How the baby should develop. Child development by weeks from birth to one year

28.07.2019

More recently, you have studied the literature on easy childbirth and the establishment of breastfeeding, and now the first days with a baby in your arms are over. The baby is slowly getting used to life outside of mom's cozy tummy, and you get used to your new life - full of great joys and small worries. Somewhere in the corners of memory, scraps of what he read about, something about nursery rhymes, spreading on the stomach, stimulating the grasping reflex ...

But let's talk about everything in order. And do not be surprised, please, by the title of the article.

It is imperative to develop a newborn

I will not urge you to rather start showing your baby cards with letters and teach you how to fold a pyramid to a baby who is just learning to focus his gaze on an object that interests him and gets to know his own body. All the activities that we will discuss below are based on the physiology and psychology of the newborn.

But you must remember - everything that you are doing for your baby now - the songs you sing, the tone of voice and facial expression with which you speak to the baby, how you carry out standard hygiene procedures, how you react to his cry , what you fill in the short intervals of his wakefulness - all this does not go unnoticed and contributes to the development of crumbs, the formation of basic trust in the world, the establishment of emotional contact with his mother and the laying of other important foundations of his character.

Therefore, we will not waste precious time and will try to make these first weeks of our baby's life comfortable, useful and pleasant for him.

Before you start talking about how to develop a newborn, it will not be superfluous to remind you that right after discharge from the hospital you should be visited by a patronage nurse and a local pediatrician who will examine the baby and give you some recommendations regarding, among other things, possible activities with the child. Listen carefully to these recommendations, because they take into account the individual characteristics of your baby, discovered during the examination and study of documents received upon discharge.

When to develop a newborn

In the first month of life, the newborn sleeps a lot - by the end of the first month of life, the sleep time is about 16-18 hours. Add in the time needed for feeding, washing, etc., and you will no longer think about how to develop a newborn and about when to do it. Of course, during the wakefulness of the baby - after feeding and the necessary hygiene procedures. The kid should be well rested, slept well, well-fed and dry - then he will gladly respond to the activities you have proposed, and after them he will have a sweet sleep and give you some rest too.

Remember that games and activities that you can have with a newborn take only a few minutes, but this time will be enough to stimulate the cognitive interest of the baby, as well as its full mental and physical development.

Educational games and activities for a newborn

Laying out on the stomach

The simplest and most useful exercise that you and your little one, I hope, began to perform already in the hospital - laying out on the stomach.

Place your baby gently on a flat, hard surface (a changing table works great) while holding the head. Talk to your treasure and gently stroke it on the back without touching the spine. Start literally with one minute and gradually increase the exercise time to 10-15 minutes. It is useful to lay the baby on his stomach before each feeding. In this case, the exercise will not only contribute to the correct formation of the curves of the spine, strengthen the muscles of the neck, back and abdomen, but will also help comfortable digestion of the crumbs, prevent regurgitation.

Little advice: try to put the baby's head in different directions each time for even development of the neck muscles.

If the baby is very indignant when you put him on his stomach, go for the trick. Put the baby on her stomach on a blanket spread on the floor and yourself, too, lie down opposite him - so that you can look at each other. Now is the time to show your acting skills - grimace, sing, talk to your child, deliberately increasing articulation. My son was very amused when I blew lightly on his face. Children love to watch the changes in the human face, and the kid will surely love this exercise.

Fitball lessons

I hope you have already purchased a fitball? This large and durable inflatable ball is sold in sports and children's stores and is an indispensable assistant when carrying out gymnastics with a baby (by the way, exercises on fitball will help mom to quickly regain shape after childbirth). Fitball lessons train the vestibular apparatus, promote the development of the muscles of the back and abdomen, and, of course, delight children of any age! Here how to develop a newborn using a fitball:

1. Put the baby with its tummy on the ball (the ball is on the bed, covered with a diaper). Holding the baby with one hand on the back, with the other hand fix the legs and gently rock it back and forth and from side to side. Accompany the exercise with a funny nursery rhyme or a rhythmic rhyme, for example, my son loved this:

The ball is rolling forward, forward, forward,

The ball is rolling back-back-back

Back and forth, back and forth

It's time to get off!

2. And the next rhyme is suitable for another exercise - "springs". Also, holding the crumb on the ball, perform springy up and down movements with a small amplitude. Make sure that your little acrobat does not feel discomfort or frightened.

I'm a jumper - a fun ball

I don't like the one who cries

I don't like the one who cries
Have you recently become a mother of a baby?

I love the one who rides

Look at a few

Push the ball away

Another fascinating ball exercise will help your baby to strengthen the muscles of the legs and abdomen. You will need a light inflatable beach ball with a diameter of about 25-30 cm (do not use an inflatable ball for this game, as it can burst during the activity and scare the baby). Tie a string to the ball and hold the ball by it. Place the child on his back on a sofa or changing table - naked or at least with bare feet. With your free hand, slightly lift the baby's butt so that the legs are suspended and touch the ball. When the baby's feet feel a slight resistance from the ball, he will forcefully push it off with his feet. Praise your little strong man!

Hand massage

Look at the handles of your baby. With what force he clenches his fists - this is how the grasping reflex of a newborn manifests itself! You can help your little fingers become even stronger and dexterous.

During feeding and bathing, when holding the baby in your arms, massage his palms and fingers. Be very gentle and careful. Use circular motions on the back and inside of your hand, gently pressing and tapping with the pads of your fingers. Try to massage your palms, picking up scraps of fabric of different textures - a terry towel and a waffle towel, a piece of fur, corduroy, flannel, cotton, satin ... Stimulate your child to grab the scraps and describe his feelings - this way you contribute to the development of sensory impressions of the crumbs and the accumulation of passive vocabulary ...

Little tip: wash the different textured pieces of fabric on the fingers of the gloves and use it for this activity.

