Four-weeks old baby: Health, growth, care and more

At 4 weeks, your baby is almost a month old and you've both gone through an enormous amount of change in a very short period of time. Before you do anything else, give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far and recognise all that you have accomplished since you met your little one. You’ve made it through sleepless nights, struggled through feedings, and learnt to do pretty much any task one-handed. Every progressing week there is a lot in store for you and your baby. Here’s what you need to know about your 4-week-old baby.

Developmental Milestones: Every milestone comes differently to your baby. One baby will develop a little faster than others and at the sametime other baby may need time to “catch up.” At 4 weeks old, your baby might be able to:

Body

• Able to hold their head up for a few minutes
• Tries to lift their hands toward the face or mouth, but it won’t be long before they reach their mouth!
• Controlled head movement, like turning the neck from side to side
• Make jerky, quivering arm thrusts
• Keep hands in tight fists
• Continue strong reflex movements

Brain

• Recognize you, your partner, or family members with widened eyes
• See more clearly, up to about 18 inches in front of them
• Listen intently when you speak or sing
• Start to coo
• May turn toward familiar sounds, including your voice. Hearing is fully developed at this stage.
• Study human faces

Baby Care Basics: By now you are a pro in changing diapers. A diaper rash is very common, whether you are using cloth diapers or disposable diapers, more precisely during the summer months. To help prevent and treat diaper rash:

• Change your baby’s diaper more frequently: As soon as you notice the diaper is wet or soiled during the day, change it.
• Use a diaper rash cream: You can apply a diaper rash cream as a preventive measure, especially if your baby is prone to getting rashes.
• Air it out: The best way to prevent and treat diaper rash is to let your baby go all-natural.

If your baby seems excessively uncomfortable, especially after a feeding, they may be experiencing gas. Try these helpful tips:

Burp after feedings: Be sure to burp your baby from the bottom upward to facilitate the air movement.

Switching formulas: Your infant may need to change formulas several times before finding one that works best for their digestive system.

Change bottles: Bottles and nipples are all made differently, so it might be helpful to try several types of bottles and nipples that have different kinds of airflow to experiment with what reduces gas in your little one.

Health & Safety

At 4 weeks old, your baby will have another well-child check-up. At this visit, the pediatrician will evaluate your baby’s growth and development and go over important safety guidelines with you. You can expect to be asked about:

• Your home environment: If you smoke, you should quit to reduce the risk of SIDS and increase your baby’s health. No smoke or secondhand smoke should be around the baby.
• Car seat safety: At 4 weeks old, your infant should be in a rear-facing infant seat.
• Vaccines: The second dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine may also be administered at this visit.