Infants are constantly growing and developing. You can promote your infant's healthy development with behaviors and activities that engage your new baby for the time when she is awake. As she settles into a more stable pattern, these activities can grow with you to continue stimulating and developing your child.
Talk and Sing
Your baby knows the sound of your voice and your partner's voice starting at 30 weeks of pregnancy, according to research conducted by Dr. Barbara Kisilevsky and published in "Psychological Science" in 2003. Once your baby is born, she finds comfort in the sound of familiar voices.
Talk to your baby about what you are doing (changing a diaper, going for a walk or lying down for a nap) and seeing (her bedroom, toys and crib). While she may not understand you, talking and singing aid an infant's language development and also help her memory. You'll see the joy in her response to your sounds as she waves and kicks her arms and legs. As she gets older, she'll begin to recognize and imitate you, which helps develop her ability to speak.
Play Peek-a-boo
A peek-a-boo game has surprising benefits for an infant's development. Babies don't understand that things exist when they disappear; this concept is too abstract for an infant who lives in the here and now. By playing peek-a-boo, you help develop the concept that even though he can't see something (like your face), you don't disappear. In addition, as he begins to mimic the play and take a turn being the one hiding, he develops his fine motor skills and the social skill of taking turns.
Tummy Time
The "Back to Sleep" campaign promoted by the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) was instituted to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). As a result, babies need time on their tummies to help strengthen their back and neck, critical development areas to help infants learn to roll over, sit up and eventually walk.
Lie on the ground facing your baby when she's on her tummy. Smile at her and encourage her to lift her head. You can also buy an infant-safe mirror that won't shatter; these mirrors are often set on a slant so that a baby can gaze at herself, which helps her practice lifting her head. Alternately, you can "fly" your baby by lying on your back and lifting your baby with your arms. As she gets older, you can lift her with the soles of your feet and hold her hands. Be careful not to do this activity too soon after feeding to avoid having the baby empty the contents of her stomach on you as you fly her.