Look at the video, how else you can do hand massage

Rattle games

The first ones are also aimed at the development of the grasping reflex. rattle games... Draw the baby's attention to a bright, melodic-sounding rattle (read more about how to choose the right toys for a newborn) and let him grab it with his hand - try to keep the baby's thumb opposed to the rest of the fingers. Now gently try to pick up the toy and give it back to your baby. Try giving your child a rattle from below, then from above, then to the right, then to the left, and use toys made of different materials, textures and sizes. So the child will learn to grip the object from different positions and correct the movements of the hand and fingers, depending on the object of what shape and size he wants to grab.

Little advice: During the exercise, repeat the words "Give!" and "Na!", and, soon, the baby will understand and remember their meaning.

When the baby learns to confidently focus his gaze on the rattle, drive it in front of the baby (at a distance of about 30-40 cm) from side to side, up and down, zoom in and out, perform circular movements. Movements should be slow, smooth, small in amplitude. During the exercise, make sure that the baby is not overtired. As soon as his gaze begins to "float", finish the game, take the baby in your arms, praise and caress.

Games in the bathroom

Make full use of bathing time in order to entertain and develop a newborn... Supporting the baby with one hand, pour water on his arms, legs, tummy with the other and say a nursery rhyme, for example, this:

Water, water,

Wash Yegorka's face, (replace with your baby's name)

To make your eyes shine

To make your cheeks turn red

So that the mouth laughs,

To bite a tooth.

After the umbilical wound has healed, you can bathe your baby in a large bath. When the child is comfortable with it, try "Swim" his. Putting the baby on the back and supporting it by the neck, run it several times from one end of the bathtub to the other. During the exercise, stimulate the baby to push off from the bath wall with his legs. To do this, "swim" the baby closer to the wall - so that the legs are bent at the knees, and wait for him to push off. You can put some bright toy on the edge of the bathtub. Many children's clinics have swimming pools, where an experienced instructor will introduce you to all the nuances of early swimming.

Musical minutes

Daily gymnastics, massage, air baths can be carried out with musical accompaniment... The "Seasons" by A. Vivaldi, "Little Suite" by C. Debussy, "Children's Polka" by MI Glinka, Antira's Dance from the suite "Peer Gynt" by E. Grieg and other classical compositions, as well as mother's tender singing will do. While listening, watch the reaction of your baby and adhere to two simple rules:

Music should not be too loud, fast, rhythmic.
Music should not be played in the background all the time throughout the day.

Dancing on the arms

A child from birth to one year, very much depends on the mother. He needs his mother's care, warmth and smiles.

In a calm, benevolent environment, the child grows well and develops, thereby delighting his parents.

In order for the baby to develop well and learn a lot of new things, he needs help. Such help can be simple communication and physical contact with the mother. As well as massage, gymnastics, walks, educational games and a positive attitude.

In the first year, the child goes through an intensive phase of physical and mental development. And parents do not always understand if their child is lagging behind or ahead of other children. For these purposes, below is a calendar of child development up to a year by months.

Just keep in mind that each child is individual and he can master some skills a little earlier or later than the established norms. And he can skip some steps in development, without harm to himself.

2 months

Makes sounds, for example "Aaaa", "Ayu", "Agg", "Agu".
Raises his head for a short time while lying on his stomach.
Better to focus on the subject.
Looks for the source of the sound with his eyes and turns his head towards it.
Visibly perks up when adults communicate with him.

3 months

Gulps and laughs when communicating with adults. Easily identifies the sound source.
Draws attention to itself.
From a supine position, turns onto its side.
For a long time, it holds the head from the position "on the stomach" and "column" and even turns it.
He touches his legs from the "standing" position and pushes off the support when the parents hold his armpits.
He tries to grab the offered toy and succeeds.

4 months

Rolls over from back to stomach and back.
Likes to be in her mother's company.
In response to a smile, smiles and laughs
In a good mood squeals with delight.
The first syllables appear.
Holds, shakes and tries to put a toy in his mouth
Confidently holds his head lying on his stomach, while rising on his elbows.
Lying on your back raises the upper body with the head.
In an upright position, he holds his head confidently. At the same time, it can twirl it in different directions.
Can move around the crib on the bell.

5 months

Tries to sit up when you pull it a little by the handles.
Sucks on her fingers and toes.
He is more confident in handling the toy and pulls it into his mouth.
Grabs items that are within his reach.
Defends his toy if someone tries to pick it up.
Leans towards the fallen object.
Likes to be in her mother's arms.
Keeps an eye on strangers and places.

6 months

Moves in space on the stomach
Crawls to a toy that is not far away, and grabs it with an outstretched hand.
Sit down and sit on your own for a while
Likes to stand and walk with support, armpits
Calms down when breastfeeding.
Listens carefully to other people's speech.
Responds to the name.
Makes many different sounds.
A child's mood can change frequently.
Begins to receive complementary foods.

7 months

He sits down more confidently. And it is with pleasure that it is in this position.
Stands on all fours, sways back and forth and even crawls a little.
Likes to walk holding the hands of an adult.
The stock of sounds and syllables is expanding.
Loves to swim.

8 months

Hand motility is well developed. Shifts objects from hand to hand, from container to container.
Confidently crawls on all fours. At the same time, he can hold a toy in one hand.
Likes to play while sitting.
Stands up holding on to the support.
He is very attached to his parents.

9 months

Actively crawls, sits and moves while standing holding on to the support.
Says "ma-ma" and "ba-ba" with meaning.
Flips through the pages in the book.
Interested in everything around. He wants to reach out and touch everything.
Repeats actions.
Carries out simple assignments.

