This book covers many practical topics such as

  • the conditions the baby may have, their causes, and the common treatments,
  • the choices parents need to make for their babies and the pros and cons of the options.

I extracted some of the useful information below. Make sure not to buy the Kindle version: the pages are images instead of texts, thus it cannot be zoomed or searched.

monthly milestones and common diseases

  • part 1: caring for your baby
    • feeding baby
    • diapers and all that stuff
    • bathing and skin care
    • clothing baby
    • sleep and sleep issues
    • comforting a crying baby
    • understanding your baby’s temperament
  • part 3: growth and development month-by-month
    • month 1
      • turn head from side to side 🗹
      • lifting head for a second while lying on belly 🗹
      • bringing fists in toward face 🗹
      • scoping out human faces and maybe high-contrast patterns 🗹
      • visually tracking moving objects that are in close range 🗹
      • turning head toward familiar voices and sounds ☑
    • month 2
      • working on lifting up shoulders while lying on belly ☑
      • holding head steady while sitting ☑
      • becoming aware of own fingers 🗹
      • relinguishing grasp reflex 🗹
      • straightening out legs and strengthening kicks ✔
      • focusing on objects moving across field of vision 🗹
      • cooing and making sounds ✔
      • recogonizing parents’ faces, being reassured by parents’ touch 🗹
      • learning to smile in response to parents’ smiles 🗹
      • learning to smile spontaneously to express happiness or contentment ✔
    • month 3
      • raising head and chest to look around while lying on belly ✔
      • working on supporting upper body with arms while lying on belly ✔
      • holdind head steady for longer periods while sitting ☑
      • playing with hands at eye level ☑
      • trying to bring hands to mouth ✔
      • swiping at dangling objects 🗹
      • opening and closing hands, stretching fingers wide 🗹
      • holding toys briefly ✔
      • stretching and kicking legs 🗹
      • developing distance vision 🗹
      • recognizing familiar people and objects from a distance 🗹
      • using eyes and hands in coordination 🗹
      • distinguishing between different colors, tastes and smells 🗹
      • increasing repertoire od sounds to include squealing, growling, consonant sounds and maybe even giggling 🗹
      • turning head toward sound 🗹
      • making eye contact ✔
      • enjoying family and familiar faces, maybe even new people 🗹
      • using expanding communication skills to express emerging emotions 🗹
      • imitating some sounds, movements and facial expressions ☑
      • learning to self-entertain 🗹
    • month 4
      • pushing up on elbows and hands to look around when lying on belly 🗹
      • sitting supported with head steady 🗹
      • practicing moves that enable rolling over ✔
      • bearing weight on legs, bouncing with arms supported 🗹
      • grasping and shaking toys, practicing letting go 🗹
      • bringing hands to mouth, exploring items with mouth 🗹
      • studying small items 🗹
      • gazing at things in the distance ✔
      • looking for the source of a sound 🗹
      • becoming more communicative with body language and vocalizations ☑
      • laughing ✔
      • imitating language sounds ☑
      • engaging in back-and-forth “conversations” with you ☑
      • enjoying playing with others, capturing attention 🗹
    • month 5
      • perfecting mini-pushups while lying on belly 🗹
      • sitting balanced by hands on floor in front (tripod style) ☑
      • bearing weight on legs ✔
      • rolling over from front to back, maybe even back to front 🗹
      • working to get to a toy 🗹
      • grasping with both hands 🗹
      • exploring with mouth 🗹
      • studying small objects 🗹
      • locating sounds and voices by turning head ✔
      • imitating speech sounds 🗹
      • repeating single sounds 🗹
      • laughing, squealing ✔
      • expressing dislikes, making faces 🗹
      • enjoying playing with others, crying when playing stops 🗹
    • month 6
      • maintaining good head control ✔
      • rolling both ways ✔
      • working toward sitting independently 🗹
      • raking small objects toward self 🗹
      • picking up toys with both hands ✔
      • bringing toys to mouth ✔
      • exploring with mouth 🗹
      • learning to self-feed 🗹
      • perhaps transferring an object from one hand to the other ✔
      • repeating single syllables, maybe even combining sounds 🗹
      • giggling, laughing ✔
      • exploring own body 🗹
      • differentiating between self and others 🗹
      • enjoying simple games 🗹
      • looking briefly for dropped toy 🗹
      • mimicking and sharing your emotions 🗹
    • month 7
      • learning to sit unsupported ✔
      • sitting and looking around ✔
      • perhaps supporting self in a crawling position, while reaching out with one hand ✔
      • using hands to rake up small objects ✔
      • getting better use of thumb and fingers 🗹
      • transferring objects from one hand to the other ✔
      • visually tracking rapid movements 🗹
      • readily responding to sounds ✔
      • looking for sounds outside of field of vision ✔
      • starting to look for dropped toys 🗹
