At 4 months, the baby develops his palette of tastes and his motor skills improve markedly little by little. Here is everything you need to know about how your baby is developing at 4 months.

The 4 month old child measures an average of 60 centimeters and weighs nearly 6 kilos. The perimeter of his skull is about 40 centimeters. Your little one is making great progress in terms of motor skills.

He is able to lift his head and chest when lying down and is now leaning on his forearms. This phenomenon allows him to develop his musculature, and also to see his environment from a new angle. He brings his hands back to his chest, and is able to keep his head perfectly centered and straight.

When he is kept in a sitting position, his head is stable. If you place objects at chest level, the 4-month-old will grab them with both hands; he brings them frequently to his mouth. It is necessary to be careful, because the child can now accidentally roll onto his side when lying down. Even if he prefers to lie on his back, or be seated, it is recommended to place him about 1 hour per day on his stomach.

Your child is starting to socialize, and enjoys receiving attention. To get yours, he makes use of various sounds, like clicking his tongue in his mouth or coughing. Baby loves to be stroked, and reacts positively to intimate gestures you give him.

In response, he articulates new sounds and performs new gestures such as:

• raise your arms for you to take it;
• clap his hands when he recognizes a familiar face.

The 4-month-old is able to express himself better bodily: he arches his back or turns his head when he has had enough, he expresses his impatience or his excitement by breathing loudly.

The 4 month old infant loves interactive games. When tickled, or if you imitate new and soft noises, he laughs out loud. New games are possible because he turns his head to identify the origin of a sound: initiate moments of relaxation where you hide your head under a cushion or under the bed and then appear.

At 4 months, baby’s eyesight is getting better and better. You can tell because he watches his hands very carefully, as well as your face when he is close enough. It fixes its gaze in yours when you feed it or when you change it.

Your child produces sounds with vowels, and is able to control their volume and intensity: this is a game for him. He explores the sonic possibilities of his mouth, for example making bubbles, or playing with his tongue.

You can start to diversify the diet of your little one by introducing milk-based porridge, or infant flour. After this first period of transitional feeding, you can offer baby vegetable purees and broths cooked in milk.

The pediatrician must perform the third injections of the various vaccines started in the previous months (tetanus, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis B, whooping cough and haemophilis). These injections are meant to protect your child from pneumonia, meningitis and laryngitis, which can be fatal for your child. Do not hesitate to talk to the pediatrician if you have any questions or comments about these vaccines. These are highly recommended, but not required, and some parents choose not to perform all of them. Make sure you educate yourself beforehand, as these are important decisions.

Between baby’s new abilities and transitional feeding, the 4th month is a period full of transformations for you and for him.