Development of Infants at 18 Weeks

Contents:

Medical Video: Baby and Toddler Milestones, Dr. Lisa Shulman

Development & Habits

The development of an 18-week baby is quite diverse, as a parent you might be curious about what your little one can do at that age.

How should the age of development of a baby be 18 weeks?

For now, your baby may enjoy playing with his hands and feet for several minutes at a time. Suddenly you will realize the atmosphere in the bedroom is very quiet and find that your baby is playing with his hand or pillow nearby. If so, the sign is he needs more attention and monitoring than adults.

At the age of 18 weeks development, it is possible that he can do the following:

  • Keep your head upright when picked up
  • Lifting the chest with hand power when facedown
  • Hold a toy that is placed behind or on his fingers
  • Use both hands and feet simultaneously in minutes
  • Play around in the box
  • Focus on small objects (don't leave things carelessly like bottle caps or small balls within reach)
  • Grasping objects
  • Become more enthusiastic

What should I do with an 18-week-old baby?

To help support the development of an 18-week baby, you can play with it.

There are various games that can stimulate the five senses of the baby, from stimulating to hold items with different textures. These objects will stimulate the development of the senses of vision and motorism of the child.

You can also try to get the baby to interact with the game like cilukba. Where this toy requires covering your face with both hands and you show a radiant face while crying "cilukba!" Babies usually like such interactions.

 

Health for babies aged 18 weeks

What do I need to discuss with the doctor?

Depending on the specific condition of the baby, the doctor or nurse will check all or part of the following:

  • Checking physically includes re-examining the previous problem
  • Evaluate development. Doctors will check to assess your ability to control your head, use your hands, hear and interact with babies, or rely on your stories about what they do.

What should I know about the development of an 18-week baby?

In the care of an 18-week-old baby, you should know some of the following:

1. Red eyes

Red eye, or conjunctivitis, is a condition of swollen eyes due to viruses, bacteria or allergies. The membrane covering the white part of the eye and inside the eyelid (conjunctiva) will experience irritation, which causes the eyes to turn red, with white rust, to expel the liquid yellow or green, and dry. Baby's eyes may be runny and difficult to open in the morning.

Babies may be affected in one or both eyes. If the child has red eye signs and symptoms, take it to the doctor as soon as possible. Babies must be examined and treated immediately.

Red eye is an infectious disease, so be careful to avoid this disease from the baby. You should wash your hands frequently, especially before and after dropping your baby's eyes by hand to avoid infection. Keep your baby at home and don't take it to the playground or to a place that is crowded with children (like school or kindergarten). You also need to often clean the bed, clothes, and hand towels.

If the cause is bacteria, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, usually in the form of eye drops or ointments. If the cause is a virus, and the child has flu symptoms, the doctor will advise you to keep the baby's eyes clean with a warm towel and the baby will recover within a week. If the cause is allergic, the doctor will help determine the cause, then you will need to isolate your baby from the surrounding environment as much as possible. The doctor will give baby eye drops for effective treatment.

Sometimes the affected glands will form eye rust and make the eyes vulnerable to infection. Depending on the condition of the baby, the doctor may recommend massaging the tear ducts or compressing the area with a warm towel to help smooth circulation. In rare cases, the child will need surgery if the gland is still stiff for a long time.

2. Baby's weight starts to decrease

Generally if the baby is active and the development is good, his weight will rise steadily. If your body weight is below average, you should keep an eye on your height to be able to assess whether the baby is developing or not.

There are various factors that can affect a baby's size and weight, such as genetic factors. If you and your partner have a thin or small body, chances are the baby will be thin and underweight because of hyperactivity. In addition, other causes may include malnutrition.

You also may not limit the amount of food for babies (even if unconsciously). Some parents hope their babies are slim as they grow, so they limit calories and fat when they are new. This is very dangerous because at this stage, babies need nutrients to grow and develop normally. You can manage your baby's eating habits more healthy.

If you believe that your baby is too thin because he cannot absorb nutrients properly, an unbalanced metabolic rate, because of an infectious or chronic disease, contact your doctor for timely advice, answers and treatment.

Which must be considered

What should I notice about the development of an 18-week baby?

Below are a few things you should pay attention to in developing an 18-week baby:

Thumbs up

Almost all babies suck their fingers in the early years. Many children even do it since they were still in the womb. This is natural because the baby's mouth is not only for eating but also helps the child find something and play around.

Initially, he might just put a finger in his mouth at random, but then he will realize that putting a hand into his mouth gives a pleasant sensation and from there it will become a habit.

First of all, you will find it very funny or useful even though they themselves are looking for entertainment without needing help. However, when they continue to suck on their hands, you start to worry when the child starts school and continues to do it all the time which can trigger ridicule from other children and reprimand from the teacher.

However, you do not need to worry and still let the baby suck his hand. There is no evidence to confirm that the habit was due to emotional disturbances or caused permanent tooth decay or changed the shape of the mouth.

Because most children will ignore this habit when they are 4-6 years old, many experts recommend not trying to regulate sucking habits prematurely.

Some studies show that almost half of children have a habit of sucking their hands when they are little. This habit is most common at the age of 18-21 months, although some babies will stop.

Nearly 80% of children stop before the age of 5, 95% to 6 years, and usually babies can stop themselves without the support of others. To overcome this situation, turn your attention to toys, or games that use hands.

Development of Infants at 18 Weeks
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