During the fourth to sixth months your baby will be growing and developing rapidly. Here are some of the key signs to look out for during this period:
Physical development: Your baby will become increasingly mobile starting to roll over sit up and perhaps even crawl. They will also start to develop more control over their hands and fingers allowing them to grasp and manipulate objects.
Cognitive development: Your baby’s brain will continue to develop at a rapid pace and they will start to show signs of simple problem-solving ability. They will also begin to understand and respond to simple commands.
Language development: Your baby’s vocalisations will become more complex and they will start to babble words. They will also begin to understand simple words and phrases.
Emotional development: Your baby will start to show more distinct emotions such as happiness sadness anger and fear. They will also become more attached to familiar
Developmental milestones
Most 3-year-olds are able to:
- Walk up and down stairs one foot after the other
- Kick a ball
- Climb
- Run
- Pedal a tricycle
- Pump their arms while walking or running
- Stand on one foot for more than 9 seconds
- Copy a circle cross and diagonal line
- Draw a person with two to four body parts
- name some primary colors
Feeding baby at 4 months old
At four months old your baby is probably eating about four times per day. They may be snacking more frequently or eating slightly less at each meal than they were a month ago. Your baby’s tummy is also getting bigger so they can eat more milk or formula in one sitting.
You may start to notice that your baby is showing interest in food. They may watch you eat or try to grab your food. This is a normal part of development and means that your baby is ready to start solid foods.
If you are breastfeeding you can start to introduce solids around six months old. If you are formula feeding you can start to introduce solids around four months old.
Nutrition for babies 6-12 months old
Babies need nutrition for growth and development. At 6-12 months old babies are growing rapidly and need nutrients such as iron zinc and vitamin A to support their growth. Babies also need fat for energy brain development and absorption of certain vitamins.
Good sources of iron for babies include meat poultry fish beans and fortified cereals. Good sources of zinc include meat poultry seafood beans nuts and fortified cereals. Good sources of vitamin A include dark green leafy vegetables orange vegetables liver and fortified milk. Good sources of fat for babies include breast milk formula avocado butter and oils.