Your baby's developmental milestones at 4 months
Everything you need to know about your growing 4-month-old.
Your little one is growing more social and moving more purposefully. Babies at this age love to babble, coo, play and mimic the sounds they hear and movements they see. You’ll start to notice that their cries will sound different as they learn to communicate hunger, frustration, discomfort and sleepiness. Read on to find out more about some of the ways your 4-month-old is learning and changing at this stage.
Test your knowledge
True or false? Babies between 1 and 3 months old see objects most clearly when they are 20 to 30 cm away.
True! At 3 months, babies have a wider field of vision.
To learn more, watch our mini parenting master class on the seven questions every new parent has about babies.
Social and emotional milestones at 4 months
Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around them at 4 months:
- Will smile spontaneously
- Will try copying your movements and facial expressions
- Likes to play with others and may get upset when playtime stops
Tips for parents
- Share your little one’s interest by looking and pointing.
- Try smiling at your baby and speaking to them in a kind voice.
Language and communication milestones at 4 months
How your baby is expressing their needs:
- Cries will start to sound different if they are hungry, in pain or tired
- They will babble and copy sounds they hear
Tips for parents
- When your baby cries, respond as soon as possible, noting the meanings of each cry-signal.
- Repeat sounds your baby makes back to them.
Brain development milestones at 4 months
How your child’s brain is growing:
- Will begin to recognize objects and people they are familiar with from a distance
- Is responsive to love and affection
- Will track moving objects with their eyes by following them side to side
- Their hands and eyes will work together
- Will let you know if they are happy or sad
- Watches faces closely
- Will reach for toys with one hand
Tips for parents
- Help them develop their hand-eye coordination by leaving toys nearby.
- Speak to your baby during your everyday routines and talk to them about what you notice.
>>Discover learning activities for 4-month-olds
Movement and physical development milestones at 4 months
How they’ll move through their environment:
- Brings their hands to their mouth
- Will push up to their elbows when lying on their stomach
- They can hold their head up without support
- Might be able to roll over onto their back
- Will push down on their legs when their feet are on a hard surface
- Can shake a toy they're holding
Tips for parents
- Leave rattles near your little one so they can reach for and shake them.
- Encourage your baby to roll over by putting them on a hard surface — soft surfaces will be difficult at this stage.
Food and nutrition milestones at 4 months
What mealtimes look like at 4 months:
- Your baby will begin to signal that they are hungry by putting their hands near their mouth.
Tips for parents
- When they signal that they are hungry, respond by giving them breastmilk.
Things to look out for
While all babies develop differently, you should speak to your paediatrician if your 4-month-old:
- Has difficulty moving one or both of their eyes in any direction
- Won’t smile at people
- Doesn’t bring their hands to their mouth
- Won’t push down with their legs when they're put on a hard surface
- Doesn’t make noises or cooing sounds
- Can't hold their head up steadily
