From the first moment the infant leaves the mother's warm and loving womb, he/she discovers the very different outside world. At this early stage, they have to learn and adapt to the new environment, whether it be breastfeeding to relieve hunger or learning to communicate the needs through crying. When the adjustment period in the first 1-2 weeks is over, the child will develop rapidly. To help parents track the development of their child, we present the developments of an infant in the first 4 months after my birth
First 30 days
- The newborn will spend most of its time adjusting. The main activities are feeding and sleeping. They wake up in short intervals. However, the baby’s brain is ready to learn both when awake and asleep.
- Infants of this age will have natural reactions, which are necessary before eyesight fully develops and the muscles are stronger, for example, when touched, a newborn will ball up his/her fists or startle when there is a loud noise. Babies of this age also automatically suck whatever touches their mouths.
- During this stage of development, the newborn’s limbs are still bent and they often twist their bodies.
- The baby's visibility range is a distance of 1 ft, therefore, the baby will see the mother’s face clearly during breastfeeding. The newborn can only concentrate on looking for a short period of time. Infants at this age can sometimes smile without meaning.
- Newborns will use crying to communicate their needs or discomfort.
1 Month old
- The baby is adjusting well and is starting to have some sort of schedule in regards to feeding, waking up, and sleeping. They are able to sleep for longer periods during the night, compared to the first month.
- The baby will begin to develop more muscle and have a firm grip. They can hold their heads better and make small nods. Parents should hold the baby's neck with caution.
- The baby’s vision starts to develop. Sometimes, the baby can turn sideways by themselves. Their eyes start looking at things that are nearby and moving slowly, with a radius of about 30-60 degrees. They can stare at the mother’s face for longer. They can start to focus and imitate what they see, for example, when parents talk to them, babies will often try to move their lips.
- During this time, babies begin to make sounds, such as cooing.
2 months old
- Babies in this age adjust well and start to develop clear feeding and sleeping schedules. They sleep less during the day and start playing more. They can sleep longer at night.
- During this month, the baby’s muscles become stronger. They can hold up their heads. The leg muscles become stronger and they can stretch and kick the legs. They can ball up their fists loosely. Some babies are able to hold small things in their hands.
- Their eyes can look at things within a radius of 60-90 degrees, with continuous viewing from one side to another across the center of their faces.
- They will start interacting with things around them, start smiling, cooing as if in reply, turn their heads toward sounds, and look around.
3 months old
- The baby starts to sleep more at night and wake up to play for longer during daytime.
- The muscles become much stronger, allowing them to hold their heads up for a long time. They can hold their necks at a 45 degree angle when lying on their bellies. They can turn sideways.
- As for movement, the baby will begin to stretch their legs into a straight position. They can put weight on their legs for short periods of time. They can turn over. They start trying to control their two hands by raising and moving their hands, spreading their fingers, contracting their fingers, reaching for things that are close by, touching their own face, and putting their hands into their mouths.
- The baby’s vision will improve greatly. They can look at things that are farther away or moving, with a radius of 180 degrees.
- The baby will start to make more noise and smile in reaction to something. They will have more interaction and communication with parents. They smile and coo as replies. They make different tones, high and low. They are able to interact with the environment in many ways, such as turning their heads, smiling, listening intently, moving their hands and limbs, making noises to call for parents.
4 months old
- The baby’s development has increased significantly regarding both muscles and vision. The head can be raised 90 degrees upright. The baby can use the upper arm and turn upside down.
- In this age, the baby has better hand-eye coordination, able to grab things that are close by with a tight grip. Both hands can come together and touch in the middle.
- The development is obvious. Babies will start interacting with parents and smile as a greeting and reply. Babies can also communicate their mood, for example, when they are happy to see their mothers. They start paying attention to their environment and can emote, communicating that they are either cheerful or happy. The can make cooing noises as a reply to when parents talk to them. They have a sharp laugh to communicate joy. They like to play with saliva
You can see that in just 4 months, a baby can change and grow through the mother’s touch and embrace. Newborn babies can develop and progress greatly during this time through parenting with love from the mother. Talk to the baby regularly. Touch and embrace your child so they can feel warm and safe. With this, the child will have age-appropriate developments in every aspect.
Source: Dr. Anne – Piyarat Lertbunpong (MD) Pediatrician Specialist From Samitivej Hospital, Sukhumvit and www.maerakluke.com , www.baby.haijai.com
Crated At 28/12/2016
