Infant 4 5 months old. Mental and emotional development. Fundamentals of psychological development correction

The child is 4 months old. The four-month-old baby has become more active, emotional and mobile. His tactile sensitivity increases, the baby is focused when touched and smiles when tickled. During wakefulness, the baby carefully examines everything around. Let's consider in more detail the physical and mental development.

Physical development of the child at 4 months

The baby's motor activity at this stage is still limited, because he spends most of the time lying on his back. Therefore, the weight gain over the previous four weeks will be relatively large - about 0.7 - 0.8 kg. The crumb grows over the previous weeks by 2.5 cm - 3 cm, and many clothes are already becoming small for him. The chest circumference and the head circumference are already almost equalizing their indicators and by the fifth month the chest will become slightly larger in girth than the head.

Table of indicators of average values \u200b\u200bof physical development

Important! Although every mother knows that her baby develops at her own individual pace, you should still pay attention to the average parameters of most babies of this age. The boundaries of the norms allow us to identify whether there is a developmental lag, and whether attention should be paid to correcting one or several indicators of physical development (the most important for assessing the height and weight).

Basic skills of a baby at 4 months

Time	Mode item	Approximate duration
6.00	Feeding, washing, morning toilet (diaper change)	30 min.
6.30 – 7.30	Wakefulness, light gymnastics	1 hour
7.30 – 9.30	Morning sleep	2 hours
9.30	Feeding	30 min.
9.30 – 11.00	Wakefulness, games, morning walk	1,5 hour
11.00 – 13.00	Daytime sleep	2 hours
13.00	Feeding	30 minutes
13.30 – 14.30	Wakefulness, massage, gymnastics	1 hour
14.30 – 16.30	Daytime nap in the fresh air	2 hours
16.30	Feeding	30 min.
17.00 – 18.00	Wakefulness, games	1 hour
18.00 – 19.30	Evening sleep	1,5 hour
19.30 – 20.00	Wakefulness after waking up, communicating with mom	30 min.
20.00	Feeding	30 min.
20.30	Bathing, preparing for a night's sleep	30 min.
20.30 – 6.00	Sleep	8 - 9 hours

Five secrets of good sleep for babies

Closer to six months, babies begin to be active in time more than before, overexcited during the day from events and emotions, which often leads to sleep disturbances. Mom has to look for original ways to help her baby when he cannot sleep. Below are some tips to help you get your little fidget to sleep.

1. Daily walks

Sleep in the fresh air comes to babies very quickly - light rocking of the stroller, the noise of trees, the breeze ... And the baby sniffs sweetly in 10 minutes. As a rule, children sleep longer on the street than at home. You can feed your baby before the walk. A well-fed toddler falls asleep faster and sleeps better.

2. Active games

Healthy fatigue during the day will promote sound and healthy sleep. Play with your daughter or son for about an hour in various fun games - "Magpie - white-sided", "Horned goat", jump together on a fitball. Then gradually reduce the pace of the game to a calm one, and after 20-30 minutes go for a walk. Usually, after active communication, the baby is drowsy and willingly falls asleep in the stroller.

3. Bathing before bed

It is the hardest thing to lay babies for a night's sleep - it is in the evening hours that whims prevail, but the baby does not want to fall asleep. In this case, bathing just before bed in warm water with soothing herbs (lavender, valerian, juniper) will help. The water "envelops" and relaxes the baby, after bathing he falls asleep soundly.

4. "Simultaneous breathing"

A pacified mother and her calm heartbeat can calm a roaming toddler. Lie down with the baby on the bed or take him in your arms. Try to breathe in time with your child, adjust to his breathing rhythm. Breathe together for 1-2 minutes, and then try to regulate your breathing, making it the way it is during rest and sleep - calm and deep. After a couple of minutes, the baby will begin to breathe with his mother in time and fall asleep.

5. Emotional state

Be sure to pay attention to the behavior of the baby, his attitude. If the baby begins to be capricious after a long wakefulness, this is the first sign that he is tired and is already ready for sleep. Conversely, if the baby refuses to sleep, or the period of time that the mother spends on getting him to bed is longer than the sleep itself, then the baby must be put to bed later.

On a note! It is important to remember that when you are calm, your baby is also calm. Young children are very sensitive to changes in the emotional state of the mother. Try to forget about the things to be done and focus on the dream of your beloved child.

