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By now your child must be taking in all the sights around the house. He/she would have already started crawling all over the place enjoying her new found mobility. Don't be too worried if your baby hasn't started crawling yet because he/she will do so soon. He/she will also be very expressive about his/her love for you and will be making sure he/she gets your attention as much as he/she can.

Development issues are classified in an easy way for you to understand on our site. Check out the developmental milestone link on this page for further information. It is important to understand that all babies differ in the way they develop. So don't be unduly worried. Premature babies generally take more time than full term babies to achieve a similar level of development.

Coughs and colds are a frequent worry for the parents of children in this age group. A few key points to remember are given below.

1. Colds are Acute URTI [upper respiratory tract infections] caused by a group of viruses.
2. They are transmitted by air when an infected person coughs/sneezes, or by hand contact.
3. Anyone in the family, who is ill, should avoid contact with the baby. Always wash your hands before handling the baby.
4. Signs are cough, running nose, red eyes, discomfort [baby is irritable] and decreased appetite.
5. Colds are most often self limiting- that is they are cured without a need for major medications.
6. Babies less than 3 months old should be taken to the pediatrician if they have a cold.
7. In the case of older babies make sure you keep feeding the baby and ensure you give plenty of fluids.
8. Babies who are breast fed are less likely to get colds, and if they do they usually recover faster.
9. Babies who are exposed to cigarette smoke catch colds more easily and take longer to recover.
10. It usually takes 5-10 days for a baby to recover from a cold.
11. Keep wiping your baby's nose to clear mucus.
12. Your baby may catch a lot of colds in the first year- up to ten times or more.
13. If your baby has high fever/bad cough/greenish mucus/wheeze/ breathing difficulty / feeding poorly see your pediatrician immediately.