4 Months Old

4 month development A 4 month should be able to: Regards own hand, bring hands together, grasp rattle, laugh, squeal, lift head 90 degrees see Developmental Milestones   Immunizations At the 4 month visit, children in my office receive a 2nd Dtap, 2nd IPV, 2nd Hib, 2nd Prevnar and 2nd Rotateq. It is rare to see any side effects after this visit. If you would like to give infant tylenol before the immunizations bring some to the appointment. After your child is weighed, we can help you give an accurate dose. See full immunization schedule.   Sleeping 4 month old sleep By 4 months most children should be sleeping through the night. If your child is consistently sleeping 6 to 8 hours they are on track. As the child, gains weight and settles into the routine they (... more in 4 month old sleep)   4 month old waking at night My husband and I are having a bit of a debate... he thinks my daughter wakes up so much at night because she sleeps too much during the day (because he saw a bunch of sleep schedules online where the (...more on 4 month old waking at night)   Sleeping in Swing Out of pure desperation for more sleep, I placed my 4 month old in the swing to sleep at night. He went from sleeping 2-3 hour stretches to 6 – 8 hours. It is 4 weeks later. With  a few unsuccessful attempts to have him (... more on Sleeping in Swing) 4 month old waking to nurse My daughter is 18 weeks yesterday and she is my first child. She has been a great baby from day one. She was not colicky, she can self-soothe...although her method is sucking, but won't take a pacifier just fingers (... more on 4 month old waking to nurse)

Feeding

Starting solid foods

I often joke that if you ask ten pediatricians, read ten books and ask 10 grandmothers you would get thirty different opinions on how to start solid foods. There is very little research on starting solids (...more on starting solids)

Breastfeeding on Demand vs on a Schedule

I was wondering what you (and/or your wife) believe as far as breastfeeding on demand vs. more on a schedule.  Our 4 month old WAS doing really well sleeping through (... more on Breastfeeding on Demand vs on a Schedule

Constipation after starting solids

We started my daughter on some solids after her four month old appointment.  We started with rice cereal mixed with breast milk.  She loves it, but we think it makes her (... more on constipation after starting solids)

Constipation 5 month old

I started my 5.5 month old on rice cereal when she was 4.5 months old and had no problems with it. So here recently, I started her on solids and at first she seemed okay. But now she been really constipated. I gradually (... more on Constipation 5 month old)

Too much baby food?

Too much Is there a such thing as feeding the baby too much baby food?  She is five months and loves baby food.  I nurse her four times a day and she eats 3 jars of baby food at our 3 meals.  Should I (... more on too much baby food?)

When can I give my baby water?

There is little need to give children water in the first several months of life. Young children need either breast milk or formula. Excess water can decrease one’s sodium concentration and lead to seizures. (... more on When can I give my baby water?)

Fever

For children over the age of 3 months, a fever is a temperature of 101 degrees or higher.  Oral or rectal temperature readings are the best and the "gold standard" and used in research.  For practical reasons, we often will take axillary (under arm) temperatures.  Many people will add to axillary temperatures to compensate for it's inaccuracies.  I prefer my patients to report the number and how they took the temperature.

The general rule of thermometers: the fancier the thermometer the less accurate.  We do not own an ear, forehead or temporal thermometers.

Drooling/Teeth

Many infants become drooley around 4 month of age. Many parents ask if their child is teething. Nobody really knows. The average child gets their first tooth at 6 to 8 months old. Many experts attribute fussiness, drooling, congestion and diarrhea to teething. I have seen my children get teeth with multiple symptoms and without any symptoms. I think children all teeth differently.

When do children start teething?

Our 3.5 month old son is very drooly and cries more than usual. My husband thinks he is teething? When do most children start teething? What teeth appear first? The average child’s first tooth erupts at 6 to 8 months. The lower central incisors are typically the first teeth to appear. Your (... more on When do babies start teething)

When can we take a swim with our baby?

We will take our children in our pool once they are at least 4 months old and weigh 12 pounds or more. Make sure the pool is warm and is chemically balanced. Young children have more surface area per pound than adults and cannot tolerate cool water or a prolonged swim. I am unaware of any national guideline concerning this issue.

Will standing make my baby’s legs bowed?

My 5 month son loves to stand up while we hold his hands. Our neighbor said that standing is not good for him and will make his legs bowed. Is that true? Standing will not make a babies legs (... more on baby bearing weight on legs)

Thumbsucking

Our son is 4 months old and constantly has his hands in his mouth. He seems to be chewing on them more than sucking them at this point but we are worried he is going to become a thumb sucker. We prefer he (... more on thumbsucking)

Updated April 2011 by
Dr. Gordon, Orlando Pediatrician

gregorygordonmd.com is intended to help parents understand the needs and behaviors of children. The information presented in the site is the opinion of Gregory Gordon, M.D. and does not reflect the opinion of his partners. The advice in this site does not apply to all children. Always consult your healthcare provider for your individual needs.

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