Baby skills at 4.5 months. Child development in the fourth month of life

13.09.2019

In the fourth month of a baby's life, important changes take place in his social, psychological and emotional development. During this period, the child learns to interact with the people around him, consciously studies toys and objects, begins to show an active interest in the events taking place around him. Changes also occur in physical development - the proportions of the child's body are gradually approaching the proportional parameters of an adult.

To assess the level of development of an infant who is already 4 months old, the features of visual perception and the formation of speech skills are of great importance. Even if the child lags behind his peers a little, this can be easily corrected with the help of special activities and developmental games. It also happens that the inconsistency of an infant's skills with existing standards is the first sign of serious neurological disorders and other severe pathologies, therefore, parents should know the developmental characteristics of a child at 4 months.

How much should a baby weigh at four months

During the first year of life, the baby should undergo a monthly routine examination by a local pediatrician. At each appointment, the baby is necessarily weighed, his height, head and chest circumference are measured. These are the most important anthropometric indicators that make it possible to assess the state of the child's health and the correctness of his development.

Table of indicators of height and weight of boys and girls

For example, a discrepancy between the size of the chest and age norms may indicate a lack of vitamin D 3 and be a sign of rickets - a progressive disorder of metabolic processes that causes dystrophy of bone tissue and pathology of the nervous system. Too large a head circumference in some cases can be a clinical manifestation of hydrocephalus - a dangerous disease in which there is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain. For the timely diagnosis of these diseases, it is necessary to monitor changes in these parameters and seek medical help in time.

It is equally important to regularly measure the height and weight of the child - this will help in time to suspect the pathology of the endocrine system (for example, a violation of the synthesis of insulin and adrenal hormones). The weight of a child at 4 months can range from 6 to 7 kg. The average gain during this period is about 700-750 g, since the infant's motor activity is still at a low level. The average height of a four-month-old child is 64 cm.Some children at this age grow up to 68 cm - this is also considered a variant of the norm if no abnormalities are found in the blood and urine tests.

The following factors can affect the weight and height of a child at 4 months:

type of feeding (children who receive milk formulas as food gain weight a little faster);
heredity;
birth weight;
psycho-emotional situation in the family;
the number and duration of walks.

Important! If the indicators of physical development are much different from normal values, the child needs a comprehensive examination, as this may be a sign of neurological, endocrine disorders, as well as diseases of the heart and vascular system.

What a baby should be able to do at 4 months

During this age period, the child's muscular system is actively developing, helping the baby to become aware of his body, to study it and prepare for the main task of the first year of life - the ability to walk.

Motor skills

The muscles of a child at 4-5 months are already strong enough to perform many actions:

conscious grasping of objects (not to be confused with reflex actions) and shifting them from hand to hand;
holding the head in a prone position and lifting the upper body with support on the palms;
rolling over from back to stomach and back;
raising the shoulder body and head while lying on the back (first attempts to sit down);
grabbing the bar or hand of an adult while lying on his back trying to pull up;
the ability to hold the mother's breast or bottle with the handles while feeding;
lifting the buttocks and pushing off with the legs while lying on the stomach (the makings of crawling).

After the baby has mastered all the above skills, it is better to lower him to the floor, limiting the space for movement with the help of pillows or special floor arenas. This has a positive effect on the physical and intellectual development of the child and allows you to explore the world around you from a new perspective.

Important! In no case should the child sit down if he himself does not make attempts to sit down and cannot support his back on his own. Too early attempts to plant a baby can cause diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis, scoliosis). In girls, this practice can lead to dysfunction of the reproductive organs and bending of the uterus.

Physiological development

In the fourth month of life, the most important physiological changes occur in the child's body, affecting almost all organs and systems and determining the degree of his health and development in the future.

Hearing. The child is able to determine the source of the sound. It is considered normal at this age if the baby shows responses to speech addressed to him from a distance of 2-2.5 meters.
Vision. The possibilities of the organ of vision for the perception and differentiation of various shades and colors are expanding, visual acuity is improving. Many children at this age may have a change in their eye color. A child sees well not only up close, but also like an adult, at a distance of 20-30 cm. At 4 months old, an infant should be able to focus his gaze on toys and other objects, as well as people who are talking to him. Many babies are born with mild strabismus, which is caused by weakness in the optic muscles. At 4 months, this condition should pass. If this does not happen, it is necessary to show the baby to a doctor in order to exclude pathologies of the organs of vision and various forms of neurological disorders, for example, cerebral palsy.
Lacrimal glands. In the fourth month of life, the crying of a child is already accompanied by tears, and not just loud sounds with a negative connotation.
Hair and nails. Hair also begins to grow actively at the age of 4-5 months. The nail plates also grow faster, the skin of the periungual ridges becomes denser. This is due to the normalization of digestive processes and improved absorption of beneficial elements that directly affect the nutrition of hair follicles and epidermal cells.
Digestive system. By the age of 4 months, the production of digestive enzymes necessary for the digestion and breakdown of food is normalized in the baby's body. This is manifested by the following signs: elimination, compaction of feces (stool design), regularity of bowel movements, relaxation of the abdominal muscles. The child becomes calmer. Appetite improves, sleep quality improves. Some babies at this age may switch to eight hours of sleep with one night's meal.
Typical reflexes of newborns are almost not traced. Only some reflexes remain: sucking, crawling reflex, Moro reflex. The search reflex can be partially preserved, which is eventually replaced by a reaction to a visual stimulus (revitalization of a baby at the sight of a bottle with a mixture, a breast prepared for feeding), a grasping reflex, a Galant reflex. If a child still has a proboscis reflex, Babkin's reflex, an automatic walking reflex by the fourth month of life, this may indicate damage to the central nervous system.

Mental and emotional development

The child's actions become more persistent and purposeful, the character is balanced, the possibility of unexpected crying for no obvious reason gradually disappears. At this age, it is interesting for a child to be alone, to study his body, so some children can devote up to 30 minutes to classes without the participation of adults.