From nine months, some begin to walk. But it happens that the child takes the first steps much later.... Also, children already climb onto low armchairs and sofas and go back down, this process gives them special pleasure. The development of speech at this age is most active, the baby connects syllables, unconsciously, of course, but very confidently, shouts "MA-MA-MA", "BA-BA-BA" and others. Learn more about

The first year of a child's life is very important for every baby. It determines the further emotional and mental, mental and physical development of children. During this period, immunity and the nervous system are formed, the body adapts to the surrounding world. The newborn quickly grows and develops, gains weight and height, and learns new skills. He gradually learns to walk and speak.

Moreover, each age is characterized by new knowledge and discoveries. The rate of weight, height and other physical characteristics is rather arbitrary. Each baby is characterized by individual development, parameters and norms, which the pediatrician helps to determine and control. In this article, we will look at a child's development calendar by months from birth to one year. And we will find out in detail what a child should be able to do by month.

First month

In the first weeks of life, a child sleeps 60-80% of the time. At this stage, it is important for babies that the mother is always nearby and that breastfeeding is timely. Therefore, it is important for a nursing mother. Particular attention is paid to a premature newborn, who is additionally prescribed special milk formulas.

Despite the fact that the baby sleeps almost all the time, for normal development it is important to pay attention to walks in the fresh air. While awake, bathe and take baths, do massage and gymnastics for newborns. In addition, you need to accustom your baby to the day-night regimen.

In the first month of life, the baby is able to:

Cry and smile;
Recognize the voice, smell and touch of mom;
Make micromotions, actively move your arms and legs;
Distinguish between bright colors, striped and checkered patterns;
Focus on the face of an adult or on a bright, stationary object and follow the moving object. To develop this skill, you can hang a hanging toy in a stroller or over a bed;
Pronounce sounds to the beat of the speaker's speech and distinguish the features of sounds;
Raise and hold the head for a few seconds while lying on the tummy.

In the first month, the baby is gaining 90-150 grams per week. Thus, by the beginning of the second month of life, the weight of the child increases on average by 0.4-0.7 kg in comparison with the weight at birth. At the same time, during the day, he eats every two hours, at night the baby is applied three to five times.

Second month

The second month is the stage of “revival”, when the baby is already beginning to distinguish the emotions of adults and becomes more active. Towards the end of this period, weight gain is about 800 grams, and growth increases by three centimeters. At this age, the girth of the chest and the circumference of the head of the child becomes larger. In addition, at two months, the baby already knows the following:

Raise and hold your head for a short time (10-20 seconds);
Spread your arms to the side and roll over from side to back;
and pronounce the sounds “a”, “o”, “u”, combinations of “agu”, “aha” and “bu”;
Focus and hold your gaze on a stationary object, which is at a distance of up to one and a half meters;
Follow the objects with your gaze and try to reach the object;
Turn your head to the sound source and look for the sound source with your eyes;
Grab and hold a light object for up to 30 seconds;
Lift your chest for a few seconds while lying on your stomach;
Perceive red, yellow, orange, black and white colors.

At two months, the child develops more and more facial expressions of intonation. The baby's coordination of movements improves, speech development, the development of hearing and vision are observed. However, the baby still does not hear all the sounds, cannot focus on fast moving objects and hold something in his hands for a long time.

Third month

This period is characterized by a meaningful expression of emotions, individual intonations of the voice appear, and the sense of smell begins to develop. Now the baby can recognize the mother not only by touch, voice or appearance, but also by smell. In addition, at this age, a relationship is formed between hearing and vision.

A baby by three months should learn to do the following:

Control with your own hands;
Take and hold toys in your hands, bring objects to your own face, reach for hanging toys with your hands;
Roll over from back to side, from back to stomach and from stomach to back;
Raise on your elbows while lying on your stomach;
lying on your stomach;
Laugh out loud;
Fix your gaze on a toy, small objects and a large pattern, follow the movement of large objects;
Notice the object in the supine position, on the side and on the stomach, in the hands of an adult;
Listen to the sound of the rattle and turn your head to the source of the sound;
Look at the person speaking and listen to music, singing, etc.

The child's height and weight increase. There is an increase in body weight by 700-800 grams, growth increases by 3-3.5 centimeters. The movements of the arms and legs of the baby become more coordinated, and the babies themselves become more mobile. They easily roll over from back to stomach and back.

Fourth month

The development of a child at four months is characterized by activity and increased vitality. The kid responds well to familiar faces, voices and toys, waving his arms and legs, laughing and smiling in response to a person or object that he recognized. In addition, he is already beginning to recognize and respond to his name.

Thus, the baby can:

Recognize familiar faces and voices of people who are constantly caring for the baby;
Recognize objects and toys, highlight your favorites;
Grab and hold objects, while grabbing is no longer reflex, but purposeful;
Shake the rattle on your own;
Raise on your hands with support on the palms, lying on your stomach. In this case, the baby can hold his head for a short time;
Support the bottle while feeding;
Pronounce the first syllables and repeat after the speaker;
Listen to music and shake your head to the beat, highlight and prefer specific melodies;
Distinguish between bright colors and pure shades;
Fold and clap. By the way, the old game will help.

The weight of the child has an increase of 700-750 grams, the height increases by 2-2.5 centimeters.
At this age, the development of hearing and vision progresses noticeably. For games, they begin to use cards with pictures. By the way, babies at four months old well perceive sounds that imitate the sounds of animals.

Fifth month

At five months, many parents move the baby to the playpen, practice games and exercises to develop fine motor skills. Correct practice will speed up the development of speech, and the baby will begin to speak sooner. For games, choose brightly colored rattles and musical toys, bags and stuffed toys with special fillers for developing motor skills, rugs and patchwork quilts.

At this age, a child can:

Learn toys and melodies, look at pictures;
Follow the movements of objects and people;
Pronounce sounds and some syllables, try to repeat words after an adult;
Grab and hold objects, reach for a toy and touch with your hands;
Self-study toys for up to ten minutes;
Try to sit up, pulling up on your arms;
Raise your arms and legs while lying on your back and examine your own body parts;
Distinguish and perceive up to six colors at a time.

