Infant Development 4-5 months: Distractions, Distractions!

By Jennifer Goldbronn

The 4- to 5-month-old baby is smiling and charming, attracting looks from passersby. His new game: purposely squealing or coughing just to get a reaction out of you. He is also conquering a myriad of new physical achievements, performing new feats almost on a daily basis. All of this excitement makes the average 4-month-old quite distracted. As we take a closer look at infant development in this age group, try to refrain from comparing your 4-month-old to your sister-in-law’s 4-month-old; every baby is unique as to when he will reach each developmental milestone!

Social Development
As your 4-month-old becomes more aware of her surroundings, she will become distracted by everyone (and everything) around her. This can make feeding rather challenging! I can remember trying to discreetly breastfeed my daughter in a restaurant when she suddenly craned her neck around to flirt with the waitress at the next table. Suddenly, I accidently flashed someone at the booth next to us. Embarrassing? Yes, but if I hadn’t known better at the time, I would have worried that she was rejecting my attempts to feed her. Luckily, I knew that she was only temporarily side-tracked. As she became able to focus at longer distances, exploring the world around her became more exciting than nursing. This didn’t last too long, but for a few weeks, we spent more of our time nursing in quiet rooms, free of distractions (and waitresses).

Cognitive Development
A baby’s sudden interest in the outside world is actually an important stage in his development. Let your baby explore and look around as much as possible. He has just discovered the law of cause (if I do this) and effect (that will happen). He will begin to use the same noises over and over in his attempts to get the same responses. He will love to play repetitive games and squeal with excitement whenever he finds he can predict your actions. Because he is so interested in his expanding world, you might find it easier to feed your baby in a quiet place, and keep baby’s sleep area free from distractions as well. Soon, baby will adjust to the extra stimulation and will focus back on Mom and the breast at feeding time.

Physical Development
Physical development is advancing at an amazing rate around 4-5 months. Babies are learning to sit with support and to use their hands to balance while sitting. They begin reaching and often are able to put objects in their mouths and transfer objects from one hand to the other. While counseling a mother of a baby who had just learned to reach for objects, I remember the mother exclaiming “Oh look! He’s reaching for his brother’s goldfish crackers! He must want some!” As I explained to her that her baby would practice reaching for ANY object, the baby demonstrated by quickly reaching for the board book I put in front of him.

Now is the time to expand tummy time! Tummy time is important for babies to develop strong back, arm and shoulder muscles for crawling. You can make this time more pleasant by getting on baby’s level to help engage his interest. Some babies this age might also roll over, but this happens at different ages for each child.

Growth Spurts
Four-month-olds often go through a growth spurt. Don’t be surprised if your baby wants to feed more often for a few days. A baby’s increased need for calories is important at this time for both physical and cognitive growth. If you are nursing, your body will automatically respond to these increased feedings by making more milk. Some breastfeeding mothers see this increased hunger or fussiness as a cue to start solid foods like cereal or to supplement with formula, but until a baby is 6-months old he needs nothing but his mother’s breast milk.

Sleep
For most families, there is a noticeable change in baby’s sleep around 4 months. Baby starts to fall asleep in quiet sleep and sleeps deeply for longer stretches. Many parents start to feel the fog of sleep deprivation lift a bit. However, off and on, all of the exciting things your baby is learning may disrupt his sleep. This is normal! Changes in routine, teething, illness, and overstimulation can increase night waking for a few days at a time throughout the first year. Be patient; this won’t last forever. You’ll get a LOT of advice about your baby’s sleep around this age. We find that most families find routines that work for them, eventually. Perhaps that’s a good topic for a future post.

Babies’ Development in the Second Year: 16-18 Months

In our last post, we talked about how babies change and grow from 12 to 15 months. Today, we continue our series on babies’ development in the second year by focusing on 16 to 18 months. As we mentioned last time, most parents are thrilled (and challenged) by the speed with which their younger toddlers change and develop new skills but, as the old saying goes, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Cognitive Development – Problem Solving in an Expanding World

One of the most remarkable things about toddlers is their ability to set their own pace, no matter how busy their parents are, as they focus on investigating their expanding world. As they approach 18 months, babies’ insatiable curiosity drives them to experiment and observe according to their own schedule. As their brains grow, toddlers are better able to remember past experiences and events. They begin to mimic what they’ve seen others do several hours or even days earlier. For the first time, they are able generalize past “experiments,” realizing that toys at grandma’s house will work the same way as toys at home. Babies’ vocabularies also expand rapidly (they add about 3 new words per day) and babies start to put words together into basic sentences.

