Your little darling will probably turn when someone calls out his/her name this month. He/she might also have a few things to say herself. Keep talking to him/her whenever he/she babbles even if you do not understand anything. You can use similar baby talk. This is very important to develop his/her communication skills. He/she might also use gestures to express herself.

If you haven't already started reading to him/her, start now. Studies have proved that more the vocabulary a child is exposed to, the better his/her language skills develop. He/she will also be very curious about all the things around him/her, especially his/her toys. His/her toys will be subjected to intense scrutiny as he/she takes in each small detail. His/her pincer grasp is also perfected, which means that he/she will be able to pick up an object as small as a grape between his/her thumb and index finger.

Ear infections are a common complication after a bout of cold in children. There are a few things than you need to understand about ear infections in children and why you need to be extra careful.

1. If your child has had a cold a few days [3-5] before, and then develops a fever it could be an ear infection.
2. The Eustachian tube [a tube connecting the middle ear to the back of throat/nose] in babies is shorter and more horizontal. This predisposes them to ear infections.
3. As your baby grows the Eustachian tube will grow to about 3 times its present size and become more vertical. This will reduce the chances of acquiring an ear infection.
4. If your child cries in pain/ appears uncomfortable during feeds it could be an ear infection.

Ear infections can lead to complications. If you suspect that your baby could be having an ear infection, always consult your pediatrician.