4 to 6 months of your baby

Physical Changes of your Baby

Movement

• Can roll over by 5 to 6 months
• Can sit unsupported
• Swings out arms and legs when placed on the abdomen
• If  held in a standing position, begins to support the body with the legs.

Touching and Holding

• Plays with hands and feet

• Moves objects from one hand to the other.

• Looks, reaches, grasps, and mouths objects in a swift and accurate sequence of movements

• Explores 1 object at a time

• Increases his use of fingers to touch, hold and examine objects

• Move arms up and down and side to side: hitting, waving, patting, and shaking

• May hold out arms to be picked up.

Seeing

• Your baby now watches what is going on in all parts of the room, distant vision improves.

• Shows interest in colours

• They enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror.

• Looks at small objects

• As reaching and grasping improve, babies spend more time looking at objects they hold

• Babies enjoy looking at facial expressions and recognises people

Hearing

• Sounds have more meaning for your baby.

• He knows the differences between angry, happy and sad tones of voice.

• Babies hear the differences between one speech sound and another.

• Your baby is getting better at finding where sounds come from.

• He likes to hear himself talk.

• Babies like to be talked to in a special way

• Your baby sometimes ignores you when you talk

Making sounds

• He becomes more expressive and will imitate sounds

• Your baby coos, gurgles when looking at interesting things or when talked to.

• He laughs and squeals

• By 6 months, he can make single syllable sounds such as ma, ba, da etc
  

Height, Weight and Head circumference: 
While all babies may grow at a different rate, the following indicates the average for boys and girls. There is no cause for alarm just because the timing of a child's development is slightly different. Average weight gain is 0.57 kilograms each month and by 6 months, a baby must have doubled his/her birth weight.  Average growth in height is ½ to 1 inch each month and head circumference, about ½ inch each month.