Humming... At 4 months old, the child actively walks around while awake and tries to pronounce the first syllables using consonants.
Emotionality. A four-month-old baby vividly expresses his emotions: laughs, shows joy, takes airs. He enjoys interacting with adults.
The child learns to react to the words of his mother or another person who is with him most of the time. Many children at this age react not only to the speech of a loved one, but also to his presence. This can be manifested by active humming, smiles, stretching of consonants (most often "a", "o" and "y").
In the fourth or fifth month of life, the child recognizes the voice of people he knows. The reaction can be manifested by turning the head, smiling, active movements of the arms and legs. Positive emotions can arise while listening to familiar music, songs, favorite fairy tales.
The rudiments of gesture communication appear. The baby can stretch out his hands, thereby showing his desire to be in his mother's arms.
The infant shows signs of interest in the things around him. If he wants to take an object or look at it better, then his lips are stretched out with a "proboscis", breathing quickens and the baby is drawn to the object.
Active cognition of your own body. With his hands, the child feels his legs, thereby, as if fixing the fact of presence in consciousness, examines them, sucks his toes.

Important! A sign of healthy social and emotional development is the division of the people around them into “us” and “strangers”. When a child sees a stranger, he becomes anxious, starts screaming and crying, tries to turn his back. In the presence of mother or other close people, the child smiles, actively walks and shows signs of interest in communication.

"Singing" in infants 4-5 months old is a sign of healthy emotional development and social adaptation. During this period, it is important to talk more with the child, play games, while explaining all the actions and naming the surrounding objects. Reading fairy tales and singing calm songs, for example, lullabies, has a positive effect on emotional and speech development. Even if the mother does not work with the child, but at this time is in the same room with him, you should often communicate with the baby in order to improve psycho-emotional perception, which largely determines the character and personal qualities of the child in preschool and school age.

Video calendar of child development from 4 to 5 months

How to develop a four month old baby

Toys for the development of a four-month-old baby

Toys are of great importance in the correct development for a baby of 4-5 months. Pediatricians advise purchasing the following toys for a child of this age:

brightly colored rattles, bells and other toys to attract attention and stimulate crawling skills;
cloth toys and scraps for the development of tactile perception;
tissue bags filled with various cereals for the development of tactile sensations;
rag bracelets and toys with pendants for the development of fine motor skills.

All toys must be bright and made from safe materials. Preference should be given to products painted in natural colors: yellow, green, red, blue or orange.

The development of a child at 4 months is more active than before. The kid has finally adapted to the world around him and is ready to learn new things every day. Both the psychology and the body of the child are changing. Height and weight increase, and the emergence of new skills pleases parents.

The kid is able to grab a toy that is lightweight and hold it in the handle for 30 seconds. He understands that the rattle needs to be shaken in order for it to make sounds.
The child should be able to roll over from tummy to back and back.
In the prone position on his tummy, he can rise on the arms, while holding the head.
If you hold the baby by the armpits, he should rest on the floor with his toes and push off.
The child mainly opens his palms. He should be able to put his palms together and pat them lightly.
The baby can stick his fingers in his mouth.
During feeding, he tries to support his mother's breasts himself, his weight already allows him to do this.
The child reacts when called by name.

Child physiology

The baby's weight in the 4th month increases by 700-800 grams, so the total weight of the baby reaches 6-7 kg. The chest circumference and the head circumference increase. Growth also becomes larger by a few centimeters. At four months, the usual height of a baby is 60-63 cm.

The proportions of the baby's body become more harmonious. If at birth the head was very large in relation to the whole topic, then by 4 months it becomes proportionally smaller. A too large head at this age may indicate a number of diseases. Therefore, a doctor's examination is required.

Nutrition for a four month old baby

For breastfed babies, breast milk is still the only food in the diet. If the baby has no health problems, and the mother's milk is enough to saturate him, then no complementary foods should be introduced.

Feeding is usually six meals a day. But sometimes babies at four months already switch to food 5 times a day. For babies who are bottle-fed, it is possible to introduce the first complementary foods. If you have a tendency to loose stools, applesauce is a good complementary food. Babies prone to constipation are given mashed and grated prunes. The total volume of any complementary food begins with a quarter teaspoon, gradually increasing to several teaspoons. In case of an allergic reaction to any type of complementary food, you should immediately stop using it.

If the baby was born prematurely or in the cold season, it will be useful to give him cottage cheese. The use of this product prevents rickets. Only very fresh cottage cheese without lumps, almost liquid, is suitable for the kid.

In the fourth month of life, there is an increase in the total amount of food consumed, which is 150-170 ml.

Baby care

At four months, the baby already begins to grow hair on the head. They are still short. But even short hair can cause excessive sweating of the scalp. In this case, the hairs are necessarily cut.

Nail growth at this age also requires attention. They need to be trimmed periodically so that the baby does not scratch himself and cannot comb the body with his nails. The fingernails are trimmed in an arched line and the toenails in a straight line. This will prevent nails from growing into the skin.

The fourth month is a time of great activity for the child. He moves his arms and legs while lying in the crib. Therefore, he can easily throw off a blanket or diaper. Once in a cooler environment, the baby is freezing and may describe himself. A wet baby gets supercooled rather quickly. Mom does not always have time to react and change clothes for the baby. And hypothermia leads to colds.

That is why hardening is essential. For a baby at 4 months old, this is a rubdown, which is usually done after bathing. The entire body of the baby is wiped with a damp sponge or damp towel. First, the mother wipes the baby's chest and arms, then puts the shirt on. Then he rubs the legs. During the whole process, you should talk with the child, tenderly articulate your actions. This will calm the baby, he will not be capricious.