Baby nutrition - what to look for for mom

With breastfeeding supported by the mother, the baby continues to receive the full amount of breast milk in the fourth month. The number of feedings per day in the on-demand mode can reach ten, in the case of the hourly mode - up to 5-6. With good weight gain, given the correct and healthy, full development of the baby, the introduction of complementary foods at this stage is not required. Breast milk, at least until the infant is 6 months old, will fully meet the nutritional needs of the growing body.

Note! The World Health Organization advises nursing mothers to keep breastfeeding for the entire first year of their baby's life.

In bottle-fed babies, the situation is different: by 4 months, their secretion of hydrochloric acid increases, local intestinal immunity is formed, and the activity of digestive enzymes increases. By this period, the needs of the baby's body for proteins, mineral salts and vitamins are growing, which cannot be satisfied only through the nutritional mixture. Therefore, by 4 - on IV it is possible to gradually adapt to the consumption of food with a denser consistency, i.e. introduce the first complementary foods.

What is the best way to start introducing complementary foods?

For the first portion of complementary foods in 0.5 tsp. vegetable puree or porridge are suitable. The choice of a specific product for a sample depends on the well-being of the baby and the characteristics of his fragile body.

Porridge	Complementary foods begin with porridge in the event that the crumbs are underweight or suffers from frequent stool disorder. It should be gluten-free and dairy-free. Buckwheat porridge (intended for early baby food) is easily digestible, followed by rice and corn porridge.
Vegetable puree	It is worth starting an acquaintance with vegetable puree for a healthy child, as well as in cases where the baby is overweight, or has a tendency to constipation. Cauliflower, broccoli, or zucchini work well. Children eat vegetables less willingly than porridge, so mom should be patient. If the baby refuses to try mashed potatoes, you can try again to master a new dish after a couple of days.
Fruit puree	One-component fruit puree perfectly satisfies hunger and gives the baby more energy. In a period of 4 - 4.5 months, the toddler can be offered mashed prunes, plums, peaches. Such an innovation in the menu will allow the baby to cope with stool retention thanks to fiber and pectin substances.

A new product should be introduced into the baby's menu mainly in the first half of the day, so that the baby's reaction can be traced to the end of the day. In case of a successful attempt, the portion is gradually increased from half a teaspoon to a whole one. For 5 - 7 days, the portion is brought to the age norm of 50 - 100 g and replaces one of the previous feedings with the mixture. After 10 - 14 days, you can try adding the following product as a complementary food. As a result, by the end of the month, the feeding regime may look something like this:

Exercises with a crumb

Strengthening gymnastics can be carried out with the baby if the hypertonicity has completely gone away. This usually happens in the period up to 3.5 - 4 months. Gymnastics includes various flexion and extension of body parts, stimulation to crawl and roll over, laying out on a fitball. If your young athlete cannot withstand 10 minutes of exercise, you can do a little gymnastics throughout the day, dividing the classes into 2-3 minute parts.

Exercises are especially effective at this age:

1. ball rolling - the baby needs to be put on the fitball with his tummy, and stand next to him, holding the handles. Try to spring a little, shake the ball. The little one will have fun, and in the meantime, all the muscles of the body are involved;
2. cyclists - we pull one leg of the baby forward, and bend the other at the same moment at the knee. Then vice versa. Repeat the exercise 4-6 times. This technique with legs resembles movement on a bicycle. Be sure to accompany the lesson with music, nursery rhymes, and do not forget to monitor the reaction of the crumbs;
3. hugs - take the baby by the palms and direct the right palm to the left side, and the left to the second side, as if the baby is hugging itself. Then repeat the hugs, only let the other palm be on top now. Repeat several times.

From four months, you can actively teach your baby to exercise in the morning in a playful way. So that every day for the baby begins with a good mood and a charge of energy, the mother can do light gymnastics with the baby. This has a beneficial effect on both physical and emotional development, psychologists say. For example, here is such a charge - a five-minute with a poem will be an excellent help for the first exercises with a baby:

Mice near the garden did exercises (lift the baby's arms up, then lower them down),

They raised their paws up, they saw the cat (holding the handles, turns to the side).

Cat, cat, scat, scatter! (we cross the arms in front of the chest).

