• 1Month 1
  • 2Month 2
  • 3Month 3
  • 4Month 4
  • 5Month 5
  • 6Month 6
  • 7Month 7
  • 8Month 8
  • 9Month 9
  • 10Month 10
  • 11Month 11
  • 12Month 12
CHAPTER 5

Month 5

Big news! Somewhere around months 5 and 6, your little one will develop the ability to sit unsupported for up to 30 seconds or more. He'll be able to sit in the tripod position, supporting himself with one arm, for longer periods of time. Your baby is also developing the ulnar-palmar (mitten) grasp technique. He needs to use this method of holding things because babies of this age can't yet use their opposable thumbs, that is, grasp objects by moving their thumbs around to touch their fingers.

Although the evidence is mixed, most experts still recommend you wait until your baby is 4-7 months old to introduce soft solids, like cereal and mashed bananas. During this time, your baby's intestines are in a developmental stage called closure, in which the permeable intestinal lining secretes an immunoglobulin called IgA. IgA acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and screening out potentially harmful allergens that might create a food allergy in your baby.

The stomach's mucous membrane lining contains glands and pits that secrete digestive juices, which aid in the breakdown of complex food molecules like proteins.

More on this topic

Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 4
Month 5
Month 6
Month 7
Month 8
Month 9
Month 10
Month 11
Month 12

Related Health Centers:

Infant Nutrition Health Center, Mother-Baby Bond Health Center, Mother’s Milk Health Center, Monthly Infant Development Calendar Health Center,Weekly Pregnancy Calendar Health Center