Health Care Encyclopedia
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Developmental milestones record - 4 monthsDefinition: Infants 4 months of age are expected to develop certain physical and mental skills. These skills are called milestones.
Alternative Names: Normal childhood growth milestones - 4 months; Childhood growth milestones - 4 months; Growth milestones for children - 4 months
Information: PHYSICAL AND MOTOR SKILLS The typical 4-month-old should:
- Show a slowing of weight gain to approximately 20 grams per day
- Demonstrate the fading of the infant reflexes (Moro reflex, asymmetric tonic neck reflex, rooting reflex, and Perez reflex)
- Have almost no head lag while in a sitting position
- Be able to sit up straight if propped
- Raise head 90 degrees when placed on stomach
- Be able to roll from back to one side
- Try to reach objects with hands (may commonly overshoot)
- Play with rattle when it's placed in the hands, but won't be able to pick it up if dropped
- Be able to grasp rattle with both hands
- Be able to place objects in mouth
SENSORY AND COGNITIVE SKILLS A 4-month-old is expected to: - Have well-established close vision
- Have beginning eye-hand coordination
- Be able to make the consonant sounds:
- Be able to laugh out loud
- Anticipate feeding when able to see a bottle (if bottle-fed)
- Begin to show memory
- Demand attention by fussing
PLAY You can encourage development through play: - Place the baby in front of a mirror
- Provide bright-colored toys to hold
- Repeat sounds the infant makes
- Help the infant roll over
- Use a swing or stroller
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| Review Date: 11/16/2004
Reviewed By: Philip L. Graham III, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.P., Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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