4Th month development of baby

Your baby's developmental milestones at 4 months

Explainer

Everything you need to know about your growing 4-month-old.

UNICEF

Your little one is growing more social and moving more purposefully. Babies at this age love to babble, coo, play and mimic the sounds they hear and movements they see. You’ll start to notice that her/his cries will start to sound different as she/he learns to communicate hunger, frustration, discomfort and sleepiness. Read on to find out more about some of the ways your 4-month-old is learning and changing at this stage.

Social and emotional milestones at 4 months

Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around her at 4 months:

• Will smile spontaneously.
• Will try copying your movements and facial expressions.
• Likes to play with others and may get upset when playtime stops.

Tips for parents

• Share your little one’s interest by looking and pointing.
• Try smiling at your baby and speaking to her in a kind voice.

Language and communication milestones at 4 months

How your baby is expressing his needs:

• Cries will start to sound different if he is hungry, in pain or tired.
• He will babble and copy sounds he hears.

Tips for parents

• When your baby cries, respond as soon as possible, noting the meanings of each cry-signal.
• Repeat sounds your baby makes back to him.

Brain development milestones at 4 months

How your child’s brain is growing:

• Will begin to recognize objects and people she is familiar with from a distance.
• Is responsive to love and affection.
• Will track moving objects with her eyes by following them side to side.
• Her hands and eyes will work together.
• She will let you know if she’s happy or sad.
• Watches faces closely.
• Will reach for toys with one hand.

Tips for parents

• Help her develop her hand-eye coordination by leaving toys nearby.
• Speak to your baby during your everyday routines and talk to her about what you notice.

Movement and physical development milestones at 4 months

How he’ll move through his environment:

• Brings his hands to his mouth.
• Will push up to his elbows when lying on his stomach.
• He can hold his head up without support.
• Might be able to roll over onto his back.
• He will push down on his legs when his feet are on a hard surface.
• Can shake a toy he’s holding.

Tips for parents

• Leave rattles near your little one so he can reach for and shake them.
• Encourage your baby to roll over by putting him on a hard surface — soft surfaces will be difficult at this stage.

Food and nutrition milestones at 4 months

What mealtimes look like at 4 months:

• Your baby will begin to signal that she is hungry by putting her hands near her mouth.

Tips for parents

• When she signals that she is hungry, respond with giving her breastmilk.

Things to look out for

While all babies develop differently, you should speak to your paediatrician if your 4-month-old:

• Has difficulty moving one or both of his eyes in any direction.
• Won’t smile at people.
• Doesn’t bring his hands to his mouth.
• Won’t push down with his legs when he’s put on a hard surface.
• Doesn’t make noises or cooing sounds.
• Can't hold his head up steadily.

True or false?

Loading...

Explore age groups

2 Months  |  4 Months  |  6 Months  |  9 Months  |  1 Year  |  18 Months  |  2 Years

< Back to Parenting Milestones

Baby Development: Your 4-Month Old

Written by Stephanie Watson

In this Article

• Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Growth
• Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Motor Skills
• Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Sleep
• Fourth Month Baby Milestones: The Senses
• Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Eating
• Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Communication
• Talking to Your Pediatrician
• Tips for Your Baby’s Fourth Month

Your 4-month-old is growing more and more alert by the day. Babies at this age love to express themselves through smiles, laughs, gurgles, and coos.

This portion of WebMD’s month-by-month guide describes a few of the baby milestones you can expect your child to reach at four months.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Growth

By month four, your baby’s weight will likely have doubled from birth. If you’re concerned that your child isn’t eating well or isn’t gaining enough weight, talk to your pediatrician.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Motor Skills

Your baby is becoming more dexterous and doing more with their hands. Their hands now work together to move a toy or shake a rattle. In fact, those hands will grab for just about anything within reach, including a stuffed animal, your hair, and any colorful or shiny object hanging nearby. You might want to remove any earrings or necklaces if you don’t want to experience a painful tug.

Anything your baby is able to pick up will likely end up in their mouth -- tasting is one of the ways they explore their world. It’s crucial that you don’t leave small items lying around that baby could choke on. Anything that can fit inside a toilet paper tube is too small to be within finger’s reach of your 4-month-old.

