The 4-month-old baby smiles, murmurs, and cares more about people than objects. At this point, the baby begins to play with his own hands, manages to lean on his elbows and some, by stand face down, raise his head and shoulders. In addition, he begins to show some preference for certain types of toys, laughs and screams when stimulated. For a 4-month-old baby, it all ends up being a game, including breastfeeding, bathing or walking.
At this stage, it is common for the baby to cough at times, which may not be caused by diseases such as the flu or cold, but by choking episodes with saliva or food, so it is very important for parents to pay close attention. to these situations.
- The following table shows the baby’s ideal weight for this age.
- However.
- The weight may vary slightly and the baby may have more or less weight.
Weight
5.6 to 8.1 kg
5.2 to 7.5 kg
Cephalic perimeter
39.5 to 43.5 cm
38.5 to 42.5 cm
In general, babies at this stage of development maintain a weight gain pattern of 600 g per month. If your weight is much higher than the one shown in the table above, you may be overweight, in which case you should consult your pediatrician.
The baby’s sleep at 4 months at night begins to be regular, longer and uninterrupted, and can last up to 9 consecutive hours. However, the sleep pattern is different for each baby, with those who sleep a lot, those who sleep in the nap, and those who get little sleep. In addition, babies may have a preference to sleep together or alone, this is part of the personality that develops.
In general, the time the baby is most awake is between 3 p.m. 7pm, which is the ideal time for visitors.
The 4-month-old baby plays with his fingers, holds small objects, turns his head in any direction and when lying face down, rests on his elbows. When he is on his back, he likes to look at his hands and feet, take them to his face, when he has back support, he can sit for a few seconds, he follows the objects with his eyes, turning his head to follow them.
They love to be on their lap and it’s all a joke, they love to undress, walk in the stroller, hold a rattle and make noise. Normally, a 4-month-old baby tends to be more relaxed with his parents and more restless and playful with other family members.
At this age, they already verbalize certain gargle-like sounds, they manage to emit different sounds babbling vowels and small screams.
In addition, during this period, it is important to be attentive to reactions and stimuli, because during this period it is already possible to identify certain problems such as hearing problems for example. Learn how to determine if your baby isn’t listening well.
Watch the video to learn how to help your baby’s development
Breastfeeding of the 4-month-old baby should be done exclusively with breast milk. When breastfeeding is not possible, the pediatrician will make the appropriate recommendation of the formula to use, depending on the needs and availability of the family.
The milk given to the baby, whatever it is, is enough to nourish and hydrate the child until 6 months of life. Therefore, it is not necessary to offer the child water, teas and juices. Discover the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months.
With rare exceptions, your pediatrician may recommend starting food intake at 4 months.
To avoid accidents with the baby at 4 months, parents can adopt strategies to ensure their safety, such as allowing only toys for the child’s age group and carrying the inMETRO symbol, thus avoiding the risk of suffocation and toxicity, for example.
Other security measures that may be taken include
In addition, to avoid sunburn in the baby, or allergic skin processes, the 4-month-old baby should not sunbathe or use sunscreen, it is recommended that this does not occur until after the 6th month of life. Understand how to choose sunscreen for 6-month-old babies.