You, cat, do not sneak to us! (circular turns with handles at the elbows).

We are mice strong, strong, athletic (strongman pose).

Mice, mice, don't shout, mice, mice, tell me (handles to the sides and towards you),

Tell the kittens how to exercise them (handles to the sides and towards you).

One two three four (handles up to the sides, towards you, down),

The legs are higher, then wider, and now we lower them down, and quietly sneak (handles on the sides).

Run, run, oh, how tired we are of the mice (legs bent at the knees, bend and unbend in turn).

Thank you, mice, I will tell all the kittens.

Massage to strengthen the health of the child

The massage puts stress on the muscles, so it is worth carrying out it without a doctor's prescription with great care, literally on the weight with your fingertips. It is best to combine massage movements with gymnastics, but always an hour after the child has eaten. Mom needs to lubricate her hands with baby cream or peach oil, and start the massage. You always need to massage the baby from top to bottom: neck, back, buttocks, legs, and finally - the chest and arms.

• Place the baby on the tummy. Begin stroking your neck and shoulders using your index fingers for convenience. Massage the area along the vertebrae from head to back 5-7 times.
• The back should be stroked from the buttocks to the shoulders 5-7 times. Try to avoid the area of \u200b\u200bthe spine during massage. After stroking, you can lightly walk the edges of your palms along the same lines. Stretch the entire back with a light rubbing motion. Then pat gently from the bottom up. Finish the back massage with gentle strokes.
• The baby's buttocks are massaged in the same way as the back, only kneading is added with the hard side of bent fingers with little effort.
• The baby's legs are energetically stroked with massage movements from the heel to the buttocks. The massage should be done alternately - after kneading one leg, move on to the next.
• The breast is stroked with the movements of the fingertips. The area of \u200b\u200bthe mammary glands remains intact during massage. Stroke your baby's tummy clockwise around the navel. Perform the second and third circles with a slight pinch, then light stroking again.
• The handles are massaged from palms to shoulders with stroking movements. Then you can pinch slightly, create vibration with your fingertips. Finally, stroking again.

The fourth month is a time of great changes in terms of anthropometric indicators, and neuropsychic development. Left behind the first excitement and sleepless nights associated with colic, feeding difficulties. The development of a child at 4 months is progressing at an accelerated pace. During this period, he learns to cognize the world around him, with curiosity he studies what he saw, heard,tasted by touch .

In the language of pediatricians, this phrase means the physical parameters of the body. The score consists of measured height, weight and partly body circumference.

• At four months of age, the baby grows more slowly than the earlier period. The difference between the circumference of the head and chest is gradually smoothed out. Remember, newborns have a disproportionately large head.
• The body weight increases by 750 g, and in general, the baby weighs at four months by 2 950 g more than the moment of birth. Height increases by 2.5 cm, chest circumference by 20 mm, head circumference by 15 mm.

The nervous system is gradually improving, new skills are being formed. A regime is developed: the baby is awake during the day, and sleeps at night. True, the night's sleep is with awakenings so far. But there are children who begin to sleep all night at the age of 4–5 months without waking up to feed.

A few words about vaccinations

At the age of 4 months, several vaccinations are to be done (in the polyclinic at the place of residence there is always a calendar of preventive vaccinations adopted in the region). It is necessary to prepare for them: pass tests, go through specialists. Avoid foci of infections, crowded places (shops, etc.).

The temperature should be measured before and after vaccination. Thermometry should be done within 4–5 days after the injection. Monitor the injection site and the state of health of the crumbs. Call your doctor if you feel unwell.

After vaccination for 2-3 days, you should not bathe your baby and go for walks.

Baby feeding and care rules

A baby who is breastfed should be given the breast as many times as he asks. But one should not forget about weight gain. When everything goes according to plan, then complementary foods are not needed (even if the food calendar says otherwise). There is no need for fruit juices either. It is best for mom to gradually include them in her diet, making sure that the baby does not have allergies.

For an underweight baby, we begin to introduce complementary foods. To avoid allergies, it is advisable to first try the vegetable puree, and then follow the meal plan. But you should avoid foods that are known to be allergenic: fruits and vegetables of bright red, orange color, citrus fruits.

