The development of the 24-week-old baby after birth

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The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Doan Ngoc Quynh Tram - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

It's time to celebrate because your baby is 6 months old. There might be a lot of questions in your head like left- or right-handed baby? Is your baby ready for solid foods? When can children walk? The weight and size of a 24-week-old baby varies depending on each baby's growth and development.
Along with the excited expressions you will also notice that the baby can almost sit alone, play with toys and also play with others, crawling around.... 24 week old baby is even ready ready for light foods other than breast milk and formula.

1. How to take care of a 24 week old baby

1.1. Feeding a 24-week-old baby When your baby enters 24 weeks old, his body will go through big development steps. Typically, the baby's body at this time has gradually lost the iron content inherent in the body since it was still in the womb, besides, breast milk does not contain much iron for the child, so it needs to be supplemented from the outside. outside. At this time, parents can learn and use some light, easy-to-digest food products with breast milk or formula.
Parents often tear food into small pieces to prevent children from choking. Besides, the decoration of food becomes lively, it will attract the attention of children and make them eat more and more delicious. However, a 24-week-old is usually only able to hold a simple grip, which means that small pieces of food can cause discomfort. So parents can give children apple slices, mango slices, small bananas that the baby can hold. In addition, parents should also pay attention to some foods that should be completely avoided until the baby reaches an age that can be used, such as cow's milk, which contains a lot of protein that the baby's digestive system is still young. immature, indigestible causes bloating, indigestion for children or some foods containing a lot of acid affect the baby's stomach and intestines.
When parents give their baby a new food, they should pay attention to the baby's facial expression. Babies will use their tongue, lips and gums in different ways to chew and swallow food. A small, soft spoon will be convenient for children to use in dishes such as porridge, soup, etc. The first stage can be difficult for parents, requiring patience because the children will make the food. food splattered around and stuck on the children's beautiful clothes. It is better to let the child use a large bib or a high chair with a plastic mat underneath. Thus, the cleaning of the parents may be easier after the baby's meal is over.

1.2. Put your 24-week-old baby to sleep At this age, babies don't sleep as much as they used to. Due to the change in the baby's eating habits, the baby's sleep is also affected, especially at night. Along with complementary foods, the development of the brain associated with the teething of children will make it difficult for parents to nurture and care for children during this time. Babies will often wake up at night, cry more, so parents need to feed and lull them to sleep.
1.3. 24 Week Baby Care Tips Caring for a 24 week old baby can be really tiring and stressful for parents or caregivers. So take your time and try to enjoy the moments with your baby by taking your baby for a walk in a stroller and enjoying the outside air. Parents should also not wrap their children too carefully, limit their exposure to the outside environment, but let their children explore the world around them, satisfy their curiosity under the supervision of their parents.
Some parents pay too much attention to the cleanliness around their children that lose their ability to explore. Babies at this age may enjoy holding, biting, and sucking the toys around them. Instead of hindering the children's activities and play, parents can use healthy toy products that can be bitten without harming the baby. After each use by children, parents should wash and dry them, well preserved for the next play.
Be very careful in choosing food for children, especially the combination of different foods in the meal must be carefully considered, should not use incompatible foods that cause bloating. , indigestion, more seriously affects the health of children. Parents can consult with nutritionists, can participate in nutrition counseling classes by industry experts. Then plan a balanced meal, suitable for each stage of the child.
Another note is that at this 24 week old baby, they still need at least 3 naps of 1-3 hours a day. So even if they don't want to sleep yet, put them to sleep if possible. Parents can tell stories, sing lullabies, ... to put children to sleep more easily.

