It is remarkable that bilingual babies can learn two languages at the same time other babies learn one. On average, bilingual and monolingual babies start talking around age 1 and can say 50 words at 18 months. But, the question is how?

DURATION and PITCH

According to a research from the university of British Columbia and Université Paris Descartes, from the age of seven months babies are able to distinguish two languages with different grammatical structures.

It shows that infants in bilingual environments use duration and pitch cues to distinguish between two languages that have opposite grammatical structures. Even if they do not understand the meaning of the words, they seem to be able to tell the difference between nouns, prepositions, verbs, and articles based on sound qualities.

According to Janet Werker, UBC psychologist and co-author of the study, babies know the differences between two opposing languages and use them as cues to tell one from the other in as early as seven months. Typically, languages have two grammatical structures – verb-object and object-verb. For example, the English phrase “Eat the banana” has the verb before the object. In Japanese, the equivalent phrase is “Ringo o taberu” which directly means “Apple eat”. Notice that the object comes before the verb.

FREQUENCY

Previous researches also showed that babies use frequency of words in speech to know their significance, so essentially they are learning by counting. For example, the words “the” and “with” come up more frequently than other words. However, babies who are growing up bilingual need to develop new methods to cope with two languages.

Italian researchers also wondered why there is no delay and found out that being bilingual makes the brain more flexible. According to their studies, bilingual babies learn two kinds of patterns at the same time. So, if you speak two languages at home, you do not need to be afraid your baby will have delayed speech development, as your baby is well-equipped to keep those languages separate.

These researchers hope to reassure parents that learning two languages at the same does not cause any delay in speech development. In facts, raising a bilingual child has a number of benefits. Learning two languages has been linked to earlier reading, better problem solving, and creative thinking compared to monolingual kids.

Do you speak two languages in your home?

Written by Team Health & Parenting

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

Sitting up is an important milestone in the life of a baby. It means your baby is working on developing the strength and determination she needs for mobility. Oh yes, sitting is definitely a step towards crawling and it won’t be long before your baby is zooming around the room. It also means you’ll have your hands free more because your baby will be able to sit up all by herself.

By the time your baby is eight months old, she will probably be able to sit for a few minutes without toppling over. Once your baby is well on her way to sitting up, you’ll need to keep the following in mind:

1. The lean forwards

When your baby first manages to sit up, she’ll need to use her hands for support. She will probably lean forwards onto her arms to provide extra support and she may occasionally topple forwards so it’s important to place her on padded surfaces for safety.

2. The recline

There are a number of specialist baby products (and more budget-friendly household items) you can use to help prop your baby up whilst she’s learning to sit up. Breastfeeding pillows make a great snug for your baby to lean on, as do sofa cushions.

3. The muscle development

You can try propping your baby up with pillows or placing toys just out of reach to try and encourage her to lift herself up, but really all you can do is wait. Your baby will learn to sit up when she’s good and ready. She’s busy developing muscle control, strengthening her muscles and working on her coordination so that she’ll soon be able to sit up unaided. In the meantime, it’s a waiting game.

4. Baby proofing

Once your baby masters sitting up all by herself, you’ll need to make sure the room is safe for your baby. If you have hardwood floors, you’ll need a rug or baby blanket for her to sit on to prevent head injuries should she topple over. Sitting up is a precursor to cruising so it won’t be long before she’s pulling herself up and exploring the room. Crawl around the room on your hands and knees and look out for any potential dangers at baby-height.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Your baby will soon be a year old. So much has changed over the last several months! Here’s what you can expect around 9-months-old:

On the Move

Your baby has likely been crawling for a while now, and may be trying to pull to a standing position. Once standing, he may enjoy cruising around the furniture. Hold your baby’s hands and allow him to walk across the room and back with your support! If your baby is a climber, make sure you teach him to climb back down safely. Gate stairs and close doors to keep baby safe.

Your baby can also change positions pretty easily now, from crawling to sitting and then on the move again. Be sure your home is safe for baby to explore. Childproofing is an ongoing battle – just when you think you’ve got it all taken care of, baby reaches another milestone! Crawl around with your baby (who will think it great fun) and check for any hazards.

Other motor skills are improving, too. Your baby has probably mastered the pincer grasp (grabbing small objects with the thumb and forefinger), and can move toys from hand to hand (and then straight to the mouth). Toys that allow them to manipulate objects – stacking cups, sorting toys, building blocks, etc. – will give your baby a chance to work his mind as well as practice his fine motor skills.

Making Conversation

All day long it seems like your baby is talking to you, though you don’t really know what he’s saying. By answering his babbling, you’re teaching him how to converse. Throughout the day, name objects around the house, on your walk, in the grocery store, at the park, etc. Your baby will likely begin to mimic your sounds, eventually saying simple words like ‘mama’ and ‘dada.’

Even though he can’t talk yet, he will be able to understand many words, as well as gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice. Your baby will also start to understand the word ‘no,’ and you may find yourself saying it more often. Setting limits can begin even at this early age.

Stranger Anxiety

Your baby may begin to be wary of new people, and maybe even people he knows but doesn’t see often (like grandparents or a sitter). He may be clingy with you, and may fuss when you try to leave. These are normal changes related to your baby’s growing brain – his awareness of self and others, his memory, and the idea of object permanence are all maturing. Separation anxiety is always worse when baby is tired, hungry or ill. It usually peaks between 10 and 18 months, and is usually gone by age 2.

Mealtime Fun

Your baby is probably a little gourmet, having started solid foods around 6 months. Your baby may enjoy small, soft pieces of food he can feed to himself. He can start to have cheese and yogurt around this time, if you haven’t already introduced them. Breastmilk or formula should still be your baby’s main source of calories, though. He might like to try using a spoon – though he won’t be very good at it yet.

Your baby may also enjoy learning to use a cup around this time. Try to find a cup with handles, which will be easier for your baby to manipulate. Most parents opt for ‘sippy cups’ with spillproof spouts. But you can teach your baby to drink from a straw or even an open cup, too. Simply fill the cup with water and let your baby experiment with it. It will take a while before he’s proficient enough to take all his liquid from cups.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

If your baby was born prematurely, she may have two ages. She will have an ‘actual age’ calculated from the day she was born, but she will also have an ‘adjusted age’ calculated from her due date. This is because babies are supposed to spend around 40 weeks in the womb, preparing for birth. Babies born prematurely sometimes need a little bit of time to catch up on the time they missed in utero.

Why do premature babies have an adjusted age?

Premature babies are not expected to meet milestones at the same time as other babies, this is why an adjusted age is used. If your baby was born 10 weeks early, she wouldn’t be expected to smile at around six weeks like other babies. Six weeks after her birth date, your baby still wouldn’t be passed her due date and so wouldn’t be expected to meet the same milestones as full-term babies born on the same day. Instead, you should expect your daughter to smile for the first time when she is six weeks old according to her adjusted age. That is, around six weeks after your due date.

Premature babies often spend the first few weeks of life trying to catch up. Your baby has been busy working on skills like maintaining her body temperature and breathing on her own. Your baby is likely to catch up with her peers, though how long this takes can vary from baby to baby. Most experts recommend that the adjusted age should be used until your child is around two years old, by then most premature children have caught up with their peers.

Talking to friends and family

You may find it useful to explain the difference between actual and adjusted age to your friends and family. It can be hurtful to hear people comparing your baby to babies born at full-term and questioning why your baby isn’t on the same level developmentally. Simply explain that while babies born at full-term were born with many basic skills, your powerful little baby had to work on all that when she was born. Not only is this incredible, but hopefully it will encourage people to readjust their expectations and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be born premature.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.