By now, your baby’s head should no longer be wobbly. Four-month-olds have pretty good head control while sitting supported, and they can hold their head and chest upright while lying on their stomach during tummy time. They also can kick and push with their feet. Some babies have even figured out how to roll from tummy to back at this point.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Sleep

By your baby’s fourth month, you both should be enjoying a full night’s sleep. At this age babies typically can sleep seven to eight hours in a row. Add in two naps, and baby should be sleeping a total of 14 to 16 hours a day.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones: The Senses

During the first three months, babies have a lot of trouble distinguishing color contrasts, which was why your newborn preferred bright colors and black-and-white objects. Now at four months, baby’s vision has sharpened to about 20/40. Babies at this age can pick out more subtle color contrasts, such as a red button on a red shirt. They also can see across the room, although they still prefer looking at people close-up.

Your baby’s eyes should move together smoothly and follow objects and people around the room. If you notice crossed eyes or any other vision problems, be sure to mention them to your pediatrician.

You also may notice that your baby’s eyes are starting to change color. Lighter-colored eyes may go through several changes before settling on their final shade at about six months.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Eating

Some pediatricians don’t recommend starting babies on solid foods until six months. But depending on your baby’s size -- bigger babies may not be satisfied with breast milk or formula alone -- and readiness, your doctor may say it’s OK to start solids at four months. Before that first feeding, make sure that your baby has good head and neck control and can sit upright with support.

Baby’s first food should be an iron-fortified rice cereal mixed with either formula or breast milk. Make the cereal very thin at first -- not much thicker than plain formula -- until your baby gets used to it. Then see how they react to taking the spoon. Babies at this age may still have a strong tongue-thrust reflex. If you put a spoon of cereal in your baby’s mouth and they push it right back out, you may need to wait a week or two before trying solids again.

Fourth Month Baby Milestones: Communication

Four-month-olds are starting to discover themselves as unique individuals. They’re also beginning to notice that the people around them respond to their actions. When your baby cries, you come over. When they drop something on the floor, you pick it up. Many babies delight in dropping the same object over and over and over again, just to watch their parents repeatedly pick it up.

Babies at this age are learning to be effective communicators. They express themselves through coos, vowel sounds such as ooh and aah, squeals, gurgles, and laughter. You’ll notice that your baby can use their face to express a wide range of emotions, from a beaming happy smile, to a crunched-up angry face, to open-mouthed surprise. Your 4-month-old is also starting to learn how to read emotions from your voice and facial expressions.

Talking to Your Pediatrician

Here are a few of the items that should be on the checklist for your 4-month well-baby pediatrician visit:

• Height and weight
• Milestones
• Vaccinations
• Hearing and vision
• Eating
• Sleeping

Before you go to the doctor’s office, make a list of any concerns you have and any questions you want to ask, and then use the list to be sure you get all the information and help you need.

Tips for Your Baby’s Fourth Month

• Give your baby lots of new textures to explore, such as books like Pat the Bunny and other touch-and-feel board books.
• Spend at least a few minutes reading or singing to your baby every day. They will love being in your arms and hearing the sound of your voice -- even if you can’t carry a tune.
• Though your baby is not yet crawling and probably isn’t even rolling over, it’s time to start seriously thinking about childproofing. Put locks on cabinets, snap gates across stairways, and store any cleaning products or other potentially dangerous materials high up and far away from baby’s curious fingers.

What a child should be able to do at 4 months - the development of a baby at 4 months boy

Every month of a baby's life is a whole stage of development. Therefore, what a child should be able to do at 4 months is different from the level that was observed a month earlier. At the same time, medical standards are exemplary. If he still does not know what is written in the charts, this does not mean a lag. Each child has his own program, which will be carried out as he grows and matures.

What a four-month-old baby can do.

• Head holding and rotation. The baby holds his head well while crawling or lifting his arms. He turns his head to find the source of the sound, or just to look around.
• Elbow raise with long upper body hold. This happens while lying on your stomach. The first attempts to crawl are made.
• Identification of the source of sound, reaction to sound by turning the head. The child reacts to speech, music, etc. nine0008
• Flip from back to side and belly, reverse to back. So it is more convenient for the child to get his favorite toy or move to the right place.
• Capturing and holding rattles for a long time in the hand. Perhaps waving a rattle to extract sounds.
• Attempts to sit up while holding hands. Girls cannot sit at four months, sometimes boys can do it. But the first attempts are made with pleasure. It is impossible to keep the child in this position for a long time - the spine is not ready for stress, and the muscles practically do not hold it. nine0008
• Taste of things. Children at this age put toys and other objects into their mouths. This is not related to the growth of teeth, because it is too early for them. Trying objects helps the child to explore the world. It is important at this time to exclude the presence of small objects near the child: buttons, toy parts, pen caps, etc. A child may accidentally swallow them and suffocate.
• Clapping hands. This action serves as a game and expression of emotions.
nine0007 Holding on to a bottle or mother's breast. This is necessary for convenience during feeding.