Note that after five months, the child's weight and height gain decreases. The fact is that the child begins to lead a more active and mobile lifestyle. In addition, at that age, some babies already erupt. This usually happens at six to seven months. But it's okay if they appear earlier.

Six months

Six months is a turning point for a baby. This is the period of the appearance of the first teeth and the introduction of complementary foods. The child becomes more mobile and independent, tries to sit down on his own. Now the baby can sleep soundly and soundly the whole night. The crumb can already be given cubes and pyramids for the game.

At six months, in addition to the skills already acquired, the baby is able to:

Seeks and finds hidden toys or covered objects;
Independently and creeps up to the toy that he sees in front of him;
Operates with two hands at the same time. Can clap hands, pick up and throw objects, shift things from one hand to another and hold a toy in each hand;
Knows and pronounces up to 40 different sounds;
Opens and closes boxes, stacks items;
Sits down with the help of an adult and independently.

A six-month-old child is characterized by mobility and stability of hands and fingers. He easily recognizes feelings and emotions. At six months, the first complementary foods are introduced. These should be vegetable purees made from natural hypoallergenic products. Zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower are good options. But this does not mean that you need to completely abandon breastfeeding.

WHO experts recommend continuing breastfeeding while the baby needs milk, while lactation continues, while feeding does not cause discomfort to the mother. The recommended age for completing hepatitis B is 1.5-2 years. With the introduction of complementary foods, the number of breastfeeding is gradually reduced and replaced by adult food. You will find a detailed schedule for the introduction of complementary foods for babies.

Seven months

At this age, the baby becomes a real fidget. He begins to distinguish between objects and can point to them. At this age, the baby begins to take the first steps, sits confidently and crawls on its own, including back. Kids at this age love to swim. You can teach your child to swim and swim, make special baths with sea salt, pine needles and herbs.

Thus, at seven months, a baby can:

Sit confidently with a straight back and crawl;
Drink from a mug with support;
Get up and stand at the support;
with support under the armpits or by the arms;
Knock and shake, disassemble and break, throw objects on the floor;
Hold a toy in each hand and knock on each other;
Show where the eyes, nose, mouth and ears are.

By the end of the seventh month, the child's weight increases by 500-600 grams, and his height by two centimeters. Try to keep the floor and toys clean, sterilize items regularly, as a baby at this age loves to try everything and often puts various parts in his mouth.

Eight months

The kid can move independently and freely, sit down, climb, so do not leave the child at a height. He looks at new toys with interest, can recognize dad and mom in the photo, wave after him. At this age, the baby is already trying to eat on its own and begins to understand what they are asking for.

The child performs simple assignments, can bring something and show, easily collects cubes and pyramids, closes the jars with lids. The first conscious words appear. As a rule, these are "dad", "mom", "give", "no" and so on. Eight-month-olds love listening to music, dancing, stomping, and clapping.

The weight of the baby increases by 500-600 grams, the height - by two centimeters. At eight months, cottage cheese must also be included in the baby's diet. They saturate the body with calcium and strengthen the skeleton, which is still too fragile in the baby. Do not forget about vegetables and fruits, dairy-free cereals. Dishes for babies should be unleavened, stewed, boiled or steamed without spices and seasonings. You can gradually include fish in your diet.

Nine to ten months

The baby can stand up and move on its own, grabbing and holding on to a chair, sofa, bed, playpen or other large objects. At this age, the child learns to walk independently, repeats syllables and simple words for adults and can easily drink from a cup.

Thus, the child is able to:

Rises from a sitting position and sits down from a prone position;
Stands and walks with support;
Tries to climb onto a sofa or chair, open drawers;
Crawls and unfolds on its own;
Knows how to collect and where to put toys;
Tries to reach out to surrounding objects;
Emotions are actively manifested and speech develops;
Tries to eat with a spoon;
Takes small objects, sticks fingers into holes, tears paper and wrinkles plasticine;
Knows and understands the meanings of the words “go”, “sit”, “give”, “lie down”, performs light commands.

At ten months, the child imitates adults and animals, independently plays with toys and confidently holds objects in his hands, can flip through books with his fingers and, with the help of adults, play with other children. These kids love to dance, jump and clap their hands. They understand what to do with toys: push the tumbler, roll the car, build a tower of cubes, string rings on the pyramid, etc.

Children can put and move toys and are more interested in small objects than large ones. They show parts of the face in themselves, in their mother and in the doll, they can pronounce the names of the surrounding objects and animals. Weight for the ninth and tenth months increases by 350-400 grams, height - by one centimeter.

Eleven to twelve months

At this age, the baby is already very large and adult. He actively moves independently, sits down, crawls and stands up, can walk a short distance without support. The child understands simple requests and strict speech, names most of the subjects, learns to speak the first words.

The child tries to show independence every year. He eats himself with a spoon, puts on socks and shoes. Children react vividly to a new toy, an unfamiliar environment and a stranger. Interestingly, kids love to be praised, while they understand when they are being scolded, and they know what is "not allowed."

The child knows how to shake his head in the affirmative or negative, to grab the beads. He loves musical toys and colorful picture books. In a year, the baby gets up from a squatting position and walks independently, uses a spoon and a cup, and knows how to chew solid food. Therefore, the baby's diet is expanding significantly. The crumb can be given fish and meat, dairy products and eggs, many vegetables and fruits, cookies. Milk porridge and light meals are being prepared for children.

At one year old, an infant can step over obstacles and squat to pick up an object from the floor. He collects and disassembles toys, knows how to use various objects (broom, hammer, telephone). An inquisitive kid actively participates in dressing, eating, brushing teeth, bathing and other similar procedures.