In the fourth month of the baby's life, an important event occurs. He must prepare for the DPT vaccine. It works against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. Together with her, she is given a polio vaccine. DPT is done three times, the intervals between vaccinations are 6 weeks.

To safely get vaccinated, the baby must be healthy not only at the time of vaccination, but also a month before. If the baby has developmental disabilities, the pediatrician can set a special vaccination schedule and prescribe medication to prevent the consequences.

The child should not be given new foods in the last days before vaccination. It is also necessary to strictly observe the daily regimen and monitor the observance of cleanliness. If one of the relatives is sick with acute respiratory infections, it is undesirable for him to approach the child. Be sure to wear a mask to prevent the spread of infection.

On the first day after vaccination, the baby has a decline in appetite, an increase in body temperature, he is capricious. This is normal, but the temperature should drop the next day. If the fever persists or a rash develops on the body, see a doctor.

Developing a baby

How to develop a baby at 4 months old? The daily routine is of particular importance for the baby. The bedtime should be the same. Many moms introduce their own bedtime rituals to help their baby relax, calm down, and fall asleep quickly. It can be light strokes, a lullaby, or the soft sound of calm classical music.

A 4-month-old baby will walk longer than at an earlier age. It is advisable to go out with him for a walk twice a day.

Staying outdoors in summer can take up to 2-3 hours. In winter, walks are not so long, especially in frosty weather. And yet it is advisable to walk with the baby for at least an hour.

At 4 months old, babies often ask for pens to their mother. It is not surprising, because from a height they can better see the world around them. But do not follow the baby's lead. His height and weight are quite large. It may be too difficult for a mom to carry her treasure in her arms. In addition, the baby will soon get used to it and will be capricious if left in the stroller.

But dad is quite capable of lifting the baby on the arms. His height and weight should not embarrass the parent. But how much joy the baby will experience, examining the surroundings from a height.

At 4 months old, the baby continues to actively walk and gag. He learns the language a little, listens to his mother's speech. Therefore, be sure to talk to him, read poems and fairy tales. Keep your speech sweet and expressive. This will create emotional comfort for the baby.

Try teaching your child to speak vowel sounds. He will repeat after you. Organize a small puppet show. The actors can be toys in the shape of animals. Move toys, imitate their voices, play a mini-play in front of the baby. Try to show emotions during the performance: joy, surprise, grief. It is now important for a baby to be able to perceive emotions.

A 4-month-old baby begins to take in and taste everything around, including his fingers and toes. This is an important part of his development - he learns the world with the help of taste buds. Do not interfere with this. But what needs to be done is to wash all toys with soap every day.

For the safety of the baby, remove from him all small objects that he may accidentally swallow. Remove all sharp objects and anything that should not be put in your mouth.

Do not leave stuffed items near the crib. The baby can tear them up and the filler gets into his mouth. In addition, the weight of the toys should not be too heavy so that the baby does not accidentally injure itself.

A variety of toys can be used when mom is around. Soft and hard, light and heavy, rough and smooth, big and small. The materials for making toys should also differ: plastic, rubber, wood or fabric. Give them to your baby. Let him feel the toys, while tactile sensitivity develops.

The following toys are indispensable for the development of baby's eyesight and hearing: bells, rattles, rubber tweeters, cardboard books with large drawings.

In some babies, teeth are already beginning to be cut at 4 months. At the same time, the baby can be capricious and sleep poorly, sometimes even the temperature rises and a runny nose begins. During the appearance of the first teeth, increased salivation is observed. In order to alleviate the condition of the baby, buy rubber teethers for him.

Thus, at 4 months, the child will be able to do a lot of things that were previously difficult. For example, roll over. His height and weight will increase, his eyesight and hearing will become stronger. Use a variety of toys in games, but watch out for safety. Everything that you give the baby, he will definitely taste.

How to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth?

At 4 months, the child has already outgrown infant colic and can direct all his attention and energy to learning the world and communicating. Moreover, the latter is becoming more and more important and significant in the life of a little man.

A child of this age needs to interact with other people along with food, sleep and care. First of all, with my mother. A baby at four months already clearly distinguishes her from the rest of her relatives.

Physical development

Since the baby is still not moving much and wasting energy, the weight gain is still significant, albeit less than in previous months. From the moment of birth, the baby gains about three kilos. Growth increases by 2 - 3 centimeters per month.

For a more accurate determination of weight and height, characteristic of harmonious development, pediatricians have special "centile" tables.

What should a child be able to do at 4 months?

Be sure to read the pediatrician's information, which answers a very important question,.

It will also be useful for parents to find out how a two-month-old baby develops and what should be able to do.

Find out from the informative and informative article by the pediatrician about how it happens.

Detailed information from an experienced pediatric doctor on how and how to work with him.

the baby must surely hold his head and twist his neck, looking around;
rises on the forearms, holding the upper body;
determines the source of the sound by turning your head towards it;
at 4 months, the child should roll over from back to side and further onto his stomach. Learns to roll over from belly to back;
grabs the rattle and holds it;
trying to sit down when pulling on the handles.

The fourth month of life is a very early time for purposeful sitting down. The baby's spine is not yet strong enough for such loads. These skills are best learned after 5 months, provided that the child himself tries to sit down. This is especially important for a girl. Earlier sitting down can provoke an abnormal formation of the location of the uterus. In the future, this threatens with problems with conception and childbirth. The boy is not so strict;

everything pulls into the mouth. Thus, the baby learns the world. The task of the parents is to secure the space around the baby as much as possible;
learns to clap;
when feeding, holds the mother's breast or bottle with the formula with her hands.

Make sure that there are no small objects or things near the child that can easily break off or bite off a piece. Although there are no teeth yet, the baby's gums are strong enough to bite off something soft or fragile.

A newborn child has certain reflexes that exist up to a certain age. They are called transitory. Starting from three months, reflexes begin to fade.

Each has its own term. A 3-month-old child should no longer have the search, protective, proboscis and Babkin reflex.

