Baby - Fifth Month

'Development - Fifth Month'

What your baby does at this age:	Responds to people's voices and turns to look for the speaker. Stops crying when he hears his mother's voice. Smiles and 'talks' to get attention. Makes a wide variety of noises - many of them his own, and many of them imitations of sounds he hears others making. Imitate movements he sees others making. Protests when someone tries to take away a toy or otherwise displeases him. Wants to touch, hold, and taste objects. May transfer objects from hand to hand.
Important Changes:	Your baby's verbal abilities are developing rapidly, even though he won't be able to say words for several months. He copies voice inflections and sounds such as coughing. When he gets attention for making certain sounds, he repeats them. Your baby now makes movements that are the forerunners of crawling. Just by kicking and wiggling a lot, he may be able to cross the crib. Fear of strangers may become apparent as your baby becomes wary of anyone outside the household. Your baby's weight gain is slowing down,but his higher activity level means that he needs just as much nourishment. His present weight should be about double his birth weight.
Caring for your baby:	Consider investing in a play chair. Your baby is at an age when he can easily tumble outohf his infant seat. Start baby-proofing your home. Soon your baby will be crawling from room to room, pulling things off tables and grabbing at electrical cords.