A 10-month-old baby can already make pincer movements with his hand to hold small objects and food and can already eat independently, holding a spoon and chewing well, but he still needs support and supervision from his parents and guardians.
At 10 months of age, children already have well-developed motor skills, crawling with their bottom up, trying to stand up alone with support and walking holding furniture with both hands. At this stage, the baby normally recognizes his parents or guardians and interacts with them, smiling and trying to speak a few words.
At 10 months, the baby’s diet should still prioritize breast milk or infant formula. However, food provides more nutrients that the baby needs to grow and develop, and it is also necessary to complement the diet, offering a fruit porridge for morning and afternoon snacks and a “salty” porridge for lunch and dinner.
It is worth remembering that sleeping patterns, speech, playing and eating happen at different paces for each baby. Therefore, in cases of doubt about the baby’s development, it is always recommended to consult a pediatrician.
Baby weight
The table below indicates the baby’s ideal weight range at 10 months, as well as other important parameters such as height, head circumference and expected monthly weight gain, according to the World Health Organization:
If the baby presents values above or below these ranges, it is important to consult a pediatrician to assess the child’s development.
Baby feeding
A baby’s diet at 10 months should consist of 6 meals a day, including 2 porridges made with fresh fruit for morning and afternoon snacks and 2 “salty” porridges, made with fresh vegetables, cereals or tubers, legumes and proteins for lunch. and at dinner.
See an example of a 3-day menu for feeding a 10-month-old baby:
This menu is just an example, and it is important that the pediatrician’s and nutritionist’s instructions are followed. Understand better how a 10-month-old baby should be fed.
According to the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, babies at 10 months also need to drink 800 ml of water throughout the day, considering the water from breast milk or infant formula, the water used in soups and broths and pure water that must be filtered. or boiled. Find out how to give water to your 10-month-old baby.
Furthermore, when feeding 10-month-old babies, it is also important to avoid certain types of foods, such as gelatin, chocolate, candies, salt and sugar, to avoid the formation of inappropriate eating habits that could contribute to diseases such as diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure. . See a list of foods that 10-month-old babies should not eat.
Baby sleep
A 10-month-old baby’s sleep is generally calm and the number of hours a baby needs to sleep per day is individual, varying according to each child.
It may be that the baby at 10 months is sleepy and needs to sleep a little in the morning and afternoon too, but it is important not to exchange night sleep for daytime sleep, as sleeping at night is essential for the child to have his/her sleep. adequate growth and development.
For the baby to have a peaceful sleep, it may be necessary to carry out a daily “ritual”, reducing the noise in the house and the lighting in the environment to calm the baby. Bathing before bed also helps your baby relax before bed. Additionally, telling a story or listening to soft music can also help your baby sleep better.
At bedtime, it is essential to avoid activities that stimulate or agitate the baby, such as watching television, computer, using a cell phone or leaving the light on, as these can disrupt the quality of the child’s sleep.
Baby development
A 10-month-old baby can usually crawl, stand up and sit down on his own, wave goodbye with his hands, clap his hands, can hold objects firmly with his hands, hold smaller objects using only his index finger and thumb, and likes to stand with support. whether on furniture or people.
At this stage, the baby also likes to imitate his parents and can now say at least one correct word and point to the things he wants.
The first words appear from 10 months onwards and it is generally the words daddy and mommy that are the first words spoken by the baby. At this stage, the baby responds when called by name and uses gestures to ask for what he wants.
To help your 10-month-old baby’s development, you can teach them to make movements such as clapping your hands, saying goodbye, yes and no with your hands. Additionally, encourage the baby to recognize people, asking for people and objects so that he or she can point or say something.
To help the baby’s good development, it is important to speak to the child correctly, but at times the adult may speak in a more childish way, imitating a baby speaking.
Watch the video to learn how to help your baby develop faster:
Games and activities
Play is essential to help develop creativity, and playing with other children contributes to better socialization and interaction for the baby. Furthermore, the participation of parents or guardians during games is essential, as this helps to improve communication, bonding, affection and the relationship between them.
The 10-month-old baby really likes rubber toys, bells and plastic spoons. At this age, babies also like to stack cubes and push things, so you can let them push the stroller or give them a large box with a lid and toys inside to try to open.
Another option is to tell stories to start identifying animals, objects and parts of the body, using small books with pictures to spark interest and introduce new words to the baby. Furthermore, singing songs and dancing with the baby helps with the child’s fun and intellectual development as well.
