9 week old baby development

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Huy Toan - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International Hospital

9 weeks old baby is a very active and loving time. Baby will become the center of fun for the whole family. The cuteness of the baby will make parents love the baby and be happier than ever. Although, at this stage, the baby still can't control the limbs, but things will get better along with the baby's development.

1. Physical development of 9 weeks old baby

9-week-old baby will have an increase of about 5cm in length since birth and their weight may also increase by about 0.9 to 1.3 kg. All these numbers show that your baby is growing continuously. At this point, you will notice that your baby's bed is getting shorter, and in a very short time you may have a plan to replace it.
When babies start to gain weight, their body will look fuller, their limbs and whole body will look chubby and lovely. For 9-week-old babies, when you gently pull them from a lying position to a sitting position, they should be able to keep their head in line with their body, but don't worry if their neck muscles aren't strong enough. Because, every baby develops at a different rate.

2. Cognitive development of 9-week-old babies

If your baby hasn't shown you their first smile yet, try to wait patiently a little longer, because they are about to happen. You can try choosing a moment that works for your baby and helps yourself relax at the same time. When your 9-week-old baby still doesn't know what it's like to be hungry or tired, play your baby's favorite music and these can help you find his cute smile. Not only that, when exposed to a lot of music, the understanding of sounds will improve significantly this week, also, the baby will react differently depending on the speed of the song.
Your baby's hearing has been more fully developed over the weeks. When babies are 9 weeks old, they will start to pay more attention to the sounds they hear, which is why their reactions vary so much.
Another sense 9 weeks old is developing is sight. They will show more interest in the faces of people around them, and their vision will also develop more during this period. So you will see your baby looking more attentively to spot the difference. The sound will also attract the baby's attention, they will begin to turn around to identify where the sound is.

3. Vaccinations for 9 weeks old baby

You should have had a vaccination appointment for your baby last week, but if you have to postpone it, here are some tips on how to keep your baby in the loop.
During the appointment, your baby will receive their first 5-in-1 injection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib (haemophilus influenza type B). During this time, your child can get PCV (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) to fight pneumococcal infections, Rotavirus vaccine (a common cause of diarrhea and illness), and Meningococcal Group B to help protect against things like meningitis and sepsis. You may have to postpone vaccinations if your baby has a fever, diarrhea, or is otherwise unwell. However, if the child only has a cough or cold, the child can still get the shot and the mother needs to pay attention to monitor the baby's condition. Keep an eye on the fever they can get from the meningitis B vaccine, your doctor can instruct you to bring your baby's fever down by giving him paracetamol.

4. Sleep of a 9-week-old baby

How much sleep is enough for a 9 week old baby? Your baby should start to sleep in sets at night, usually around 5-6 hours although every baby is different and even a sleep of 6-7 hours is completely normal. . They will sleep an average of 11 to 15 hours a day, with naps becoming less frequent.
However, as their nighttime sleep gets longer, their daytime naps can get shorter and shorter. To help your baby sleep more deeply at night, try feeding around 10pm or just before you go to bed, because this will make your baby more sleepy, and it will also ensure your baby's sleep. Make sure your child is not hungry and wakes up during the night to ask for food.

5. How much should a 9-week-old baby eat?

9 weeks old babies can gain almost 3kg since birth, they will definitely be drinking more breast milk than when they were born. They continue to go through different growth stages, will eat more, usually around 5-6 meals in 24 hours. The amount of milk for each baby will be calculated according to 150-200ml according to weight. Although you won't be able to tell how much milk your baby will get in one feeding, you can feel it each time.
If a 9-week-old baby has colic (defined as crying uncontrollably for more than 3 hours, 3 times a week for at least 3 weeks), they will usually settle down for a few weeks after that.

6. Milestones of a 9-week-old baby

6.1. Muscle Control Now, 9-week-olds have learned to care about their squeaks, kicks and punches they learned last week that will make a lot of noise. This is a great opportunity for children to develop their ability to identify sounds, coordination and muscles. Children also want to hear their parents speak and the different tones and pitches in different voices. So keep talking to your baby and give them a chance to reciprocate.
6.2. Seize By this time, children can notice more things in the faces and sounds of people around the room, their new interest can lead to excitement. As they develop their arms and muscle handling, they're always looking forward to grabbing and grabbing things
6.3. Make New Friends Your 9-week-old baby will be awake more during the day, which is a good time to organize an outing. Your life starts to return to normal, you and your baby can go out and play with everyone.

7. What issues parents need to pay attention to with 9-week-old babies

7.1. Daytime Sleep Baby seems tired during the day but doesn't nap? That's the worry of any parent, as daytime sleep is so important for development. When babies are 9 weeks old, many parents start to pay more attention to this, and baby sleep experts advise: “Watch your baby for signs of fatigue such as: Rubbing eyes and ears, Staring into space, grumpy, yawning, then at this time you should help your baby fall asleep by cuddling, singing lullabies so that he can easily fall asleep.
7.2. Crying Even if you don't have to deal with your baby's colic, you may start to wonder why your baby is crying. Will all this development harm your baby? This is pain caused by contractions, called colic. It usually goes away on its own after a few weeks.

Infants aged 0 - 6 months are generally susceptible to respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal infections if they are introduced to solid foods early or are not properly stored and prepared. To protect children's health, parents should do well to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months (if possible) and vaccinate on schedule. As soon as a child shows symptoms such as anorexia, fatigue, and crying, the child needs to go to the hospital to be consulted by a specialist for monitoring and treatment. The pediatric department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children. With a system of facilities, modern medical equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread, Vinmec will bring satisfaction to customers. and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: including leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctors, Master's degree), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are all well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. Advanced techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull, stem cell transplant blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to play comfortably and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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References: parents.com, motherandbaby.co.uk, todaysparent.com
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