A child in a year understands what he is told, repeats the sounds at the TV, adults. At the same time, the baby's own vocabulary is already 10-15 words. In most cases, children already walk independently without support. The child develops a taste and can easily refuse food that he does not like.

We examined the basic development of the child by months to a year. It is rather arbitrary, like physical indicators. Much depends on the upbringing, character and temperament of the child. Let's take a closer look at indicators such as head and chest coverage, weight and height of the baby by month.

Physical development of children under one year old

The physical development of a child by months up to 1 year depends on whether it is a boy or a girl, on the conditions of nutrition, maintenance and care of children. Each has personal developmental characteristics. Therefore, the indicators may differ from the norm for the development of a child up to a year.

Deviations do not indicate problems in the health of the baby. If the baby eats and sleeps well, feels good and is active, there is no reason for concern. However, WHO (World Health Organization) offers parents indicative data and characteristics. Recommended rates are indicated in the table of child development by months for a boy and for a girl.

Physical characteristics of girls under one year old

*Age*	*Height (cm)*	*Weight, kg)*	*Head circumference (cm)*	*Chest circumference (cm)*
1 month	50,3 – 56,1	3,6 – 4,7	35 – 38,1	34 – 38,1
2 months	53,5 – 59,3	4,2-5,5	36,7 – 39,8	35,6 – 39,9
3 months	56,2 – 61,8	4,8 – 6,3	38 – 42,1	37,3 – 41,4
4 months	58,4-64	5,4-7	39,1-42,2	38,9-43
5 months	60,8-66	5,9-7,7	40,3-43,2	40,3-44,5
half a year	62,5-68,8	6,4-8,3	41,5 – 44,2	41,6-45,8
7 months	62,7-71,9	6-9	40,2-45,5	42-47
8 months	64-73,5	6,3-10,2	40,7-46	43-48
9 months	65,3-75	6,5-10,5	41,2-46,5	44,5-49,3
10 months	66,5-76,4	6,7-10,9	41,5-46,9	45-48
11 months	66,7-77,8	6,9-11,2	41,9-47,3	46-50,5
1 year	68,9-79,2	7-11,5	42,2-47,6	46,3-51,4

Physical characteristics of boys under one year old

*Age*	*Height (cm)*	*Weight, kg)*	*Head circumference (cm)*	*Chest circumference (cm)*
1 month	51,2 – 56,5	3,6 – 5,1	35,5 – 39,1	34,1 – 38,9
2 months	53,8 – 59, 4	4,2 – 6	37,4-41	35,7 – 40,8
3 months	56,5 – 62	4,9 – 7	39 – 42,5	36,5 – 41,6
4 months	58,7-64,5	5,5-7,6	40,2-43,6	38,6-44,6
5 months	61,1-67	6,1-8,3	41,2-44,6	40,1-45,7
half a year	63-69	6,6-9	42-45,5	41,4-47,6
7 months	64,8-73,5	6,7-10	41,5-46,4	42-48
8 months	66,2-75	6,9-10,7	42-47	43,4-49,1

So, a baby was born in the family. Happy event! Now parents have to master new roles for themselves as caring dad and mom. And of course, they will closely monitor how rapidly their crumb is changing. How does a newborn baby develop after birth by weeks and months? How will it change by one year old?

Week 1

Of course, the child is still far from handsome. He may have a swollen face and eyelids, a reddish (or yellowish) skin tone, whitish hormonal acne on his nose, the shape of the skull has not yet been formed and may seem strangely elongated, the body is covered with "newborn fluff", there is practically no subcutaneous fat, the arms and legs are in hypertonicity and constantly compressed. However, all these manifestations will pass in the near future (except for muscle tone - it goes away by about 4–5 months), and the baby will acquire the tenderness characteristic of all babies.

Normally, a newborn is born with a height of 45–56 cm and a weight of 2.6–4.6 kg. At the same time, physiological weight loss occurs in the first 3-4 days (it should not exceed 10% of the child's weight), and then gains of 20-30 g per day will begin.

Sweat glands will start working by the beginning of next week, but tears will appear at 3-4 weeks. By the end of the first 7 days, the umbilical wound should dry out.

The first three days, the baby excretes the stool of newborns - meconium (thick, dark green, odorless), then it becomes yellowish, acquires a sour smell. The baby can have a bowel movement after each feed or 4–5 times a day. With artificial feeding, the baby's stool has a pungent odor, its frequency is lower - up to 2-3 times a day. Urination at the beginning of the week occurs up to 6 times, by the end of the week the frequency will increase to 16–20 times.

Sleep takes most of the time - up to 20 or even more hours a day, about three hours each, with breaks for feeding and a short wakefulness. At the beginning of the week, the baby can eat up to 300 g (from 30 to 60 g at a time), by the end of the seven-day period - up to 400 g.

How does a newborn experience the new world? Of course, not as fully as adults. He hears much better than he sees. At the same time, he reacts only to sharp sounds, monotonous noises are perceived by him as usual, as in the womb. The child sees only light and dark blurry spots. If a large object is located no further than 20 cm, the baby tries to follow it. But it is not yet possible to examine the mother's face, he recognizes her by her voice and smell (the baby's sense of smell is already present, as is the sense of taste).

Reflexes of newborn babies

Reflexes are involuntary reactions to a certain type of stimulus. They determine, first of all, the correct development of the baby's nervous system.

Let's list the main reflexes of newborns.