The degree of social and emotional development

Every baby at 4 months already smiles and laughs in response to words or pleasant sounds, laughs while playing. He already understands well the meaning of a smile. He likes it when people around him smile, he understands that they have fun with him and that they approve of his behavior.

Leggings for babies

from 590 ₽ 354 ₽

74-92 cm / 6-24 months

Healthy four-month-old babies can walk. These are the first attempts to speak, which manifest themselves in the form of melodic throat sounds. The child listens to them himself.

At the age of four months there is already a reaction to pleasant sounds and music. Most children stop crying and rejoice. Some walk along singing. This is how joy and pleasure from pleasant sounds are manifested. nine0003

Babies love to be held upright by the armpits. So it is more convenient to look around, it is easier to explore the space. It is better if mom or dad does it. By maintaining contact with parents, a sense of security arises, and the first stay in a new position is tolerated with less shock.

At this age, the child begins to feel his own body in space. Often children spend a lot of time looking at their own hands and feet.

Reflex reactions at 4 months

The reflexes of a newborn child at this age are almost completely lost. Healthy children no longer have the Babkin reflex, proboscis, search, protective, grasping reflex. The simplest unconscious actions at this time give way to more complex reactions and behavioral complexes. This is due to the final maturation of the brain.

What reflexes remain

The stepping reflex remains partially - the child can walk when he is held in an upright position, touching the sofa or table with his feet, and slightly tilted forward. nine0003

There may be some manifestation of the startle reflex (Moro). The child is still trying to grab something, frightened by a loud sound, a scream, a blow to the surface on which he lies, or the removal of the hand supporting him. However, if this skill and the stepping reflex are no longer there, this is also not considered a pathology.

In the first six months, the gag reflex is clearly visible - automatic ejection of objects from the mouth. For some children, this even makes the process of first feeding difficult. These reflexes, like the sucking reflex, remain in a person for life. nine0003

Skill development activities

To develop your baby's skills, you don't need any special knowledge. Enough daily communication and tactile contact. It is desirable to do massage and gymnastics. First, you need to bend and unbend the baby’s limbs several times, then gently turn it over from the back to the stomach and back several times. Then you can shake the baby on the fitball, attaching it to his stomach. You need to lean forward a little so that he tries to stretch his arms and back so that he tries to grab the ball. nine0003

Between gymnastics, be sure to take the child in your arms, wear it, stroking the back, arms and legs. Some pediatricians advise using a sling as often as possible, and taking a stroller only in extreme cases.

Massage is a must. It should be smooth touches, stroking along the limbs and back. No rubbing is needed yet.

Other measures also play an important role in the formation of skills.

• New toys. In addition to rattles, teethers are needed, as the baby's gums may already swell. So he will learn to gnaw, which will subsequently make it easier to get used to adult food. It is good to fill a transparent plastic bottle with a mixture of different cereals and small things that will rustle and flicker pleasantly in it. Another technique for learning is filling fabric bags with cereals. Their feeling will teach the child new tactile sensations. nine0008
• Conducting a dialogue. A child at 4 months is partially able to repeat the speech of an adult: individual sounds, intonations. After listening to his babble, say a few sentences in response, then pause again. So the baby will learn to understand that it is his turn to answer. You need to speak with the child calmly and affectionately, without distorting the words and not "lisping" so that he hears all the sounds. Be sure to address him by his first name. Amuse the child by playing "horned goat", "palmies", etc.
nine0007 Hiding games. Hide behind a curtain or blanket, then show up again and say "coo-coo" or "hello." So the child will understand that even when the mother disappears from sight, she will definitely return. This teaches him to trust.

What a four-month-old baby should be able to eat

The main type of nutrition for a child is still mother's milk or an adapted formula. Breastfeeding babies are not yet ready for complementary foods, however, the number of meals is already decreasing, and a food intake regimen is being developed. A child consumes 800-9 per day00 gr. breast milk. Water supplementation is required, especially in hot summer weather.

The digestive system of bottle-fed babies is ready for new products. They can be given vegetable purees: broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin. The recommended dose on the first day is 1 teaspoon, on the second day - 2, etc. After 5-7 days, it is the turn of fruit complementary foods - bananas and apples according to the same scheme. Some mothers, on the advice of doctors, try to give juices, although this should be done with great care. The fact is that juice from sour fruits can cause acidification of the stomach and regurgitation. Sweet juice can discourage children from eating vegetable purees that are less tasty. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce juice into the diet with caution. For the first days it is better to dilute the juice with boiled water 1:1. nine0003

Some children already know how to eat with a spoon. In this case, you can feed the baby with light adapted cereals (buckwheat, rice) and curds. It is best to introduce these foods last.