At 4 months fade away the following reflexes:

grasping reflex... If you put the fingers of an adult into the hands of a baby, the baby will grip them tightly. A four-month-old baby is already aware of hand movements. His grips are targeted and controlled by the baby himself;
crawl reflex... If the child is laid out on his stomach and firmly pressed against the soles of his feet, the infant will reflexively push off. This reflex is the basis of the crawling skill. When stimulated, the baby will begin to develop the crawling skill a little earlier;
Moro reflex... The child throws up his arms and makes hugging movements with a sharp sound, bright light, or when exposed to any internal stimuli. It is because of him, throwing up their hands, newborns wake up, forcing even the most ardent opponents of swaddling to wrap the crumbs in diapers for the night.

Reflexes not only fade away, but appear. They are called install. By the age of 4 months, the upper Landau reflex is formed. It is expressed in the fact that the baby, being on his stomach, raises the upper body and is held in this position, leaning on his hands.

Psycho-emotional development

The "revitalization complex" is easily invoked. At the sight of parents or other acquaintances, the baby at 4 months smiles, rejoices, actively moves his arms and legs, walks.
Recognizes mom, distinguishes her from the rest.
Smiling at her reflection.
Babbling. From time to time you can hear not only individual sounds, but also the syllables "ma", "pa", "ba". This is still unconscious onomatopoeia, the progenitor of future active speech.
Expresses various emotions. It is no longer only joy and sadness. Anger, resentment, fear are added.
Behavior also becomes more differentiated. If the kid likes the game, he is happy. When it stops, she starts crying. Among the toys, he distinguishes his beloved ones, with whom he is ready to deal constantly.
Easily identifies the source of the sound by turning your head towards it. The child begins to perceive music. Reacts well to rhythmic or melodic song.
Focuses, listens at the sound of his name.
Begins to feel his body in space, gets to know him. It's funny to watch a toddler staring at his palms or feeling his feet. Such are children - learning through play.
The vision of an infant is almost at the level of an adult. The kid can already distinguish several colors - red, yellow and blue.

There is no need to bore the child with multicolored toys. A large number of colors and shades strain the organ of vision and create an increased stress on the nervous system.

When breastfeeding, everything in the baby's diet remains the same. There are fewer attachments to the breast, the feeding regime is emerging.

The lactation crisis of the third month is over, breast milk is produced strictly according to the feeding schedule. Feelings in the form of tingling and bloating when milk arrives are no longer so bothering a nursing mother.

If the mother exclusively breastfeeds the baby, no complementary foods are introduced at this age. You can supplement with water in case of fever, vomiting and diarrhea in a child and in conditions of heat.

With artificial feeding, it is allowed to introduce diluted juices into the diet. The artificial digestive system is already quite ready to digest them.

Be sure to read the detailed and informative article by the pediatric doctor, which answers a common parenting question ,.

Why not rush to feed juices? The introduction of juices can provoke regurgitation due to acidification of the internal environment of the stomach. After sweet juices, the baby may refuse to taste, in his opinion, tasteless vegetables or cereals.

baby's interest in adult food;
the child holds his head well, sits confidently or with support;
when food (not milk or mixture) gets into the mouth, does not push it out;
doubling in weight since birth;
the baby holds the spoon and tends to put it in his mouth;
the appearance of the first teeth.

Sleep and daily routine

The child sleeps most of the day - about 15 hours. Of these, a night's sleep takes 10. The remaining time is divided between three days.

In most cases, the baby does not sleep all night long. Several times he wakes up for reinforcement with milk or formula.

We bring to your attention an article by a child psychologist, which discusses the main and most popular.

Today this phrase has been replicated, fashionable, relevant.

But all the simplest games, communication, explanations and tactile contact - all this can be called developmental.

massage and gymnastics... Can be used separately or together. Massage is useful after waking up and before bathing. Gymnastics consists in passive movements (flexion, extension) of the baby's limbs, overturns and stimulation of crawling by pressing your fingers on the child's heels. Fitball also goes well with this process. The complex of classes with him is simple, and information is easy to find on the Internet;
maximum tactile contact... It is vital for a baby. Carry the baby in your arms, in a sling, breastfeed, do a light stroking massage;
toys... A toy park for a 4 month old baby is much wider than, for example, a month old baby. Teethers are added to the rattles, because the baby really wants to pull everything into his mouth and gnaw with itchy gums. It will be interesting for a baby to taste fabric bags of various textures, filled with buckwheat, semolina, peas, and small balls. The developing mat becomes a whole storehouse of sensations. There are also colors, fabrics of different tactile sensations, toys hanging over your head that you must definitely grab, a mirror, in which it is very interesting to look and recognize yourself;
verbal communication... Children are great imitators. The more often they hear the sounds of speech, the easier it will be for them to master it;
rhymes, jokes, nursery rhymes... Familiar to everyone from childhood "Magpie-crow", "Horned goat", "Ladushki" and others. The child also likes the rhythmic sound, accompanied by action - bathing, finger gymnastics, dressing, tickling, stroking;
"Ku-ku"... At first glance, a simple game for the amusement of a baby. In fact, through the play action, the child gets to know that the parent, when he leaves his field of vision, then always returns. On this basis, the baby develops trust in the world.

When should you worry?

There is a certain mandatory list of what a child can do at 4 months. Parents need to know this. But if the child is 4 months old and has at least one a sign of the following, the first thing that needs to be done is to urgently consult a doctor:

the baby does not hold his head;
lying on the stomach, does not rise on the forearms;
the child does not turn over;
does not react to sounds, does not look for their source;
the baby does not demonstrate a "revitalization complex" at the sight of the mother;
does not hold the rattle and does not even try to grab it;
demonstrates reflexes that should fade away by this age.

In order to avoid unnecessary worries or, on the contrary, unwanted calmness, learn from the article of an ophthalmologist.

