The development of the 31-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.


As a parent, there is nothing happier than watching your child grow up day by day. From a newborn to a 31 week old baby. Every step, every crawl, and every laugh can create a deep feeling of love and attachment with your little one. The 31 week old baby has developed a lot, the growth will be seen to be exponential when compared to the new born babies.
31 weeks old baby will start to have pureed solid food, try to crawl and constantly naughty, you will become busy with your baby's restless movements.

1. Physically

From a newborn to a 31-week-old baby, every milestone is a moment. Every step, every crawl, and every laugh can create deep feelings of love and attachment. Being a parent can be challenging but with the help of family members your baby is growing and developing into a happy and healthy individual. From a newborn baby still holding his back, he now knows how to sit, stand, crawl and smile at you. The weight of the 31-week-old baby still did not change much compared to the week 30, 7.4 - 9.2 kg for boys and 6.8 - 8.6 kg for girls.

2. What can a 31 week old baby do?

By 31 weeks, your baby has grown so much right before your eyes. The growth will be seen exponential when compared to the first time parents hold their baby in their arms. Your baby will begin to eat solid foods, make sounds, try to crawl and constantly keep you busy with their enthusiasm and energy.
You can capture this growth with pictures and videos and keep up with your baby's fun by playing games, which support their cognitive development and ensure that they get healthy meals strong and nutritious.

3. Some 31 week old baby milestones

Your 31-week-old baby will develop cognitive, emotional, and physical milestones. Every day will be new as your child will unlock a new milestone that is developmentally appropriate for him or her.
Sit without support Smile often at new things Play throw toys or hide and search Pick up objects with your child's fingers and hold on to it Make different types of sounds to indicate different things May be able to crawl or move a little forward Imitate speech sounds 3.1 Nutrition As a mother, depending on whether you are working or staying at home, you can decide on a breastfeeding schedule breast milk and infant feeding. It can take a lot of time to plan when to start pumping and also to make sure your baby starts getting some solid foods. Breast milk provides all the nutrients a developing baby needs, especially during the first year, so if you're planning to breastfeed for up to 12 months make sure you're preparing a schedule. program to accommodate different feeding sessions.

It is important to remember that solid foods should only be introduced to a toddler, it is a supplement and cannot replace breast milk until almost 2 years. If you are working, make sure that you have enough breast milk for your baby when you are not at home and that the caregiver can feed the baby so prepare a schedule for your baby to be 31 weeks old. Your age will not fuss and be properly nourished.
If you have also introduced formula to your baby, create a schedule to ensure that your baby can adapt to the combination of breast milk, formula and solid foods.
Regardless of your feeding style, it is important to always give milk, especially breast milk, to your baby before solids are present so that your baby can get complete nutrition. Presenting meals beautifully with full of color will inspire children every meal.
3.2 About Sleep Your 31-week-old baby's sleep will take an important turning point. Your baby is now starting to know likes and dislikes. With the big developmental steps associated with teething and increased mobility, your toddler will have some sleep disturbances.
31-week-old babies may become more fatigued due to the challenging period during this time. Your baby may have trouble sleeping at night, and it's important to minimize distractions to bring order and ensure a good night's sleep. Usually, if your baby wakes up due to some discomfort or noise, he will need a little help from you to get back to sleep.

3.3. 31 Week Old Baby Care Tips No matter how exhausted you are at this stage, your toddler will bring you immense joy with their energy. The growth at 31 weeks old will surprise and delight you.
Here are a few tips to keep your toddler the healthiest and happiest:
Start introducing a variety of vegetables and fruits to your toddler in a variety of forms, such as mashed puree, mashed or finger foods. Start creating a routine to make sure your child has good sleep habits. Encourage curiosity, let children go outside to explore their surroundings. Play games whenever you have time with them to improve parenting. Make sure you are providing a balanced supply of breast milk with solid foods Start introducing different types of toys to develop their cognitive abilities. Be patient and figure out why your baby is upset Create a positive environment at home so your baby always gets attention. Smile and laugh often with your 31-week-old Baby Have a diaper bag ready with toys, extra diapers, feeding bottles, tissues and extra underwear handy every time your baby is out. Identify your baby's personality traits and nurture any talents you notice. It's important to take care of the baby, but also don't forget to take care of yourself so if your baby naps, nap with him.

4. Game suggestions for 31-week-old babies

Enjoy time with toddlers and start playing some games with them to increase mother-child bonding. Since your baby will be curious and start paying attention to their surroundings around this age, start introducing different elements in their environment to keep them entertained.
As a parent, the easiest game you can play at home without a toy is hide and seek. Anytime you can play this game with your baby. Alternatively, you can also tie the string to a toy your baby likes and let him follow the toy by gently pulling on the string. Your baby will crawl to reach the toy thereby enhancing his motor skills.
Another simple game you can play with your toddler is clapping. Clap your hands together, and your baby will begin to imitate you. You can even start singing some rhymes to them because at this stage your baby starts to recognize sounds and imagine. Another great game for your toddler is to hide their toy and encourage them to find it. Common hiding spots might be under a blanket or behind a door to keep your baby happy when she finds them.

5. When to consult a doctor

You should observe unusual signs related to child health problems, to contact a pediatrician and receive timely advice. Some of the manifestations include:
When your baby has bloodshot eyes When the child has diarrhea, high fever or any other unusual symptoms you can consult your doctor. When the baby's stool has blood in it. When your baby has chest constriction, nose flaps, heavy or noisy breathing, then he may have respiratory failure. When your baby has dry lips and mouth and is eager to drink water, he can also become dehydrated. Enjoy this time with your baby because from now on, he will become more and more intuitive, curious and imaginative. Before you know it, your toddler will soon be a year old, so make the most of baby-sitting time to make sure she's happy and healthy.
31-week-old babies need 5mg of elemental zinc/day to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. Zinc plays a role in affecting most biological processes taking place in the body, especially the breakdown of nucleic acids, proteins... Organs in the body when zinc deficiency can lead to a There are a number of diseases such as neurological disorders, irritability, etc. Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.

References: parents.com, mamanatural.com