Daily routine of a child at 4 months old

At this age, the routine is almost formed. Mom can correct it, but this should be done gently without stress for the child. Roughly, the schedule looks like this.

Deviations from the norm

Each child grows up individually, and a developmental delay of 1.5-2 months is acceptable. Doctors and parents should pay special attention to the child in the following situations. nine0003

• No physical activity, the child does not even roll over on his side and does not show interest in movement.
• Baby can't hold his head.
• No hum is observed.
• No response to the name and voice of the mother, no search for the source of the sound.
• The child does not smile, does it rarely or unconsciously, as if for no reason.
• No interest in toys and bright objects in the apartment. nine0008

These deviations indicate a slow development of the child. In such a situation, you need to seek help from specialists. As a rule, the pediatrician himself pays attention to this during a routine examination. If not, contact him additionally and visit a neurologist.

Four-month-old babies often sweat, especially during the heat of summer, which can lead to skin irritation. They need special clothes made from natural raw materials. It is important that the clothes do not constrain movements, do not press or rub delicate skin. You can pick up a wardrobe for a child at 4 months without leaving home. The Loloclo online store offers quality clothes for the little ones at competitive prices. The range includes dresses, overalls, bodysuits, sweatshirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts and much more. Delivery - to all cities of Russia. nine0003

← 3 months 5th month →

4th month of life. What should a child be able to do?

From the age of 4 months, lying on the tummy, the baby raises high head resting on the forearms. At this time, he comprehends complex types of movement. For example, he tries to work the muscles of his back and legs. Feeling your own body for the baby plays a very important role! This feeling is very important to stimulate massage, games and gentle touches.

4 months for your baby "training". The back is still weak, the baby begins pull up to sit down in the future. He loves to be supported mice are picked up by the handles and tends to dance. nine0003

At this age, the child sleeps only 3 times a day, and is awake for two hours in a row.

The kid is actively cooing and recognizes his mother, rejoices, he easily has a "complex revitalization".

By the end of 4 months, the baby can laugh loudly and contagiously! That his surrounds - it becomes more and more interesting for him. By sound he can look for people, look forward and backward, over your shoulder. He answers his family joyful roar. nine0003

The kid is frightened if he hears the angry voice of a loved one. His face changes facial expressions, he might even cry!

At this age, the baby easily distinguishes the timbre and strength of sounds, under a beautiful classical music, he is awake and enjoys it, and tired, falls asleep under a gentle lullaby. If you like to dance with your baby, dance! Download carefully child to a slow melody and more quickly to a rhythmic one. So you develop a sense of rhythm in your crumbs through movement. nine0003

At this age, kids get great pleasure from playing with sounds. Completely independent of the mother's speech, children all over the world begin to pronounce first syllables: “ba”, “ma”, “am”, “ta”, etc. Some babies can change tonality and volume of his speech, and even hum whole melodies.
All sounds for the crumbs are alive! He just enjoys them. Sense of speech, each vowel and consonant has certain properties for the child. Therefore, kids love to listen to poetry, even those that seem strange to you. nine0245 At this time, the initial development of the eyeball is completed.

He examines objects, as if feeling them with his eyes, determining their shape and the size. Such a long and varied visual concentration, his attention to objects, active cooing - all this is evidence of a normal psychophysical development.

The development of vision allows the baby to examine and memorize objects in detail and people. At this age, he begins to distinguish some colors, to catch the difference shapes such as oval, triangle and rectangle. He starts respond to a change in the appearance of a person whom he knows well. Mom put on a new dress, a hat or glasses - all this is interesting for him, he tries everything to consider and study, in a new image, he strives to recognize his own face. nine0003

At 4 months, the baby will already enjoy his reflection in the mirror. To do this, many toys have a safe mirror. He will greet your "stranger" with a joyful and radiant smile.
At the fourth month, the baby is already trying to turn on its side. A little later he can roll over from stomach to back. All these movements are still uncertain, and more like rollovers.

Having come across toys, he examines them, seeks to grab and touch them.

Learn more

• 
  How to look up your child support case
• 
  Baby2See due date calculator
• 
  Babies first crawl
• 
  Easiest signs of pregnancy
• 
  Newborn baby yellow eye
• 
  23 months old milestones
• 
  Try to make a baby
• 
  How to get child support off your credit report
• 
  Can you have a baby at 26 weeks
• 
  How to do a membrane sweep yourself
• 
  What is placenta used for