Keep a close eye on the development of your baby, but do not compare him with his peers. Each crumb develops at its own individual pace.

The first three months, when there were adjustments in the work of the stomach, and with them the painful colic after eating, are already over. The time has come for the fourth month - the time when great changes are observed in the psychological development of the baby. What skills did he acquire during this period? What does the development of a baby at 4 months include?

Physical parameters

The baby confidently holds not only the head, lying on his stomach, but also raises his chest, leaning on his half-open palms. The angle between the shoulders and forearms, if measured, will normally not be more than 90 O. At four months, the baby is able to hold the head upright for a minute or more.

The child's weight will increase by about 500-600 grams. Such a large weight gain is due to low physical activity. With each subsequent month, the number of collected grams will decrease. The growth will increase by 2 cm.

Thus, on average, in four months for these two indicators, the following picture is observed:

Weight ranges from 6 to 6.8 kg;
Height from 62 to 65 cm.

Do not worry if the weight of the newborn does not coincide with the generally accepted norms and tables. In a series of these articles, attention has already been paid to the individual development of children, as well as the way they are fed. Only too little weight gain (or too much weight gain) can be considered alarming signs.

Dream

The need for sleep remains high. At four months, babies sleep 16 hours a day, of which 10 are sleeping at night. The rest of the hours are split between three daily naps. Some babies by this time give their parents the opportunity to rest all night, but in most cases the mother still has to wake up twice for night feeding.

If the child's day regimen is set at 4 months, there will be no problems with going to bed. It is recommended to put the baby to bed at night from 7 to 9 pm. If, you should analyze the situation. The following factors can affect poor sleep:

Late bedtime. An overworked child has difficulty falling asleep and getting up earlier than usual.
The child is constantly naughty. The cause may be teething or lingering tummy problems, worsening in the evening. If the baby has become moody, go to the pediatrician.
There is no ritual of going to sleep, or it is violated. This includes the same sequential actions that set the child up for sleep: a bath, reading a favorite book, a lullaby.
There are a lot of distractions in the crib. Toys that are in a sleeping place keep the baby active, and do not contribute to falling asleep.

Whims before bedtime cannot be ignored, you should look for the reason

Nutrition

In babies who are exclusively breastfed, nutrition remains unchanged. Through breast milk, the baby receives everything necessary for growth and development, so that up to 6 months, there is no need for any complementary foods.

Should the baby be given water? It is believed that with milk he gets enough fluid and cannot get thirsty. But there are no hard and fast rules. If you offer the baby a drink and he does not refuse, then, of course, it is worth drinking more water, especially if it is hot outside. Dehydration at this age is very dangerous.

In the process of feeding, the baby begins to taste her mother's breast "by the teeth". Although the teeth themselves are not yet or the front ones are only erupting, squeezing the nipple with the gums is very painful and unpleasant for the mother. Do not be afraid to wean the baby from such actions: a fright on the part of the mother, a cry will help him realize that you are in pain. If this does not help, you can achieve that the squeezing of the nipple is associated with unpleasant sensations for him. For example, it is recommended to close his nose with his fingers for a few seconds: so he will understand that he is doing the wrong thing, and will free the nipple "from captivity."

The nutrition of a child at 4 months includes one more feature: it is common for the baby to be distracted during feeding, to look around. Take this condescendingly: he does not refuse to breast at all, but is simply afraid to miss something interesting.

Breast milk covers all the needs of the baby at this age

The nutrition of a 4-month-old baby who is on formula is somewhat different. About 6-7 feedings are obtained per day, which is almost 1 liter in volume. Sometimes there is a need for early feeding, but this is rather an exception to the rule than the norm. If the pediatrician gives advice to feed the child "adult" foods, it is best to start with cereals.

Some believe that juices should be included in the baby's diet almost from a month, and from four - vegetable purees, egg yolk. However, remember that juices contain acids that are absolutely not needed at this age for the developing children's digestive tract. The fact that they are on sale marked "from three months" speaks more of a marketing move promoting this or that product than of concern. The benefits of egg yolk are difficult to notice, but the harm in the form of rashes and dermatitis is quite. Therefore, do not rush, everything has its time.

Swimming and walking

Bathing, as before, brings a lot of pleasure, only now, during the procedure, the baby is more actively waving his arms and legs, happily walks. Bathing with toys is a special pleasure.

The child's regimen should include daily walks in the fresh air, at least 2 hours a day. Moreover, you need to walk in any weather.

Basic skills

Flips from tummy to back or flank happen easily and naturally.
The kid rises in his arms, knows how to hold his head well.
Crawls on his stomach on his bellies for a toy he likes.
If you support him by the armpits, you can see how the baby rests his toes on the surface and pushes off from it.
There is no longer hypertonicity of the arms (it may still be present on the legs).
Sits down from a prone position when pulled by the handles. This movement can be used as a charging element, but it is not yet possible to fully plant it due to the fragile back muscles.
Holds a toy well in his hand, knows how to rattle it.
Fingers in the mouth are common.
During feeding, the baby holds her mother's breast.
He already perceives bright colors well, especially yellow and red. But toys should not be oversaturated in color. Three or four colored components per toy is enough. At this age, the baby does not just see, he follows the moving object with his gaze.
The baby turns his head after the source of noise, speech, recognizes relatives by his voice. If he hears rhythmic music, he can shake his head to the beat. Develop a sense of rhythm by clapping your hands in front of your baby to the beat of the music.

