When assessing a nine-month-old infant for developmental markers, the nurse must consider developmental makers in all areas: social/emotional, language/communication, cognitive, and movement/physical milestones. When considering social/emotional milestones, nine-month-old babies should smile and laugh, should cry or look around when a parent leaves the room, should respond by looking at you when you call their name, and should show different expressions of emotion (sad, angry, happy, surprised), and should be shy around people they do not know.

When considering language/communication milestones, nine-month-old babies should make lots of different babbling sounds and should communicate to their parents that they want to be picked up by raising up their arms.

When considering cognitive milestones, nine-month-old babies should bang things together and look for objects when they are no longer in their line of sight. When considering movement/physical milestones, nine-month-old babies should be able to get to a sitting position and be able to sit up by themselves, move things from one hand to the other, and move food towards themselves with their fingers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).

I would let the mother know that her child is not growing as quickly as the average nine-month-old. I would recommend that the mother ensure that her baby is eating enough at each meal and that the baby is being fed enough times each day.

9-month-old babies should eat 5 to 6 times a day and can begin to eat solid food, so they will require less formula or breast milk to supplement. I would recommend to the mom that she feeds her baby nutrient dense cooked fruits and vegetables, fortified cereals, and sources of high protein such as eggs and poultry.

This information is based off of evidence-based practice, as these guidelines come from the American Association of Pediatrics and they have conducted studies to determine the diets of babies who are growing at a healthy rate.

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