your baby is not sleeping well or has irregular sleep cycles.
3. As a general rule, if your baby has a fever of 103 F or more, it’s time to make the call.
4. If your child develops rashes or is in pain.
5. If you see signs of dehydration, such as fewer diaper changes (less than one every 8 hours), or a dry mouth.
6. A very obvious difficulty in breathing.
7. Doesn’t roll over on either side, or does not sit up with help.
8. Is sluggish or lethargic in his movements.

Tips for Helping Your Baby Achieve the Milestones

You can aid your baby in achieving every milestone in his young life with a few simple tips:

1. For physical development, when your baby just starts developing motor skills, it is a good time to introduce how to drink from a cup or a small beaker.
2. In order to aid further grasp of new skills, place toys just out of reach so that your baby can crawl to it.
3. Your baby is beginning to grasp certain words such as ‘No’, but will continue to pick up important things around him instead of a toy. The best way to combat this is by distracting him with something else.
4. Put important items out of reach so that he will be most attracted to the toys around.
5. Start playing Peek-A-Boo as he will be understanding how to find hidden objects.
6. Talk and sing to your baby more often, and do it slowly, so that he can pick up some of the words, piece them together, and participate.
7. Wave goodbye, say hello, and start adding simple etiquettes to daily rituals.
8. Pick up story books and picture books, and start reading out loud to your child.

Create an exploratory environment for your child to ensure that he achieves every type of milestone, and is happy and healthy. Also, do not be hard on your child if he is unable to achieve a milestone. Every child is different, and has different growth cycles, so be patient and encourage your child’s development.

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