Good exercise for a 4 month old baby

Features of psycho-emotional development

The crumbs' skills are associated not only with his physical development, changes are observed in other areas of his life:

Communication skills. At the sight of a mother or someone close to him, the baby revives, gives a smile, actively jerks his arms and legs. The humming becomes more and more distinct, the open vowels "a", "o" are clearly audible, sounds similar to the consonants "m", "p", "b" are caught. Reacts to your name.
At 4 months, the baby is able to express a whole range of emotions: joy, resentment, fear, curiosity.
The study of one's own body is going on with great interest. The child likes to touch his face, legs, look at himself in the mirror.
The ability to establish causal relationships is traced. For example, at the sight of mother's breast, the baby freezes in anticipation, realizing that there will be feeding now.
The first reaction to strangers is alertness. Then she goes either into crying or into accepting the stranger with curious consideration. If the mother changes, for example, dyed her hair, drastically cut her hair, put on glasses or a hat, the baby may not recognize her.

Looking at yourself in the mirror is a very interesting activity.

Games with toddler

Activities with your child should include games that develop fine motor skills and communication skills.

"Okay": the mother sits the baby on her knees, shows how to clap her hands and recites the rhyme: "Okay, okay, where were you? By Grandma...". This game helps to open up the palms to the fullest.
"Magpie-crow". This game involves circular movements of the finger in the center of the palm, which has a beneficial effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
"There is a horned goat" also brings joy to the little ones, making them laugh.

So, at 4 months, the child's behavior becomes more and more meaningful, bringing joy to the surrounding relatives and parents. Since the baby skillfully rolls over, acquires the skills of crawling, in no case should he be left alone, even on a large bed. In the next month, you will observe even greater achievements and small victories on the path of the baby's development.

Your baby is already 4 months old. He has grown up and if you look closely, you will see interesting changes that occur with the color of his eyes and hair color. The hairs with which the baby was born (thin, delicate, curly) gradually fall out, and new ones grow in their place. Note that this process can last a month, or even two.

At the 4th month of life, the color of the baby's eyes also changes. If a child was born with light (for example, blue) eyes, and mom and dad have brown eyes, then during the first half of the year, the color of the baby's eyes may change. Don't be alarmed - this is a natural process. In most newborns, the eyes are light, but by 4-5 months, they darken. Only if the color of the eyes does not change before six months, it is safe to say that this color is forever.

In babies whose parents are dark-haired and brown-eyed, the color of the eyes is predominantly light brown. But when a baby reaches 4 months of age, the color of his eyes becomes as dark as that of his mom or dad. Therefore, the fourth month of a baby's life can be called the month of the formation of a new quality of hair and a new eye color.

The “fontanelle” on the head is still open, it has no bone tissue, but every month its size decreases. Remember to keep the fontanelle clean.

Every month, the baby continues to gain weight. Parents who have the opportunity to control the weight gain of a child should know that this figure is from 140 to 170 g per week. So, in the 4th month of life, your toddler will gain weight from 600 to 750 g. The growth of the child will increase by about 2-2.5 cm. Due to the gradual development and improvement of muscles, the body of an infant acquires a strong and well-formed appearance. Do not forget that all of the above indicators are just an oriented norm, with the help of which parents themselves can control the physical development of their baby. For each baby, nature has programmed his individual rate of increase in body weight and height.

At the end of the fourth month, your baby is already confidently holding his head when he lies on his tummy. Even in the supine position, he easily raises his head in order to get the best possible understanding of his small legs. You will notice that the baby is happy to turn his head in all directions - he examines everything around and observes you with interest, your actions.

At the age of three months, the baby still cannot roll over from the back to the tummy. At the 4th month of life, he is already able to do this. Please note that the baby, lying on his tummy, can already hold his little body, while he rests on the forearms of both hands. Now the baby can more confidently try to hold the head and his chest with one hand in order to release the other handle and reach, and possibly grab something interesting.

In the fourth month of life, your baby's hand coordination continues to improve. He not only lifts the handles, but follows them with a coordinated, purposeful gaze. The fingers on the handles are not clenched - the handle is straightened. The kid takes the toy, holds it firmly with two or one handles, moves the toy from side to side, while carefully following the movement of the toy with his eyes. This exercise gives the baby the greatest joy. And the most "sweet" taste is rattles, own fingers and fists.

The most favorite exercise of the kid during this period is the "bicycle" - the alternate raising of the legs. From time to time, the baby unbends the legs at the knees, but mostly, when he lies quietly, his legs are in a bent state. Doing daily gymnastics with your child, you will see that the motor activity of the legs has improved greatly compared to the previous month, and in all joints.

Put the baby on the piles - you see, he bends and unbends the legs. These exercises are good for strengthening the legs. They give the child a special pleasure if they are accompanied by your singing.

While swimming, the baby shows a desire to swim on the tummy. He persistently makes movement with his pens, groans, sniffs, and even screams because he cannot do it. In these movements, the baby's desire to learn to crawl is manifested. Help your little one in his endeavor.

Some parents believe that at the age of 4 months, the child should already sit, or they want to speed up this process, for this they put the baby in pillows. Of course, the baby likes it, he can hold the head upright by himself. But we strongly advise against doing this. First: the baby's muscles are not yet strong enough to be in this position. Secondly: in no case should a child be left alone in a sitting position for a long time, because his back cannot remain in an upright state and therefore it bends, thereby contributing to the deformation of the spine and tires the child. Don't rush those events. Use this exercise when doing gymnastics with your baby: take it by the handles and pull it to a sitting position, then calmly, quietly lower it. This exercise will strengthen the baby's spine.

Sometimes, during gymnastics, you can hear crackling in the elbow and knee joints. Do not worry - this is due to the immaturity of the articular apparatus, which includes muscles, bones, tendons, and cartilage. After a few months of massage and gymnastics, the muscles of the arms, legs and torso of the little one will get stronger, and such phenomena will no longer bother you and your baby.

At four months of age, your child will strive to communicate with you. Try to talk to him as much as possible and vocalize everything that you do.

Now the baby pays attention to all the sounds surrounding him - quiet, loud, listens to the noise. Most kids enjoy listening to music: quiet, calm or rhythmic. This calms them down and cheers them up. But the greatest pleasure for the baby is delivered by the sounds, so to speak, of their own production. He repeats their "successful" combination over and over again, as if trying to memorize his own vocal piece.

