The Care and Feeding of Children. L. Emmett Holt
month.
At what age should a child be able to sit and to stand alone?
At seven or eight months a healthy child is usually able to sit erect and support the body. During the ninth and tenth months are usually seen the first attempts to bear the weight upon the feet, and at eleven or twelve months most children can stand with assistance.
When should a child walk alone?
The first attempts are generally seen in the twelfth or thirteenth month. At fifteen or sixteen months the average child is able to run alone.
What conditions postpone these events?
Prematurity, a very delicate constitution, any severe or prolonged illness, and especially chronic disturbances of digestion making feeding difficult. A common cause of late sitting, standing, or walking is rickets.
Should a child be urged to walk?
Never; he is usually quite willing to do so as soon as his muscles and bones are strong enough. None of the contrivances for teaching children to walk are to be advised.
When do children begin to talk?
Generally at one year a child can say "papa" and "mamma" or other single words. At the end of the second year the average child is able to put words together in short sentences.
If at two years the child makes no attempt to speak, what should be suspected?
Either that the child is a deaf-mute or that it is mentally deficient, although this is occasionally seen in children who are only very backward.
Table showing the Average Weight, Height, and Circumference of Head and Chest of Boys [1]
| At birth | Weight | 7½ pounds. |
| Height | 20½ inches. | |
| Chest | 13½ inches. | |
| Head | 14 inches. | |
| One year | Weight | 21 pounds. |
| Height | 29 inches. | |
| Chest | 18 inches. | |
| Head | 18 inches. | |
| Two years | Weight | 26½ pounds. |
| Height | 32½ inches. | |
| Chest | 19 inches. | |
| Head | 19 inches. | |
| Three years | Weight | 31 pounds. |
| Height | 35 inches. | |
| Chest | 20 inches. | |
| Head | 19½ inches. | |
| Four years | Weight | 35 pounds. |
| Height | 38 inches. | |
| Chest | 20¾ inches. | |
| Head | 19¾ inches. | |
| Five years | Weight | 41 pounds. |
| Height | 41½ inches. | |
| Chest | 21½ inches. | |
| Head | 20½ inches. | |
| Six years | Weight | 45 pounds. |
| Height | 44 inches. | |
| Chest | 23 inches. | |
| Seven years | Weight | 49½ pounds. |
| Height | 46 inches. | |
| Chest | 23½ inches. | |
| Eight years | Weight | 54½ pounds. |
| Height | 48 inches. | |
| Chest | 24½ inches. | |
| Nine years | Weight | 60 pounds. |
| Height | 50 inches. | |
| Chest | 25 inches. | |
| Ten years | Weight | 66½ pounds. |
| Height | 52 inches. | |
| Chest | 26 inches. |
The above weights are with ordinary house clothes.
DENTITION
How many teeth are there in the first set?
Twenty.
What is the time of their appearance?
The two central lower teeth are usually the first to appear, and come from the fifth to the ninth month; next are the four upper central teeth, which come from the eighth to the twelfth month. The other two lower central teeth and the four front double teeth come from the twelfth to the eighteenth month. Then follow