The first few days of a baby’s journey will be a constant routine of feeding, changing diapers, settling her or him to sleep, as well as responding to her or his wails. In a matter of weeks, she or he will start to take notice of your voice, face, and touch.

You will also begin to notice more things about your baby such as high contrast colours like black and white patterns that will draw her or his attention. Your baby’s hearing will be better developed and she or he is able to turn to familiar sounds. At 4 months old, your baby will like to play as they tend to become dexterous and start to do more with their hands like moving toys and shaking of rattles.

Developmental milestone at 4 months

Your baby is able to engage with the world now: she or he laughs, smiles and babbles with you. There are also a series of skills that your baby will develop during this stage:

• Making ‘coo’ sounds when talking to him or her
• Bearing weight on legs
• Holding head up with ease
• Reaching out and grasping objects or toys
• May roll over from tummy and lay on her or his back
• Imitates speech sound such as ‘baba’, ‘mama’ and ‘dada’

A parent role

As a parent, there are specific roles that you must play to increase the bond between you and your child:

• Try to establish a routine for feeding, sleeping and playtime
• Your baby starts to thrive as she or he interacts with you, so play with him or her often.
• Shower her or him with smiles and cuddle
• Provide a variety of age-appropriate toys and also household objects for her or him to explore
• Make sure to childproof your home and keep the environment clean before she or he starts to crawl
• Provide opportunities to strengthen her or his new physical skills

Signs to watch out for

Without disregarding that each child is unique and develops at his or her own pace, it is still necessary to take notice of these signs. Make sure to contact a pediatrician if you have noticed:

• Can’t hold her or his head steady
• Doesn’t respond to noise or smiles
• Can’t reach for objects
• Can’t sit on her or his own

In terms of weight, the average weight of a 4-month-old baby is 6.4kg for girls and 6.9 for boys. The average height is 24.4 inches (about 61.5cm) for girls and 25.2 inches (about 64cm) for boys.

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