For children who are bottle-fed, we introduce complementary foods according to the rules: fruit juices, fruit purees, vegetable purees, cereals. At first, the portions are very small - just a few drops. We gradually increase the volume. But you need to carefully monitor the child's reaction, the chair. In case of a tendency to constipation, it is recommended to introduce pears, plums, buckwheat and oatmeal into the diet.

Whatever food may be, it is better to cook his own food. Fresh vegetables and fruits from your garden, from the garden, are much healthier. Porridge is the same - cook it yourself. The main thing is to put less salt and sugar in the dishes. Over time, it is worth starting to add a little bit of oil: first vegetable, then butter.

Caring for a child at 4 months is unchanged from birth: careful hygiene, timely bathing (in summer - every day, in winter - less often).

Sleep in babies at 4 months is approximately 15 hours a day. Of these, at night - 10 hours, the rest, divided into several parts - in the daytime. Of course, the norms are conditional, each child is individual. How much the baby wants to sleep, so much he sleeps, you can’t do anything. Consider the presence of an individual need for sleep, the child is able to feel good, having slept only 2-3 hours during the day.

It is important to develop a regime: go to bed and get up at the same time. And the baby will fall asleep easier, and you will plan your affairs during the "quiet hour".

Assessment of neuropsychic development

An important indicator is neuropsychic development (skills of a baby at a particular age). Several important parameters are evaluated.

• First of all, in the fourth month of life, the unconditioned reflexes of newborns fade away and disappear (grasping, supports, stepping, Moro, crawling), the hypertonicity of the hands disappears. Their presence in 4 - 4.5 months will most likely require treatment and examination. Here you need to involve doctors: a pediatrician and a neurologist.
• General movements - the baby should be able to roll over from the belly to the side and back, from the back to the belly, and, leaning on the arms, raise the chest and head. If he still does not know how to roll over, then it is worth "whipping up" him a little by hanging a toy to the side of the crib. Trying to grab a toy will require reaching for it and rolling over onto the side. The child makes all movements out of curiosity, because he wants to see the world around him. Parents help him by moving the "couch" to different places. Sometimes they even put the baby on the floor, checking for drafts.
• Hand movements become precise and precise: he is able to take, or rather, catch an object of interest, hold it for a long time, and feel it. The little man began to coordinate his movements. But there is still no purposefulness of hand movements: he accidentally touches the rattle, and then tries to catch it. For more active development, bright toys are hung over it (in the crib). It is necessary to firmly fasten the rope holding the rattles, eliminating the inconvenience for the child.
• The baby touches the mother's breast (bottle) during feeding. And when the mouth is free, he begins to pull his finger into it - acquaintance with his body begins.
• In its 4th month, the baby clearly shows emotions, to the delight of parents. He associates his mother with pleasant sensations, a gentle voice, tenderness and love. Therefore, seeing her, the baby begins to smile, talk, and he has a "revitalization complex". He laughs loudly when playing with adults, smiles when they talk to him and stroke him. The displeased baby whines, urging her mother to pay attention to him. His cry is no longer reflexive, but quite conscious. There is a good reason for crying. Knows how to express resentment, fear, curiosity, joy. Reacts to a stranger with a whimper or cry. Able to remember a person who appears 2 times a week, and each meeting at this stage is like the first time.
• Your child develops vision - he looks at bright objects, distinguishes volume, color and shape. Keeps track of moving objects. He fully recognizes those close to him. But when he sees his mother, for example, with a different hairstyle or glasses, he does not recognize her. The response will be appropriate.
• Hearing also develops. With a sharp sound, the baby looks for the source, turning his head in different directions. Distinguishes familiar voices from unfamiliar ones. It's time to introduce him to music, a suitable melody not only develops an ear for music, but also affects brain activity.
• Speech also develops. By the end of the fourth month, the baby walks for a long time. Pronounces sounds (vowels first), syllables and tries to repeat after adults. It is recommended to talk with children more often: slowly, changing facial expressions, clearly articulating each sound. And, one should speak in a calm voice, tenderly and affectionately. It is not necessary to set aside time for training: it is permissible to do everything "along the way" For example, during a walk, name all the objects that you meet. And at home to look at pictures and name the objects depicted. Pay attention to the speech of your baby: repeat after him, teaching the baby to imitate. When he already begins to consciously repeat after you, start pronouncing new sounds (first vowels, then consonants).
• Thinking. The infant understands cause and effect relationships. For example, I saw my mother's breast - it means that they will soon feed; saw a rattle - it means that you should take it and rattle, etc.