Protective (in the position on the tummy, the baby turns its head to the side).
Sucking (if you insert the index finger into the mouth of the crumbs, it will begin rhythmic sucking movements). The reflex can last up to 2 years, and sometimes longer.
Proboscis (if you touch the baby's lips with a finger, he pulls them into a tube). It lasts up to about 3 months.
Search (when stroking the corners of the mouth, the baby begins to look for the breast, turning the head towards the stimulus). It fades away after about 3-4 months.
Moro (a sharp sound or sudden movement of the crumbs in space makes the baby arch the back, throw arms and legs to the sides, scream). It fades away by 5 months.
Support and walking (having touched the surface with the legs, the child rests against it and pushes off, making a "step"). It fades away by about 1.5 months of age.
Grasping (when pressing on the baby's palm, he reflexively compresses it). Traceable up to 3-4 months.
Crawling (in the position on the tummy, the baby makes crawling movements with its arms and legs, and, feeling support under the heels, pushes off from it). It can last up to 4 months.
Babinsky (if you press your finger on the child's foot, the toes bend; if you slide over it, they open like a fan). The reflex can last up to 2 years.
Galant (manual irritation of the line along the spine causes the baby to bend). It fades away by the end of 4 months.

As the baby's nervous system matures, conscious movements and skills will come to the place of reflex.

Never test a newborn's reflexes yourself. First, you don't know how to do it correctly, so you might get the wrong effect. Secondly, by your actions, you can harm the baby, causing severe fear. Reflex manifestations should be assessed only by doctors!

2 weeks

From the 8th day after birth, the yellowness of the skin, redness, swelling disappear. The baby's head gradually takes on the correct shape. The umbilical cord disappears, so the baby can be bathed (and cut off the regrown marigolds). The newborn should now begin to gain weight after experiencing the stress of birth and learning to feed with her mother's breast.

The limbs are still bent, and the fists are tightly clenched (hypertonicity is still preserved, it can be traced up to several months), and the movements are still reflexive. Muscles relax only in sleep, which still takes most of the day.

The baby does not yet hold the head, which requires caution from the parents. It is also important to monitor the temperature of the baby's body, because its natural thermoregulation is still far from perfect.

During the 2nd week, the baby will gain about 200 g, eating 80-90 g of milk at a time. At night, he eats, as during the day, every 2-3 hours.

The senses and the nervous system continue to develop, although they are still far from perfect. Therefore, the baby is still very sensitive to light, the face of an adult is recognized from a distance of no more than 20 cm, the gaze is not focused. The child looks at the object with each eye separately, so that it seems that they are constantly mowing or scattering in different directions. This will go away by 2 months. The sounds become more distinct for the crumbs, he reacts to them more actively.

3 weeks

The baby still sleeps most of the time, eating up to 12 times a day, since the size of his stomach is extremely small. By the age of 20 days, the baby will add another 150-200 g, and will grow a few mm. The daily norm of milk at this age is equal to a fifth of the weight of the baby, and it will remain so for another three weeks. By the way, now the baby begins to spit up, because the digestive system is being rebuilt to a new type of nutrition. The child's stool acquires a more pronounced consistency and an oily-milky smell. With artificial feeding, it has a greenish or brown tint and a sharper odor, the frequency of bowel movements in this case is several times less.

The child's activity is gradually increasing. This week, in the evening, irritability begins to appear due to the large number of daytime impressions. Crying (now more violent) is the best way to relieve tension. The sense of smell and reaction to sounds are exacerbated (the pulse and sucking movements become more frequent, the baby freezes, may blink or flinch). The sense of touch is essential. The child should be able to constantly touch different surfaces with his body and limbs.

What can the baby do now? Hold the head for about 10 seconds, cling to the fingers of adults, trying to pull up, lie on the tummy, turn the head at the sound, smile (although still reflexively), briefly stop gaze on a large object or mother's face, capturing her emotions. The baby has the first facial expressions and the first cooing smacking sounds.

4 weeks

At this stage, the first "agus" appear in the child's "speech", especially in response to mother's affectionate words. With each week the humming will become more active until it develops into babbling (by about 4 months).

Muscle tone is still preserved, so the baby's fists are clenched, and the arms and legs are constantly bent. But when he is dissatisfied or colic, he moves them and cries, signaling discomfort. By the way, crying becomes "wet" (tears appear) and intonation, it can be used to determine the needs of the child (wet, hungry, lonely, something hurts, tired).

Sleep now takes up to 19–20 hours (of which 8–9 hours fall at night), the time of wakefulness increases slightly. By the end of the first month, the baby should gain an average of 600–800 g and grow 2–3 cm.

What can a monthly baby do?

Hold the head on the tummy for a few seconds.
To look around.
Keep in sight large objects, faces of adults.
Listen to the sound and look for its source by moving the arms and legs.
Track an object in motion for a few seconds.
Hold your mom's finger or an object in the handle firmly.
Lie (even sleep) on your tummy.
Respond with movements, a smile, humming to the smile and voice of the mother, expressing joy.

5 weeks

Now the complex of revitalization is beginning to emerge. When an adult appears, especially when they gently talk to a baby, he responds with a joyful smile, active movements, and pronounced humming.

From this week on, the maturation of organs and systems is accelerating. Colic, tremors disappear, breathing is evened out, the reaction to smells and sounds increases, the need for communication with mom grows (now the baby needs her all the time, not only for food and motion sickness, but also for active communication), a conscious smile appears, interest rises to the outside world. The waking time can be up to half an hour. But at the same time, the baby still cannot cope with a large number of impressions, therefore, there should not be too many visual, sound and other stimuli, and for sleep you need to allocate at least 19-20 hours, monitoring the temperature of the baby's body, since its heat exchange is still imperfect ...

During this week, the child will recover by about 200 g and grow a little (by 5–7 mm). The volume of an average portion of milk increases to 100-140 g with a total number of feedings of at least 7 in fact.

Progress in the development of the baby is noticeable.

He tries to keep his head upright for a short time, and while lying on his tummy, he even tries to look around.
Vision begins to focus (now the baby looks at objects with both eyes at the same time), the baby begins to examine toys, especially interested in bright, contrasting ones.
The expression of emotions corresponds to the situation: if the baby is bad, he cries, if well, he smiles, hums (and the humming gradually becomes more and more diverse: gurgling, grunting, squealing, "khiking").
Of particular interest is the mother's face when she gently coos with her child.
Everything that fell into the hands, the crumb pulls into its mouth.