By the way, in the future, many syllables will be easier to pronounce by the baby, but already as part of real words. Its peculiar "purring" gradually changes to "giggle", and then to separate sounds, such as "a", "y", "e", "s", "ha".

If, while playing with your baby, you tickle his tummy, then the baby will start laughing out loud - this is a tickling response and a signal of your child's social development. If suddenly the baby's mood has changed - he has become nervous, sleepy, apathetic, try to find the reason. If you have limited his environment of perception - now correct this mistake. Walking on the street is not only about sweet sleep in the fresh air, but also about getting to know the environment. After all, there are so many interesting things around! Show your child a flower, a twig of a Christmas tree, leaves of a tree, vegetables, fruits, a dog that runs alongside, a dove that collects crumbs of bread, snow, etc. The kid will get great pleasure from the walk, learn a lot of new things. Do not forget about your most important mission - for the first time in the life of this creature, you are introducing him to the world. And the reward for your efforts will be the sincere smile of your baby.

By the way, it is the smile that is the most important manifestation of happiness and satisfaction. She becomes a manifestation of love for everyone who cares about the baby. Talk a lot with your baby and be sure to praise him for all his achievements, help him successfully overcome the steps of development.

The kid likes to observe moving objects. The movements of the eyeballs became coordinated. If you take a bright toy (yellow, blue, orange, red) and show it to a child at a distance of 25-30 cm, you can see that he not only catches it with his gaze, but also wakes up to follow her with his gaze along the entire trajectory of the toy: right, left, up, down. Please note - the eyes should no longer mow.

At the end of the fourth month, your baby will be able to enjoy a colored world, not black and white.

For a child in the fourth month of life, the formation of language, the development of movements and the expansion of the range of emotional reactions are of great importance. For this, it is necessary to properly organize the time when the child is awake.

If the baby is awake, do not leave him in the crib - try to spend this time on the changing table (on a solid surface). You can stroke the baby, then massage, you can do gymnastics. Activities will cheer up and cheer up your little one. And such exercises will certainly delight your little toddler - lay the child on his tummy and put a bright toy in front of him at arm's length, watch the baby - the child will not only focus his attention on the toy, he will want to reach out and touch it. You can experiment with toys and offer your baby a different shape (cube, ball), color, material (fabric, plastic, etc.) each time. Thus, engaging in these simple exercises with your child every day, you will stimulate and develop your baby's desire to crawl.

The child, as in the previous month, seeks to communicate with you. The kid needs to talk to him kindly and for a long time, to sing a song. There are children who are soothed by soft, calm music. It can be both classical works and children's songs. Tell your baby nursery rhymes, short fairy tales and just try to talk to him as much as possible, no matter what you do - bathe the child, feed, dress - voice all your actions.

When your baby is 4 months old, you need to visit your local pediatrician. It measures the height of the child, his weight, and determines the physical and mental development. Since you are already well acquainted with your pediatrician, you can ask him all your questions regarding the daily routine, the introduction of new food products (juices, fruit purees, etc.) into the child's diet, new toys for the child that best developed his psycho-emotional sphere.

The pediatrician, for his part, must check whether the prevention of anemia and rickets is being carried out, whether the terms of vaccination are observed.

Every day the baby grows and develops and requires care, love, attention and patience from you. Do not forget that your child is individual, and you need to look for an approach to him, certain methods of upbringing, look closely at him and listen to him. Even if you are an experienced mother, and this is not your first child - do not dwell on your previous experience of raising older children - constantly learn something new about your baby, watch him, if you have any questions, contact your pediatrician or family doctor, because the health and future of your family depends on it.

The first teeth in infants appear, as a rule, at 5 or 6 months. But there is a certain percentage of babies for whom the process of cutting milk teeth begins at the end of the 4th month. You will notice how your baby's behavior will change during this period. Here are just some of the signs that you need to pay attention to: the child is nervous, restless, practically pulls everything into his mouth and bites with his gums, the temperature can rise to 38-39 ° C. Also, the process of teething, is often accompanied by disorders of the digestive system, runny nose and sore throat. We have given the general signs, what they will be in your child depends on the reaction of the body, body type and maturity of the peripheral and central nervous system.

In the place where the tooth should appear, the gums will be red and slightly swollen. Basically, the lower central incisors appear first. Now the baby is pulling everything into his mouth to scratch the inflamed gums a little. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a teething toy for him - a rubber toy in the form of a ring or other shape with a liquid inside. It needs to be put in the refrigerator for a while to cool the liquid, and then offered to the baby. The fact is that the cold has a calming effect on the gums, it eliminates the sensation of pain and itching of the gums. Today, the pharmacy can offer you a large selection of gels, which include anesthesin, which performs the function of anesthesia, and also soothes the gums in places of their irritation.

Skills and achievements

Physical skills:

the child is gaining weight 700-750 grams. on average per month;
the child's height increases by 2-2.5 cm.

Sensory motor skills:

can hold small objects between index and thumb;
looks in surprise at the object that fell and at the place from which it fell;
all items that fall into the hands, the baby, sends for "testing" in his mouth;
splashes in the bathroom and enjoys bathing;
the baby is interested in smells and distinguishes them;
independently rolls over from the back to the tummy and vice versa;
the child's body has prepared for the use of denser food (complementary foods);
tries to perform "swimming" movements and move around in the crib;
in the supine and abdominal position, turns the head in different directions;
the child holds the head for a long time;
at different distances focuses the gaze.

Intellectual skills:

in the child, the duration of the active period after daytime sleep increases (about one hour).
in the presence of people, the baby smiles more and "talks" (hums).
the child has a short-term memory of 6 to 8 seconds.
the child likes to imitate a familiar tone and make different sounds.