1.4. Immunization Parents need to regularly check the child's immunization record, keep track of the date of vaccination and the name of the injection for the 24-week-old baby. Vaccines for children who need this age are fully vaccinated, with the correct number of doses according to the time prescribed by the Ministry of Health as follows:
Flu vaccines are recommended for children aged 6 months and older Vaccines third dose rotavirus disease (Rotateq). Vaccines to prevent pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia in children HIB vaccine – 3rd dose, helps prevent pneumonia and meningitis, otitis media, and HIV infection ( Haemophilus Influenza type B) 1.5. Games and activities for 24-week-old babies Babies at the age of 24 weeks will become more active and full of life than before. Instead of parents holding the child around the clock, they should spread a carpet and put the child down. Let children discover things around on their own and can also start exercising their limb muscles for physical development. Babies will start playing around with toys and utensils, even putting their feet to their mouths to suck and chew. This will become a fun game for the baby himself for a few weeks, as well as a starting point, preparing his legs and hips for crawling or the ability to change positions on his own from sitting down and lying down. opposite.
Games involving sounds, rhymes, talking, singing and any kind of sounds will attract the attention of the child. Parents can make animal sounds or show children pictures of animals and objects that children are interested in, making them laugh and teach at the same time. After that, children will form their own ability to imitate this interesting game. Parents should spend time playing with their children, grasping how their children change day by day.

2. How does a 24-week-old baby develop?

Physically, a 24-week-old baby will be twice the weight and size of a newborn. The baby's skin and complexion will have more obvious changes compared to the time of birth. When a child's bones and muscles become stronger, he can sit and roll around the house on his own. Some babies are quicker to start crawling around. However, parents whose children have not yet begun to crawl should not be too worried, in a short time the baby will be able to crawl.
When children develop both physically and mentally, parents can feel a change in their children's activities, that is, children will often stay up at night, so parents will have to coax them to sleep. by feeding and lulling the baby back to sleep. Sometimes by the time a baby is teething, they will have a fever or be more fussy. Besides, the nervous system and brain of the child is developing, parents can see the typical action in the child that is to bring his bare feet to his mouth and start chewing. Do not be too concerned about that action of the child, patiently experience and enjoy because this shows that the child has begun to control body movements.
At this time, the most interesting thing is when children recognize the voices, feelings, and emotions of those around them, especially parents, who spend the most time with them. Children will begin to make funny expressions, sometimes excited, happy, confused and even angry.
This is the best time for parents and relatives around to develop strong bonds and closeness with children. So, instead of getting upset when children ask for something or cry in the night, parents should record these precious moments, it only appears once in a child's life. .
Parents can consult a doctor if they notice any kind of unusual behavior changes such as uncontrollable crying, high fever, lack of interest in playing and not being as active as before. again. A change in an old diet can make a child more susceptible to diarrhea. These signs may or may not be related to teething or some other problem, so it's best, parents should contact the doctor to recognize early signs of abnormalities in their children.
Especially, 24-week-old babies begin to explore, learn skills and eat solid foods, so they are very susceptible to respiratory and digestive diseases. Therefore, vaccination plays a very important role, helping to strengthen resistance to dangerous diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, diarrhea caused by Rotavirus, infection caused by HIB bacteria. Parents should take the initiative to bring their children to the medical facility for injections on time.

Over the years, Vinmec has been famous as a reliable vaccination address for customers with many outstanding advantages:
The 5-star vaccination center has a one-way design, minimizing contact, reducing minimize cross-infection for the baby. Vaccines are diverse, of high quality, of clear origin, and are safe from the stage of registration, preservation to use. Vinmec is also one of the few hospitals that adheres to the preservation and use of vaccines according to the US JCI international standards. Vaccines are preserved by a cold chain meeting GSP standards with a modern cold storage system, allowing vaccines to always keep the best quality. Before vaccination, children are screened with specialist doctors to ensure the best health when vaccinated. A separate play area helps children to feel comfortable when giving injections. The medical team understands young psychology. 100% of vaccinated children are monitored and re-evaluated before leaving. Post-vaccination monitoring room is fully equipped with emergency facilities; the team of doctors - nurses are trained in anaphylaxis emergency management to ensure timely and correct treatment when an incident occurs. If you need to vaccinate your baby at Vinmec, please book an appointment directly at the website or contact the hotline for detailed advice.
The period of baby eating solid foods is an extremely important period to help children develop comprehensively. Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiencies, causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption, etc. If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with supportive products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.

References: parenting.firstcry.com, mamanatural.com