Note: do not listen to the advice of those who say that children of this age need to be boosted. In the past, yes, that's what they did, especially with boys. Now the norms, the age of the beginning of sitting, have changed dramatically. Children should sit down with stronger muscles: at the 5th month, and at six months and even later, regardless of gender. On early implantation, the muscles are weak, a load is created on the spine, hence problems with posture, pain, etc.

The indicators from the list are conditional, in case of deviations, do not panic. All children develop in different ways. In case of alertness, it is better to consult a doctor. It is important to remember that a deviation is sometimes observed in a premature baby: a lag in both physical and neuropsychic development. But with good care and loving parents, he will quickly catch up with his peers.

Development assistance

The full development of the child is facilitated by:

• Communication and conversation. It is not necessary to create situations on purpose, it is permissible to just carry the baby with you and constantly comment on your actions, talk to him.
• Rattles are bright, containing no more than 3-4 colors. The diversity of the crumb will only tire.
• Various games: "Ku-ku" (you hide behind your palms), "Magpie-crow", "Ladushki-sweethearts", "Horned goat", etc. The main thing is to show interest in the crumbs (details on the video). It's not a bad idea to arrange an impromptu puppet theater: children like to follow the animals, each of them has its own intonation, timbre and rhythm. In the future, they will try to reproduce the sounds they hear.
• Books. Babies enjoy listening to fairy tales read with intonation and facial expressions. It is worth buying special educational publications that are suitable for age. Poems are very useful. It has been proven that children who listen to verses read by their parents at a young age have a good memory and hearing, they can easily learn foreign languages.
• Massage and gymnastics (basic movements in the photo).

With regard to devices such as walkers, jumpers, it is too early to use them due to the fragile muscles of the spine and back, not ready for the load. Better to wait up to 6 months.

Developing children's rugs are very popular. They are even made at home, from pieces of foam rubber and fabric. It should look like a mattress. And they "equip" the product with anything. For example, to sew on buttons, beads, pieces of fabric, different in texture, etc. Rugs are not only fun, but also training fine motor skills that affect brain activity.

Grow healthy!

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, so 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 fulfillment of 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 a child sit down if he himself does not make attempts to sit down and cannot independently support his back. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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 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 the doctor in order to exclude pathologies of the organs of vision and various forms of neurological disorders, for example, cerebral palsy.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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 the 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.

1. Humming... At 4 months, the child actively walks around while awake and tries to pronounce the first syllables using consonants.
2. Emotionality. A four-month-old baby vividly expresses his emotions: laughs, shows joy, takes airs. He enjoys interacting with adults.
3. 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").
4. 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.
5. The rudiments of gesture communication appear. The baby can stretch out his hands, thereby showing his desire to be in his mother's arms.
6. 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.
7. 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 us 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.

Your child is four months old and now has a so-called "revitalization complex" among his skills. In response to affectionate treatment, a 4-month-old baby actively moves his arms and legs, smiles broadly, and, before feeding, may even make a “speech” that can be compared to a bird's trill.

Height and weight of the baby 4 months

In the fourth month, the child gains an average of 700 grams and grows 2.5 cm.

Indicators of the norm *. Child's age - 4 months	Lower limit of the norm	The upper limit of the norm
Boys weight, kg
Weight of girls, kg
Boys' height, cm
Height of girls, cm
Boys head circumference, cm
Girls head circumference, cm

* Data are indicated according to the centile tables of domestic pediatricians

What can a baby at 4 months do?

Sit down when pulled by the hands and hold your head confidently;

Distinguish between family members and react differently to each of them;

Pronounce sounds similar to "f" and "s";

Express all kinds of emotions: joy, grief, pleasure, fear;

Do not just look at the object, but reach for it with your hands and taste it.

Baby development 4 months

Vision of a baby at four months

This month, babies have a change in eye color. Most babies are born with blue or gray-blue eyes, but in the coming months the color may change to brown, green, yellow.

The vision of a child at 4 months is close to that of an adult. The kid looks at the same time, the eyes no longer diverge in different directions. The optimal distance for viewing an object is 20-30 cm. The child follows the movement of the toy, looks from one object to another and back, begins to distinguish colors. Perhaps the baby will have a favorite color that causes constant glee.