6 weeks

So, it has been a month and a half since the birth. Since that time, the baby has grown by about 4.5 cm, put on weight from 800 to 1000 g. The chest has increased in volume by 2 cm.

Sleep time is still long (about 18-19 hours a day), the number of feedings is at least 7. Nighttime snacks remain. The work of the intestines and urinary system is now individual: the baby can walk "in a big way" and 2, and 8 times a day, urinate at least 6 times.

The child is more and more actively interested in the world around him, looking closely and listening to everything. Now the kid is beginning to like new toys, he tries to examine them, watches them with his eyes, tries to grab them, but so far he can only push. Hearing a new sound, the child tries to find it by turning his head. Harsh sounds can cause crying and even fright.

The complex of revitalization manifests itself more and more vividly, the crumb actively requires communication and attention of dad and mom, preferring them to other adults, for a long time walks, trying different intonations, trying to repeat them after adults, catching their facial expressions.

The movements of the arms and legs are still reflex, but he can hold the head a little longer than last week. Some babies may even roll over from side to back.

These are the main stages in the development of babies in the first one and a half months of life. Further development will take place more and more actively, reaching its peak by the age of one year.

7-12 weeks

The skills and achievements of the child, as they approach the age of 4 months, progress in accordance with the development of all his organs and systems. Thus, vision improves, muscle tone decreases, reflexes fade away, the nervous system grows stronger, and intelligence gradually improves. All this allows the baby to stay awake more (about 17 hours a day remain for sleep), to strengthen physically, to replace reflex actions with conscious ones, to learn about the world. Therefore, he already confidently holds his head in any position, begins to listen with concentration to everything that is happening around, examine objects from a distance of up to 3 m, purposefully and consciously knock on them, and then grab and pull into his mouth for study (subjects of study also become his own handles and legs).

Physical improvement is aimed at mastering the skills of coups, standing up, sitting, crawling. So far, this is only the foundation for future victories.

An understanding of friends and foes appears, speech gradually moves to the stage of babbling, when consonants are added to the vowels (it turns out something like syllable chains), facial expressions and emotions are improved.

By this period, colic practically stops, which makes the little one calmer, and the growing volume of the stomach allows the child to withstand up to 3.5 hours between feedings. Some babies are already able to wake up at night to feed only once.

So, what will the baby learn in these 6 weeks?

Roll from back to side, and then onto your tummy and even back.
Lean first on the handles, and then on the forearms, lying on the tummy.
Hold mom's breasts while breastfeeding.
Raise, holding the hands of an adult, from a supine position to a sitting position.
Find the source of the sound with your eyes.
Push off from the support with your legs, lying on your tummy, make "crawling" movements.
Grab toys.
Walk with support under the armpits.
Distinguish all colors.
Laugh.
Grimace.
Understand your name.
Play for a while on your own (studying toys or your body).

Development up to a year

For the remaining 8 months, the little one will turn into an almost independent little man. His vision is almost equal to that of an adult, he will learn to sleep all night without awakening to feed, understand cause-and-effect relationships, remember faces and upcoming events, perform logical actions (search, build, add, compare), fulfill requests, use gestures; will master a spoon, a cup, will begin to learn the skills of self-service and communication with others. The crumbs will have teeth, he will be able to eat solid food. Sleep time will be reduced to 10-11 hours, during the day the child will be able to sleep 2 times. Height and weight gain will decrease due to increased physical activity.

In terms of motion, the baby will go through the stages of sitting, standing up at the support, crawling, walking (first at the support, and then independently). In speech development, babbling will be replaced by autonomous speech, the baby will accumulate a passive vocabulary, and then begin to pronounce his first words.

Parents need to remember a few important things. First: the baby will learn, imitating the adults around him in everything. Therefore, the example must be worthy. Second: communication with family - speech, games, common affairs - is of paramount importance for the correct development of a child. Third: at the age of one, the baby will begin the first serious age crisis, which will require patience, understanding and participation from mom and dad.

When a baby first appears in the house after birth, it becomes the beginning of a new life not only for him, but also for young parents, who often do not know at all what to do with such a baby. The first month is always the most difficult, because new responsibilities and excitements await a young mother - it is at the age of 0-28 days that the baby is called a newborn.

Weight gain and height

A newborn baby of the first month gains 20 g every day, i.e. at the end of the month baby recovering by about 600 g. Such an increase is less than those that expect the baby in the coming months - this is due to the fact that in the first week the newborn loses up to 8% of its original weight. This phenomenon is observed in almost all 1-month-old babies and is quite explainable from a medical point of view:

the child excretes a lot of original feces, which is called meconium;
Mom doesn't have much milk yet;
a large amount of wasted energy.

It is believed that full-term babies born on time, but with low weight, gain it more intensively than plump peers. If the baby was born prematurely, then it will gain the necessary weight much slower. Average 1 month old baby grows 3 cm.

Congenital reflexes

This article tells about typical ways of solving your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve your particular problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

All newborns of the first month have congenital reflexes, which are acquired regardless of any reason and are unconditioned. On examination, the pediatrician must check whether the repulsion reflex of the legs from the adult palm is well developed, how the grasping reflex is developed, whether the baby is holding on to the finger placed in his palm, whether he rests on the foot when he is raised to an upright position, and studies other reflexes. General coordination of movements in the newborn is still lacking.

By 3-4 weeks of life of the baby, some reflexes begin to fade, its movements become more purposeful and less impulsive

With regular training, by the end of 1 month, the baby can raise his head for a while from a prone position (we recommend reading :). This period is also characterized by fixation of the gaze on a bright object; even a short tracking of the toy indicates the progression of development.

Also, the newborn begins to be active and even smile if they begin to talk to him in an affectionate voice (we recommend reading :).

