Your Baby at 4 Months By Pam Gelman
Keep in mind that all babies are unique. Whether your baby reaches milestones early or late, she has her own developmental path to follow. The dividing lines between these months are very fuzzy. If you have any concerns or questions about your baby's development, please check with her health care provider.
Physical Development
Thanks to modern technology, we know more about early brain development than ever before. Empirical research has confirmed what every parent already knows intuitively: early experiences are critical for shaping how babies think and learn.
Your baby was born with an astonishing 100 billion brain cells. These cells will be connected in networks as the brain matures. By his third birthday, her brain will have formed about 1000 trillion connections. How these connections are made is based upon baby -- her developing interests, her discoveries, and her learning about the world.
Education & Play
This month, watch how baby watches you. By studying your face, your eyes, and your expressions, baby is learning. When she bats at a toy or holds a rattle, neural connections are being formed. Incredibly, these are the same connections that may one day help her hit a baseball, solve an arithmetic problem, or strum a guitar.
Sometimes parents get so excited about their young baby's developing skills, that they encourage certain types of play. It is hard to believe how much baby can do already.
Watch baby and learn what sorts of activities she is attracted to on her own. If baby likes to lie on her back and bat at toys, lie beside her and talk about what she is doing. If she likes to be held upright, bounce her a bit and talk about what she is seeing. You know better than anyone what your child likes to do. By supporting her natural interests, you are showing respect for her development as a unique individual.
A child is never too young to appreciate a good book. Her way of enjoying a book right now may be by simply touching the hard cover, trying to turn the pages, looking at you reading to her, and even tasting the pages.
Her interest in books at this age may appear to be fleeting, but even a few precious seconds of reading make a lasting impression. Keep reading. The gentle sound of your voice, especially with sing-song or rhythmic text, the closeness of being on your lap, and the experience of touching the book are very exciting for her.
Choose books that are short and have sturdy pages. Soon, she will start to be more interested in the sounds you are making and the objects that these sounds represent. It won't be long before she picks up a book, hands it to you to read, and practices saying the sounds -- over and over.
Massage
Touch is a powerful way to support baby's early brain development and enhance your loving relationship. Cuddling your baby when she is upset or stroking her head as she falls asleep actually releases hormones that are important for her growth.
Studies have shown that babies who are regularly massaged gain weight faster and have deeper periods of sleep. Cortisol, a stress hormone that inhibits growth, is produced less by infants who are regularly massaged by their primary caregivers. By making massage part of baby's routine, you may one day find her little hands wanting to lovingly massage your weary parental shoulders after a long day.
Motor Skills
Around this time, some babies roll over. As with all milestones, there is a huge age range as to when babies roll over. Some studies suggest that babies are rolling over later because of the current emphasis on putting them to sleep on their backs. Obviously, the importance of preventing SIDS is the bottom line. Still, it is important to keep putting baby on her tummy for short periods of time to play and build her muscles.
The first time baby rolls over is usually from tummy to back. The round shape of his tummy allows for fun side-to-side rocking and then a roll over. This feat can be startling for baby. Some babies will immediately roll over again and others won't repeat the milestone for weeks.
You can support baby by placing her on her tummy and showing her one of his favorite toys just out of reach. In the process of stretching to get it, she may roll over again.
Teething
The first pearly whites usually do not show themselves for a few more months, but for some babies, they can make their appearance as early as three months. Heredity is a strong factor, so check with your family history for a clue as to when your child's baby teeth will appear.
Some babies have a bulging gum or ridge for weeks before the tooth appears, while others wake up one morning with a tooth out of nowhere. The degree of unpleasantness for baby that accompanies teething varies.
Signs of teething include:
* Drooling (which may go on for weeks before the tooth appears)
* A facial rash as a result of excessive drooling
* Biting objects to satisfy achy gums
* Irritability which is unfortunately often expressed in the middle of the night
* Refusal to nurse or take a bottle
* Pulling on an ear or rubbing a sore cheek
* Possibly a low grade fever or diarrhea
If you have any questions or concerns about how to support baby while teething, consult your child's health care provider.