A child cannot fully develop without the help of his parents. Communication is of great importance, as well as various procedures: massage, gymnastics, games and walks.

Do not leave an awake child alone for a minute. After all, he became even more mobile. Gently slap the baby's palm on different surfaces (on the water, on your hand). This helps him straighten his fingers.

Offer your child toys made from different materials. If the baby has been with her for a long time, holds her in her hands, examines it, this is an indicator of his normal development.

Toys for 4 months baby

Now the child is especially attracted to those toys that are easily held in the cam. He loves the ring handle rattle. When the child is holding it, his thumb is opposed to the rest. Does this seem like a minor feature to you? But in fact, the baby is learning a very useful skill that will affect the development of fine motor skills. Thanks to this, in the future, he will learn how to hold the pencil correctly.

Nutrition for a 4 Month Baby: Breast Milk Storage

You can store breast milk in the refrigerator. True, from this it loses some of the nutrients, but it is still suitable for the child's digestive system better than any mixtures. Breast milk can be collected in special freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, and on the shelf in the refrigerator for 1 month.

Exercises for babies 4 months

1. Flying on the back

Hold your baby so that your hands are level with the bottom of his chest. Lift the baby in a horizontal position. If you notice that he throws his head back during the exercise, at first raise him at an angle of 30 degrees.

2. Legs up

Place the child on their back. Keep his legs straight in the lower leg area so that your thumbs are on the bottom and everyone else is on top. Raise your legs to your stomach and lower, returning them to their original position. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times.

3. A nimble twist

The child lies on his back. Place the fingers of your right hand around his ankles. Let your child grasp your left thumb with his left hand. At the same time, rotate your baby's legs and pull his arm forward. It will roll over. Repeat the exercise 2 times in both directions.

This preparation is very important, because very soon the child will learn to sit. While doctors do not recommend seating the child, even surrounded by pillows, this can lead to curvature of the spine.

What to do, if:

- baby sucks fingers

Pediatricians have found that sucking fingers by itself is not indicative of any developmental abnormality in the child. Many children give up this habit by the age of 5, and this does not affect the formation of bite and molars.

Perhaps the baby is sucking on his fingers to compensate for the lack of stay at the breast. Then increase the feeding time, maybe the baby just wants to be with you.

If finger-sucking is your child's main activity while awake, distract him with play, remove your finger from his mouth, and place a toy in the handle.

- the child has a heart murmur

If the doctor finds a heart murmur in your child during the examination, it is most likely a functional murmur. They are not dangerous in themselves and indicate the uneven development of this organ. With age, everything will return to normal. However, it is worth seeing a cardiologist every 5-7 months.

Functional heart murmurs do not place restrictions on the child's lifestyle. If your baby is doing well, do not forbid him to run and jump.

- the child tries to stand up

Do not help a four-month-old baby to stand up. It is too early for a baby to stand at 4 months. Most likely, he just came up with a new fun. Jump on mom's knees when she holds him under her armpits.

It is also still impossible to sit down a child of 4 months. This can lead to serious postural problems.

These are symptoms of false croup - a disease that accompanies many acute respiratory infections. Call an ambulance if you notice that the skin is covered with a network of small vessels, and do not leave the child for a minute before the doctors arrive. Loosen the collar of the garment, wrap the baby in a blanket and open the window.

Like

By the fourth month, your baby is becoming more active and “playful”. At this stage, children are very fond of expressing their emotions through smiles, laughter, through funny cooing or gurgling sounds. How does a child develop at 4 months old and what should you pay attention to first of all?

4 months after birth, the baby finally becomes quite sociable - he grimaces in response to the remarks of adults, makes a lot of funny sounds and even tries to pronounce the first syllables. In essence, this is how he talks to you ...

Baby development at 4 months: height, weight and motor skills

At the stage of development of a child at 4 months, his weight, as a rule, is twice as much as it was at birth (). If you are concerned that or is gaining weight too slowly, take your baby to the pediatrician.

By the fourth month, your baby is already quite nimble and can do quite a lot with the handles that work together when he grabs or shakes the toy. In truth, these same pens will grab absolutely any object that they can reach: be it a colorful soft toy or your hair. Perhaps mom should give up earrings, chains and other jewelry for a while.

