What can a 4 month old baby do?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Le Thanh Cam - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

4 months old is a time of physical changes for babies. At this time, parents should learn carefully about their child's abilities and needs so that he or she can develop comprehensively physically and mentally.

1. Standard measurements of a 4-month-old baby

At the age of 4 months, babies have rapid development. Babies gain weight quite quickly, so parents need to provide enough nutrients for babies through breast milk. So, how much does a 4-month-old baby weigh? What is the baby's length and head circumference? The standard indicators for 4-month-old babies are:
Length: Boys are about 59.7 – 69.6cm long, the average is 64.6cm; girls are 58.6 – 68.2cm long, average is 63.4cm; Weight: The baby boy weighs about 5.9kg – 9.1kg, the average is 7.5kg; girls weigh about 5.5 - 8.5kg, the average is 7kg; Head circumference: Boys have a head circumference of 39.7 – 44.5cm, average 42.1cm; girls have a head circumference of 38.8 – 43.6cm, average 41.2cm; Bust: Boys have a bust measurement of 38.3 – 46.3cm, average is 42.3cm; girls have a bust measurement of 37.3 - 44.9cm, average is 41.1cm; Font: Your baby's anterior fontanel has not yet closed, and the posterior fontanelle and suture are closed.

2. What can a 4-month-old child do?

2.1 Socially, emotionally Laughing consciously, especially laughing at others; Can imitate some movements and facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, ... Likes to play with others, can cry if stopped playing. 2.2 In terms of language and communication The cry is relatively thick and strong; Start babbling, learning to speak, vocalizing emotions, imitating sounds baby hears; Know how to use different laughter to show interest and curiosity about the surrounding objects; Crying in different ways to show the baby is hungry, tired, in pain, etc. Knows how to use tone of voice to express unhappiness; Can laugh spontaneously when seeing familiar faces and making many sounds; Pay attention to your self-image when you look in the mirror, laugh at yourself, and begin to adjust your responses to others; When feeding, the baby places both hands on the breast or bottle as a way of personal communication. 2.3 About the ability to perceive, learn Show to parents when the baby is sad or happy; Respond to external influences such as sounds, images; With one hand object; Good hand-eye coordination, can look at toys and reach out to them; Eyes follow moving objects from side to side; Sometimes put objects in the mouth to explore; Staring intently at other people's faces; Recognizes loved ones and objects at a certain distance.

2.4 About motor ability, physical development Gross motor When lying on his back on the bed, the baby's hands automatically close, in front of the chest, holding hands, sometimes even walking; When lying on the stomach, the baby's arms will come forward, raising his head to look at the person in front of him or the toy firmly, without assistance; When lying on the stomach, the baby tends to roll over passively, rolling back to the supine position involuntarily; When supporting the baby's chest and abdomen and keeping the baby in a suspended state, the baby's head, legs and body can be equal; When helping the baby sit up, the baby's head often bends forward; when swaying the baby's body, the baby's head sometimes sways but is basically stable; Baby can exert pressure on the legs when placed standing on a hard surface; Fine motor Can actively grasp toys with handles and sway; Put your hand or something you like in your baby's mouth; Your baby's vision can move from object to hand and vice versa; When covering the baby with a thin blanket, the baby's hands can pull the blanket; If there is support, the baby can sit upright for about 10-15 minutes and the head is stable, the back is stable. 2.5 Baby Sleep Time At 4 months, both baby and parents will have a good night's sleep. At this age, babies can usually sleep for 7-8 hours continuously, adding two naps during the day. A 4-month-old baby will need about 14-16 hours of sleep a day.
2.6 Baby's Sensory Development During the first 3 months, babies will have difficulty distinguishing contrasting colors. Therefore, babies often like bright colors and white-black objects. Your baby's vision is now about 20/40.
A 4-month-old baby can perceive subtle color contrasts, can look around the room, but he still prefers to see closer. Your baby's eyes also move normally, and may follow objects or other people in the room.
2.7 Baby feeding skills Doctors often advise parents not to give babies solid foods until they are 6 months old. However, many fast-growing, large-weight babies may not be provided with enough nutrients from breast milk and formula. If the baby is ready, parents can give the baby solid foods at 4 months.
Before feeding, parents need to hold the baby's head and neck. Your baby's first food should be iron-fortified cereal, mixed with breast milk or formula. Baby cereal powder should be diluted so that the baby gets used to the food. Babies this age still have a strong tongue force reflex when they put a spoon in their mouth. If the baby pushes back when he puts the spoon of cereal in his mouth, parents should wait for another 1-2 weeks before giving him solid foods.

3. Notes when taking care of a 4-month-old baby

3.1 Pay attention to baby's sleep 4 months old baby's sleep has begun to settle down, parents gradually have more time to rest. At this age, children can sleep continuously for 7-8 hours at night, so parents should not be too worried that the child will be hungry or wake up to feed. Besides, to help the baby sleep better, the mother can sing to the baby, turn on the dim lights in the room to make the baby less afraid. If the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, parents should try to put the baby back to sleep soon.
3.2 Prevent diaper rash for babies Parents can prevent diaper rash in babies by changing diapers often, especially at night. After each diaper change, the mother needs to clean and clean the baby. Use a soft cloth to wipe to avoid scratching your baby's sensitive skin. When swaddling a baby, parents need to pay attention to make the diaper slightly loose, use a well-ventilated diaper to prevent diaper rash.
3.3 Pay attention when your baby is about to start teething At the age of 4 months, many babies are about to start teething and start drooling. At this time, the child may put all the objects around in his mouth. Therefore, parents need to be careful when letting their children play with small objects, to avoid the case that the baby puts them in the mouth causing choking, choking,...
3.4 What to do to help the baby develop well? Hug and talk to your baby, laugh a lot and always be happy; Make a strict schedule for your baby's eating and sleeping; Pay attention to your baby's likes and dislikes to best meet her needs; Imitate children's sounds; Be excited, smile at your baby when he makes sounds to encourage him to talk; Spend time reading and singing to your baby; Let your baby play with age-appropriate toys such as color pictures, dice, crib hangers, etc. Play games like peek-a-boo; Create a safe space for your baby to explore around; Put toys near baby, teach baby to grasp; Hold your baby upright on the floor, sing or talk to him. 3.5 Talk to your doctor if your baby has some unusual behavior. Does not follow moving objects; Do not smile at others; Doesn't make any sound; Do not lift your head firmly; Do not put your hands in your mouth; Do not put pressure on the legs when placing the baby standing on a hard surface; Trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions. At 4 months old, babies already have many skills and want to explore their surroundings and learn new skills. Therefore, parents need to pay attention to creating the best environment for their children to develop comprehensively both physically and intellectually.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are 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. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. 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 have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Dr. Le Thanh Cam has 15 years of experience in diagnosing & treating pediatric diseases; She used to work at the Department of Pediatrics - Da Nang Hospital and Da Nang Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her strength is diagnosis and treatment of pediatric diseases; resuscitation, pediatric emergency.

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