Social Development – Emotion Explosion

As babies’ thinking becomes more complex, so do their emotions. Their need to be near family and friends remains strong, as does babies’ fear of separation. While toddlers want to show their independence and do everything themselves, they are easily frustrated by their limited physical skills. Playing with older children, who are better able to run and climb, can be a source of both great pleasure and consternation for toddlers. Emotions become more intense but also more focused and it becomes easier for parents to identify the source of their children’s sudden outbursts. Naps, snacks, and routines can go a long way in limiting toddler meltdowns. It is common for babies of this age to seem to prefer the company of one parent versus the other for several hours or days at a time. Mom or dad may feel left out but no need to worry, babies will happily reach for both parents as their needs and interests change.

Physical Development – Picking Up Speed

For many children, the days between 15 and 18 months are spent perfecting their ability to walk upright. Standing, walking, balancing, crouching, and climbing become obsessions to be practiced all day (and sometimes all night!). As they become steadier on their feet, babies will walk less on their toes and use a narrower stance. After that, running is only a heartbeat away, often before parents are prepared. If you thought your toddler was busy before, watch out! The pace is really going to pick up. Babies’ fine motor and problem solving skills continue to improve and they become highly skilled at getting into closed containers and cupboards. Baby proofing needs to be ramped up yet again.

By 18 months, babies are showing off their individuality even as they struggle (sometimes dramatically) to understand and fit into their parents’ world. The tiny baby once so easily held in his parents’ arms has grown into a child who will twist and squirm away as he learns to stand on his own two feet.

Babies’ Development from 6 to 8 Weeks: Changes, Challenges, and Social Smiles

For most parents, getting through the first 6 weeks with a newborn is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging experiences of their lives. Time seems to almost stand still as a cloud of distracted half-awareness descends over day-to-day routines. Around six to eight weeks, things change, at first almost imperceptibly and then with lightning speed. After those grueling early months, parents begin to see a unique person emerge from the mass of needy newborn reflexes. Their tiny babies begin to become much more predictable, social, and a lot more fun!

Social Development

For most babies, social smiles appear around 6 to 8 weeks of age. These smiles are all the more welcome because babies’ crying also peaks around the same time. Some 6-week-old babies may cry for 2 hours a day, often in short spurts with one longer spurt in the late afternoon. For more about why this happens, read our prior posts about crying and persistent crying. Fortunately, as babies get closer to 2 months of age, their crying tapers off and parents have a better idea about what to do to calm them. When they aren’t crying, babies are working harder than ever to interact with the adults around them, smiling, imitating, and vocalizing, whenever they can. Remember, social activity is hard work for babies. Watch for disengagement cues and slow down or stop interactions whenever they show signs that they need a break. Remember that babies can’t be specific about what they might need the break from, so if it isn’t obvious, pay attention to what might be going on around you that might be bothering the baby. As the erratic behavior common in the first 2 months starts to fade, babies’ unique temperament and likes and dislikes begin to emerge. Some babies love noise, lights, and active play while others can handle only a little stimulation at one time. Some babies seem to be quick to calm, while others take more time to relax.

Cognitive Development

By six to eight weeks, babies show clear signs that they can predict what will happen during feeding, social, and naptime routines. They will move their legs and arms and coo excitedly when they anticipate food or fun and turn or arch away when they know something not so fun is about to happen (like a diaper change for those who don’t like them). Babies more obviously recognize their favorite people and are less interested in strangers. They’ll enjoy looking quietly at objects and listening to noises for longer periods as they try to learn more about them.

Physical Development

Newborn reflexes start to fade as babies begin to gain more control over their bodies. Many babies will have an easier time moving their heads from side to side, picking up their heads when placed on their tummies, and moving their hands towards their mouths. Nearly all babies of this age will flail their arms and legs at people and objects that they want to play with. Reaching and grasping is right around the corner! With so many possibilities for movement, it is very important to never leave babies unattended in places that are not perfectly safe. Never leave a young baby on an adult bed, couch, or high surface. You won’t believe how far they can move, long before they can roll or crawl.

Part of the wonder of being a new parent is to watch your baby’s unique personality emerge and develop. After the first 6 to 8 weeks, babies begin to change so quickly that you’ll find that there is something new to share everyday.