Social skills:

is interested in his image in the mirror and smiles at him;
the child laughs when they talk to him and screams demandingly if the game stops;
the baby laughs if you tickle him by the leg or under the arms;
makes sounds to attract someone's attention;
listens to music with pleasure;
the child loves to play while playing.

Daily regime

In the fourth month, the baby's day regimen must be organized in the correct sequence: sleeping - eating - walking - sleeping, etc. Between sleep and feeding, certain periods must be observed - this contributes to a good appetite in the child.

During the day, the child sleeps two or three times: once in the morning after breakfast and twice in the afternoon.

At night, the baby's sleep becomes uninterrupted, longer - about 10-11 hours, and deeper.

You yourself must determine the time when you need to put the baby to bed, since each baby has its own individual biorhythms.

How do you know whether the child wants to sleep or not? If the baby is tired of playing, he is capricious, yawns, rubs his eyes or, on the contrary, has become very active, turns his head rhythmically and sucks his thumb - these are signs of fatigue that will tell the mother that it is time for the baby to go to bed. As soon as you notice this behavior of the child, immediately put him to bed and do not offer him new games, this will only upset the baby. In this case, it all depends on your talent and ability to guess the "falling asleep code" of your baby.

Night sleep becomes more restful and lasts about 9-11 hours. During the day, the baby sleeps 3-4 times from 1.5 to 2 hours, while the daytime sleep should be in the fresh air. Bathe your child every evening, just before bed - water treatments promote good sleep. Air baths can be carried out for 10-15 minutes before bathing.

The air temperature in the baby's room should not exceed 21-22 ° C. A higher temperature is bad for a child's growth and development.

The room must be ventilated, best of all through ventilation, while the exchange of air is 7 times faster than with an open window. Through ventilation is carried out 5 times a day during the absence of the child. After airing, the air temperature in the room should drop by 2-3 ° C. In the summer, it is necessary to constantly keep the window open, while closing it only at night.

Walk with your child at an air temperature of at least - 10 ° C twice a day in winter - 1.5-2 hours. In the cold season, to avoid frostbite, apply lanolin oil or baby cream to your baby's face. In summer, the duration of walks increases to 2-2.5 hours 2-3 times a day. Teaching your child to sleep in the fresh air is very beneficial for him.

The kid needs to be taught not only to low temperatures, but also to high ones. Take the baby outside at a temperature of +31 ° С, first for one minute, gradually increase the walk to 30-60 minutes, then at a temperature of +32 ° С, +33 ° С, +35 ° С. The child should not be in the sun, but in the shade under the leaves of trees. The kid will get used to it and will tolerate high temperatures well. The child should be lightly dressed (a thin T-shirt and chintz romper.)

When hardening a child, you must adhere to the following principles:

the child must be completely healthy;
when hardening, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the baby, his positive emotional reactions;
gradually increase the intensity of hardening procedures;
classes should be conducted systematically;
you can start hardening the child at any time of the year;
after a break, hardening activities with the baby must be restored first.

A very important way of hardening is air baths, which are combined with wet rubdowns in the fourth month of a child's life. Start air baths for 5-10 minutes twice a day at an air temperature of 21-22 ° C. Leave the baby undressed, periodically change the position of the body. Then go to rubdowns (first to dry, then to wet).

Dry rubdowns are carried out with a soft mitten from a terry cloth until slight redness appears on the skin, while taking into account the tenderness of the baby's skin.

After about a week, you can move on to wet rubdowns. To do this, moisten a terry mitten in moist water, squeeze slightly and wipe first the baby's arms from the tips of fingers to shoulders, then the legs, chest, abdomen and back. After these procedures, all parts of the body must be gently rubbed with a towel until dry and slight redness. Start wet wiping with a water temperature of 36 ° C. Then, every three days, lower the water temperature by 1 ° C. The duration of this procedure is 1-1.5 minutes.

Wet rubbing should be combined with massage and gymnastics, which should be done once a day. The duration of this procedure is 8-9 minutes. Each exercise must be repeated 5-6 times. Be sure to stick to regularity and consistency.

hand movements with hugging the body;
turning from the back to the stomach by the right hand;
back massage;
tilting the head back in a suspended position;
abdominal massage;
turn from the back to the stomach for the left hand.

Baby food

At this age, mother's milk remains the most delicious, rational and nutritious food for a baby. After all, for both of you this is not just a feeding process, but an opportunity for very close communication, mutual understanding, tenderness and love. If you notice that you have a little less milk - do not be discouraged, do your best to increase lactation - your baby needs it. Taking into account the recommendations of modern medicine, you can drink herbal tea, which you can buy in almost any pharmacy. Do not forget also that a nursing mother should rest, eat well, drink a lot of warm liquid (tea with condensed milk, compote, herbal tea, etc.).

The baby needs to be fed 6 times a day after 3.5 hours at night intervals after feeding for about 6.5 hours. Depending on the type of feeding (, artificial feeding) in the fourth month, you can enter the first - fruit juice or fruit puree. At the same time, the number of feedings will be reduced to 5 times a day after four hours, and the night interval, on the contrary, will increase to 8 hours. Immediately after the baby wakes up, there will be the first feeding.

Children who are bottle-fed are administered starting at 4 months.

Feeding time for children whose diet was not supplemented with complementary foods: 6.00; 9.30; 13.00; 16.30; 20.00; 23.30.

Feeding time for children whose diet has been supplemented with complementary foods: 6.00; 10.00; 14.00; 18.00; 22.00.

An approximate scheme of feeding a child at 4 months of age is provided in the table.

Food volume per feeding, ml

Breast milk or formula

Fruit juice

Breast milk or formula

Fruit puree (grated apple)

Breast milk or formula

Fruit juice

Breast milk or formula

After each feeding, you have 1.5-2 hours to spend with the benefit of the child - games, massage, gymnastics, air baths. Before bedtime, the waking period can be reduced to one hour.