The neonatal stage is the very first crisis period in the development of the baby. This is a transition from a dependent type of existence to an individual form of life, from darkness to light, from warmth to cold, from one type of breathing and nutrition to completely different ones. Other types of physiological regulation of behavior come into play, and most systems actually begin to function anew. The emergence of a "revitalization complex" is a psychological criterion for the end of the neonatal crisis.

How to take care of a newborn?

Taking good care of your 1 month old is vital:

Treat the umbilical cord carefully. The time when the navel heals is closer to the second week. Watch for swelling or redness.
Watch your fontanelles. They should be washed with every bath. A small fontanel is tightened by 3 months, and a large one only by 18.
If you have a boy, monitor your body when you cry. If you notice a bulge in your scrotum, groin, or belly button, see your doctor. This may indicate that the child has.
Massage to strengthen your baby's muscles and promote physical development. The massage should be performed for about 10 minutes, the ideal time is at least half an hour after a meal.
Watch out for sensitive baby skin, she is very vulnerable in the first months of life. Urine, feces and other irritants can lead to redness, so choose soft diapers and supplement your treatment with baby oil for sensitive skin.
Don't forget about hygiene: girls need to be washed only from front to back and this should be done after each diaper or diaper change, boys should be washed in the same way, only you need to pay special attention to the foreskin - it should be washed with running water without soap every 7 days. Bathing children should be done daily.

Massage for a newborn is not only pleasure and fun, but also a beneficial effect on muscle development. It is recommended to do it daily.

How often does the child poop and pee?

Babies pee with approximately the following frequency: on the first day - 1-2 times, by 5 days the amount increases up to 15 times a day. By the end of the newborn period, the number of urinations is 20-25 times a day. Low urination rates after birth are associated with low fluid intake and unformed kidneys.

Stool in 1-month-old babies is not the same and changes almost every day. In the first 2 days, the discharge of thick greenish-brown meconium is characteristic, followed by frequent stools, which differ in consistency (mucus, greens or undigested lumps may appear) - this stool happens 8 times a day and is called transitional. A week after birth, the child begins to poop 3-8 times a day, while the stool has a sour smell, yellow color, and a mushy consistency. Babies on artificial feeding poop less often. The frequency of bowel movements is 3-4 times a day.

If the baby is fed well-absorbed breast milk, stool retention of 2 days may occur, but the behavior will be completely normal. The baby does not feel discomfort, does not suffer from bloating or regurgitation.

Baby sleep

Most of the time, newborn babies spend asleep, the total sleep time per day is about 18 hours. Waking time is mainly spent on food and hygiene. Walking periods are relatively short - about 15-20 minutes.

With age, the child will become more and more active, and now babies often fall asleep immediately after feeding or even during it. If there are other reasons, it is possible to wake up between feedings - these reasons include a diaper not changed on time, a sharp loud sound or an uncomfortable position.

Baby food

1 month of life is an adaptation period when the whole body of the baby gets used to new living conditions. The same applies to nutrition. Babies receiving only mother's milk, as a rule, do not have clear time boundaries between meals. Mom feeds the baby on demand - this method is called free feeding. At 1 month of life, the baby is often applied to the breast - about 12 times, however, there is also a more frequent desire to suck on the mother's breast. Do not worry, the child has not yet established his own feeding regime, after a while the schedule will change. Frequent breast demand is associated not only with satisfying hunger, but also with satisfying the sucking reflex, which has a beneficial effect on the psychological state of the baby.

Artificial children receive an adapted mixture about 8 times a day for two weeks after birth. To feed babies on artificial feeding should be strictly according to the schedule, and when the baby is more than 2 weeks old, you can try to take a night break and sleep, thus, it will last about 6 hours, and the number of feedings per day will be equal to 7. Babies eating the mixture should drink some water, which you can offer between feedings.

It is quite simple to calculate the required dose of the adapted mixture: 80xY or 70xY, where Y is the day of the baby's life. This formula works for children in the first 10 days of life. Birth weight influences the choice of the first or second variant of the formula. Babies weighing more than 3200 g at birth receive a mixture according to the first part of the formula, if the weight was below this indicator - according to the second. The one-time volume of the adapted mixture is calculated as follows: the obtained value should be divided by the number of feedings.

It is necessary to calculate the amount of the recommended mixture to avoid overfeeding, which can negatively affect the health of the child's gastrointestinal tract.

Walking

How much to walk with a newborn in the first month of life depends on the time of year and the weather. In warm summer, you can walk with your baby almost the next day after leaving the hospital, but the duration of the walks should be short at first. Start in 15-30 minutes and gradually increase your time outdoors. Within a week, your walks with the newborn can last almost 2 hours, i.e. practically take up all the free time between feedings.

Dr. Komarovsky advises to walk 2 times a day in good weather. Babies born in the cold season must first adapt a little at home. After 1-2 days, you can start the first walks in the fresh air, but keep in mind that you should not walk with the newborn if the air temperature is below -10 ° C or if there is a strong wind outside. The duration of the walks is about 10 minutes at first and gradually increases to 40 minutes. If the weather permits, the walking time can be extended even up to an hour.

Examination of the first month of life

Having reached the age of 1 month, the child goes to the first appointment with the doctor.

Mothers should show their child not only to the pediatrician, but also to other specialists: neurologist, orthopedist, surgeon.
If there are indications, the list of specialists can be increased - the pediatrician gives a referral for examination to a cardiologist or ophthalmologist.
A month-old baby should definitely be checked using an ultrasound examination in order to identify possible pathologies in the development of the hip joint.
Along with this, an ultrasound scan of the brain and internal organs is performed - such a thorough examination will help to identify diseases at the earliest stage.
At this age, your child should have an EKG (electrocardiogram), where an experienced doctor will analyze your baby's heart.