      • combining different sounds together 🗹
      • imitating patterns of speech ☑
      • distinguishing strangers from loved ones ☑
      • starting to test limits and boundaries 🗹
    • month 8
      • sitting up straight and looking around 🗹
      • supporting self in a crawling position, while reaching out with one hand 🗹
      • rocking back and forth on all fours, rolling over repeatedly, scooting on bottom, or expressing some form of desire to move around ☑
      • using hands to rake up small objects ✔
      • getting better use of thumb and fingers 🗹
      • using touch to learn about the physical properties of different objects ✔
      • looking for you or dropped toys (establishing object permanence) ✔
      • attaching meaning to words and gestures, such as “no” and a farewell wave ☑
      • combining different sounds together ✔
      • distinguishing strangers from loved ones ✔
      • cementing the child-parent bond ✔
      • starting to test limits and boundaries ✔
    • month 9
      • learning to crawl ✔
      • standing with support
      • working on pulling up to stand
      • using thumb and first finger together (pincer grasp) ✔
      • banging toys together ✔
      • learning to let go voluntarily ✔
      • learning to point, clap and wave goodbye
      • feeding self ✔
      • recognizing and responding to familiar words
      • babbling, stringing syllables together
      • working on verbalizing familiar words
      • holding toys and objects appropriately ✔
      • banging, shaking, dropping toys ✔
      • looking for toys that have dropped out of sight
      • testing limits and observing parental reactions
      • avoiding strangers yet interacting more with family
    • month 10
      • mastering crawling
      • standing with support
      • pulling up to stand
      • maybe standing alone for a few seconds
      • using thumb and first finger together (pincer grasp)
      • manipulating toys appropriately
      • learning to let go voluntarily
      • using gestures to communicate, such as shaking his or her head for no
      • feeding self ✔
      • recognizing and responding to familiar words
      • babbling, stringing syllables together
      • saying mama and dada
      • verbalizing other familiar words
      • looking for hidden toys
      • imitating the activities of adults and older kids
      • testing limits and observing parental reactions
      • avoiding strangers yet interacting more with family
    • month 11
      • mastering crawling
      • standing with support
      • pulling up to stand
      • maybe standing alone for a few seconds or even taking a few steps
      • holding on to furniture to walk around (cruising)
      • using thumb and first finger together (pincer grasp)
      • manipulating toys appropriately
      • learning to let go voluntarily
      • using gestures to communicate
      • feeding self ✔
      • recognizing and responding to familiar words
      • babbling, stringing syllables together
      • saying mama and dada
      • verbalizing other familiar words
      • looking for hidden toys
      • imitating the activities of adults and older kids
      • testing limits and observing parental reactions
      • becoming more assertive
      • avoiding strangers yet interacting more with familiy
    • month 12
      • standing alone
      • cruising
      • maybe taking first steps
      • using pincer grasp accurately
      • manipulating toys appropriately
      • feeding self
      • learning to let go voluntarily
      • looking and listening simultaneously
      • increasing attention span
      • using gestures to communicate
      • recognizing and responding to familiar words
      • increasing vocabulary
      • responding to one-step commands and simple questions
      • imitating the activities of adults and older kids
      • testing limits and expressing frustration
      • still being wary of strangers but very affectionate with family
  • part 4: common illnesses and concerns

Here I track my kid’s development milestones with the following symbols

  • ✔: achieved in an earlier month
  • 🗹: achieved in the corresponding month
  • ☑: achieved in a later month

miscellaneous

In the checklist below, AAP stands for American Academy of Pediatrics.

  • shortly after birth
    • cord blood banking (optional)
    • determine Apgar score
    • antibiotic ointment for eye protection
    • vitamin K injection
    • blood glucose level
    • blood bilirubin level
    • Hepatitis B vaccination (optional)
    • genetic diseases screening test
    • circumcision (optional)
    • hearing test
  • 2 months
    • The umbilical cord should have dried up.
  • 4 months
    • introduce solids or wait until 6 months (AAP). Avoid spinach, beets, turnips and collard greens before 4 months because of their nitrates.
  • 6 months
    • start to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more (preferably zinc oxide or titanium dioxide). Keep the baby out of direct sunlight before 6 months. (AAP)
    • introduce juice, but limit to 4-6 oz a day. Juice may cause weight gain, diarrhea, and tooth decay.
  • 9 months
    • introduce finely chopped finger foods
  • 12 months
    • weaning