Baby Week 16

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More Motor Skill Developments

Your baby is 16 weeks old today!  This is such an exciting time as your baby has become much more responsive and interactive.  And let me just say from experience, it just keeps getting better!  This week, you will see a number of motor skills become more noticeable as your baby continues to be a bundle of energy.  All the time your baby spends on the floor has been good for her motor skills as she now should have no head lag.  For example, if your baby is laying on her back on the floor and you sit in front of her, hold her hands with yours and pull her up into a sitting position slowly.  You’ll notice that her head stays up and does not fall back.  Once your baby has the neck strength to hold her head up while sitting upright, it’s okay to prop her up when she is awake during the day.  When my son had enough neck strength to steadily hold his head up, I would sometimes have him sit in the Bumbo seat.  The Bumbo seat gave him enough support to keep him upright, but still worked his trunk muscles while he sat in it.  If you have a Bumbo seat and are thinking of letting your baby sit in it, remember to never place it on an elevated surface since your baby could fall out of it and hurt herself.  Also, parents should always be present when your baby is in the Bumbo seat.

Your baby also starts to show interest in objects/toys by reaching for them.  This development involves both cognitive and motor skills.  And as your baby begins to reach for objects, her hands will start to curl around the object if she is able to.  Your baby doesn’t quite have the fine motor skills to just reach and grab something like you and I do.  It will take some time and practice for her to refine it, so give her opportunities to work on it.  Also, you will notice that when your baby is attempting to grasp an object, she is using more of her palm to hold the object. This is called a precarious grasp which is not easy for your baby. She works hard trying to use it.

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