(http://www.babyzone.com/baby/nurturing/month/a197)
Physical Development
Thanks to modern technology, we know more about early brain development than ever before. Empirical research has confirmed what every parent already knows intuitively: early experiences are critical for shaping how babies think and learn.
Your baby was born with an astonishing 100 billion brain cells. These cells will be connected in networks as the brain matures. By his third birthday, her brain will have formed about 1000 trillion connections. How these connections are made is based upon baby -- her developing interests, her discoveries, and her learning about the world.
Education & Play
This month, watch how baby watches you. By studying your face, your eyes, and your expressions, baby is learning. When she bats at a toy or holds a rattle, neural connections are being formed. Incredibly, these are the same connections that may one day help her hit a baseball, solve an arithmetic problem, or strum a guitar.
Sometimes parents get so excited about their young baby's developing skills, that they encourage certain types of play. It is hard to believe how much baby can do already.
Watch baby and learn what sorts of activities she is attracted to on her own. If baby likes to lie on her back and bat at toys, lie beside her and talk about what she is doing. If she likes to be held upright, bounce her a bit and talk about what she is seeing. You know better than anyone what your child likes to do. By supporting her natural interests, you are showing respect for her development as a unique individual.
A child is never too young to appreciate a good book. Her way of enjoying a book right now may be by simply touching the hard cover, trying to turn the pages, looking at you reading to her, and even tasting the pages.
Her interest in books at this age may appear to be fleeting, but even a few precious seconds of reading make a lasting impression. Keep reading. The gentle sound of your voice, especially with sing-song or rhythmic text, the closeness of being on your lap, and the experience of touching the book are very exciting for her.
Choose books that are short and have sturdy pages. Soon, she will start to be more interested in the sounds you are making and the objects that these sounds represent. It won't be long before she picks up a book, hands it to you to read, and practices saying the sounds -- over and over.
Massage
Touch is a powerful way to support baby's early brain development and enhance your loving relationship. Cuddling your baby when she is upset or stroking her head as she falls asleep actually releases hormones that are important for her growth.
Studies have shown that babies who are regularly massaged gain weight faster and have deeper periods of sleep. Cortisol, a stress hormone that inhibits growth, is produced less by infants who are regularly massaged by their primary caregivers. By making massage part of baby's routine, you may one day find her little hands wanting to lovingly massage your weary parental shoulders after a long day.
Motor Skills
Around this time, some babies roll over. As with all milestones, there is a huge age range as to when babies roll over. Some studies suggest that babies are rolling over later because of the current emphasis on putting them to sleep on their backs. Obviously, the importance of preventing SIDS is the bottom line. Still, it is important to keep putting baby on her tummy for short periods of time to play and build her muscles.
The first time baby rolls over is usually from tummy to back. The round shape of his tummy allows for fun side-to-side rocking and then a roll over. This feat can be startling for baby. Some babies will immediately roll over again and others won't repeat the milestone for weeks.
You can support baby by placing her on her tummy and showing her one of his favorite toys just out of reach. In the process of stretching to get it, she may roll over again.
Teething
The first pearly whites usually do not show themselves for a few more months, but for some babies, they can make their appearance as early as three months. Heredity is a strong factor, so check with your family history for a clue as to when your child's baby teeth will appear.
Some babies have a bulging gum or ridge for weeks before the tooth appears, while others wake up one morning with a tooth out of nowhere. The degree of unpleasantness for baby that accompanies teething varies.
Signs of teething include:
* Drooling (which may go on for weeks before the tooth appears)
* A facial rash as a result of excessive drooling
* Biting objects to satisfy achy gums
* Irritability which is unfortunately often expressed in the middle of the night
* Refusal to nurse or take a bottle
* Pulling on an ear or rubbing a sore cheek
* Possibly a low grade fever or diarrhea
If you have any questions or concerns about how to support baby while teething, consult your child's health care provider.
(http://www.babyzone.com/baby/nurturing/month/a197)