6 mths baby with behavior changes

[pocus2000]

My 6 months old boy used to be a smileybaby and smiles at everyone who he meets.He is basically a cutie pie and it was great fun communicating/playing with him.

But Recently I find his behaviour abit changing:

1) First he stop giving his mom and dad a hoot. He can play with us and suddenly stop making eye contacts with us and play on his own. Sometimes we carry him and look in the face he would rather turn around and look at other surroundings or distractions than to look at us in the eyes.

2) He is still cheery but not as smiley as before. before that he can even smile at strangers but now it's just stares and unless the stranger talk to him then he will "force" a smile.

3) He seemed to look attentively at strangers, especially if they are talking, but ignore family member totally, like he is tired of us..

4) He seemed to be crankier more often, his "alone" time seems getting lesser as he will whine or cry if we didn't attend to him or leave the place..

Other than those, he is still very talkative, flipping around trying to crawl, chuckles at peekapoos and tickles.

Is this normal toddler behavor at around 6 months? Early sign of Stranger Anxiety? Anything I should be worried? Cos I read not making eye contact can be symthoms of impeding mental issues as they grow older.

 

[pocus2000]

OK abit of an update:

My wife had company shutdown till 1st Jan 2014 and for the past 2 weeks, she had been taking care of him at home with my mom who occasionally come over to help.
We notice that for the past few days, his behavour change again:

1) He seemed to have eye contact with us more often. The willingness to interact with us is there. When we wake up in the morning he would give us a big smile like he's happy to see us. Calling him my name will get his attention. If I come in the room, he will look at us. Playing with him will get his full attention.

2) His cheerfulness is back to normal. Although he still no longer smiles at strangers like during 4th month, he will steal an occasional smile if strangers try to talk to him.

3) He seemed to be less crankier.

All this concludes my suspicion. That the infantcare we put him up, does have an impact to his behavour. Now we are imagining him being lonely in the childcare will little interaction, that's why his initial behavour change to one being introvert and refusing eye contact.

Now we are wondering if we should continue with the infactcare, perhaps he is still to young for infantcare and the best age is still childcare when they are mobile and will not be left alone. We will monitor the situation for now.. If no choice, we may need to make sacrifices to care to him ourselves.