Anything your baby can reach will most likely end up in his mouth. Tasting objects is one of the main ways for a child to learn about the world at this stage of development. Therefore, it is critically important that you remove all small objects that they may swallow or with from the reach of the child.

Focus on the size of the hole in the roll of toilet paper: anything that can fit in there is too small to lie next to a four-month-old sword swallower.

At the developmental stage of a baby at 4 months, he can already independently hold his head when you hold him in your arms or when you support him in a sitting position. He can already tangibly kick with his legs and knock with his handles. And some children at 4 months are already able to confidently roll over from belly to back and back.

The most valuable thing that a 4-month-old baby can do is sleep all night!

By the fourth month of a child's development, he is already, as a rule, seven to eight hours in a row. Moreover, he sleeps outside the parent's bed, in his own bed (many modern children's doctors advise after 3 months).

If we add to this the nap time - this happens on average two or three times - we get fourteen to sixteen hours of infant sleep per night.

How does a child at 4 months see the world?

During the first three months, it is difficult for a child to distinguish color shades. That is why your little one then preferred bright color or contrasting black and white objects. Now, by the fourth month, your baby's vision has reached about half of normal.

Children as young as 4 months old can already see objects of more subtle shades, for example, they can see a red button on a red shirt. They are also already able to survey the space of the room, although they still prefer to look at people and objects located close to them.

Your baby's eyes can focus and follow moving objects. If you notice that the child squints or does not react to you when you walk by, do not hesitate to show him to the doctor.

By the fourth month, you will most likely notice that your baby's iris has changed its color - so far you should not pay special attention to this. This is completely normal! The color of the eyes in babies can radically change its shade from time to time, and only by 7-8 months it will finally be determined.

But don't expect major changes! Of course, this will not happen: today "lali" eyes are clear-blue, and tomorrow - bluish-black. However, within a similar palette, the color can really vary quite strongly: from gray shades to blue and green, from brown to green or dark brown ... And only at 7-8 months the child's eye color will finally be established and no longer change will be.

Baby at 4 months: time to try new tastes!

Some doctors do not recommend until the sixth month. However, depending on the size - large babies may not have enough breast milk or formula - in the fourth month of the baby's development, you may well make the first attempt to feed the baby with "thick" food. With the permission of your pediatrician, of course. For the first feed, your toddler should hold his head and sit up straight while you support his back.

Typically, for the first complementary foods, rice porridge, fortified with iron, diluted either in a milk mixture or c. The consistency of the porridge should not be thicker.

Notice how the child first accepts the spoon: at this age, children still have a tongue-pushing reflex. If this reaction fails, you will most likely have to go back to formula and try thick feeding again after a week or two.

How a baby communicates at 4 months

At 4 months, the baby begins to notice that people around him are reacting to his actions. When a child cries, you come to his aid. When a child drops something on the floor, you pick it up and put it back into his palm. For many babies, this begins to amuse: they drop something over and over again, only to watch their parents pick up the fallen thing over and over again.

At this age, children begin to comprehend the basics of communication. They actively express their own emotions through various sounds, squeals and laughter. Also, with the help of enthusiastic sounds, the baby expresses joy at the sight of people close to him (those who constantly care for him). You will see that the child begins to use facial expressions to express overwhelming feelings: from a happy smile or surprise to an angry or displeased expression on his face. And of course, at this age, your child is learning to recognize and understand the emotions that he sees on your face and hears in your voice.

And therefore - do not hesitate, grimace and arrange a clowning in front of your baby at every opportunity! After all, with this you do not just entertain the baby, you develop it ...

What a 4-month-old baby can do: short and clear

• Grips toys with both handles at once;
• He recognizes his household members not only by their face, but also by their voice;
• Expresses emotions violently with the help of facial expressions and sounds;
• The child knows his name and reacts to it;
• Most babies at 4 months are already actively beginning to try to roll over from their back to their stomach;
• Most babies at 4 months enjoy listening to music;
• Lying on his stomach, the child begins to raise his head and shoulders for a short while, looking around with interest;
• The kid likes to grab himself by various parts of the body, most often by the legs, by the face;
• The baby can already sleep all night without waking up for feedings;