Describe the developmental markers a nurse should assess for a 9-month-old female infant. Discuss the recommendations you would give the mother.

When assessing a 9-month-old female infant, nurses should look for developmental markers that are common in this age group. These include increased mobility and communication. The infant should be able to pull up to stand, cruise along furniture while holding on and take steps while being held. Additionally, they should be able to understand simple instructions and respond when their name is called. Other signs of development can include babbling combinations of syllables such as “ma” or “da”, recognizing familiar faces from a distance and responding with a smile, expressing emotions like joy or fear, manipulating objects using two fingers (pincer grasp) and using gestures like waving goodbye or clapping hands in response to others.

Nurses should also provide the mother with recommendations based on the observed developmental milestones. Parental involvement is essential during this period of rapid growth so it’s important that they support the infant in reaching new motor milestones by providing them with supervised practice opportunities in safe environments. This can involve activities such as helping them learn how to sit independently or encouraging them to walk by taking one hand at a time while supporting their body weight. It’s important for parents to provide verbal encouragement throughout these activities such as praising them for attempts at crawling or standing unassisted even if successful progression isn’t achieved immediately. Finally, parents should create opportunities for infants to practice language skills through reading books together and speaking frequently about everyday occurrences during playtime activities which will help foster strong verbal communication skills over time.