What does a 5 month old baby look like? Child development in the fifth month of life

16.09.2019

It's been 5 months since the baby was born. By this time, the baby has learned to give a smile to his loved ones, turn on his side, and possibly on his tummy. The daily routine remains the same, but the developmental activities are a little more complicated. The prerequisites for crawling are formed in the crumbs and the first teeth begin to erupt. The development of a child at 5 months continues, and parents are interested in questions about the physiology, psychology, nutrition, care and leisure of their beloved baby.

Physiological development of a child at 5 months (table)

By five months, the muscle mass of the baby increases. The duration of wakefulness increases to 1.5 - 2 hours. Some babies begin to switch to a three-time sleep, which lasts 1.5 - 2 hours. Throughout the day, the baby needs to eat 6 times with an interval of 3.5 hours.

Norms of growth and weight of a child at 5 months: pediatricians of Russia, WHO

From the moment of birth, the child has changed a lot: he learned not only to hold his head, but also to show emotions. The pediatrician regularly examines the baby, and carefully monitors his development and anthropometric indicators.

When looking at measurements of height and weight, a starting point needs to be chosen. Considering that in the first days after his birth, the baby loses a little weight, we will take as a basis the indicators that were recorded on the day of discharge from the hospital.

Table of normal height and weight of a child at 5 months WHO

Height and weight (boys, girls)

The WHO table provides average statistics by which a mother can conduct a comparative analysis of the height and weight of her child. But all children are individual. At birth, they inherit the genetics of their parents. If the parents in the family are thin or full, then the children will be thin or plump, respectively.

The weight and development of babies is also influenced by their gender. Boys are always bigger than girls. But in terms of their motor activity, girls are superior to boys - girls are more mobile.

In girls, teeth begin to erupt faster and this process takes place in a milder form than in boys.

What should a child be able to do at 5 months

At the sight of a loved one, the baby fixes his gaze on him, gives him a smile, hums and moves his legs and arms animatedly - early childhood researchers M.Yu. Kistyakovskaya and N.M. Shchelovanov called such a reaction a revitalization complex.

Brief table of skills

Physical activity	for a long time lies on his stomach, leaning on his forearms; with support under the armpits, it firmly rests with straightened legs on the floor surface; develop skills necessary for crawling; from a prone position, grabs an adult's finger, pulling up the handles, and tries to sit up.
visual perception	under the influence of sight and touch, hand coordination develops. The kid takes the thumb away and grabs the toy; can shift toys from one hand to another; vigorously swinging the rattle, extracting sounds from it.
auditory perception	turns his head or looks for the source of the sound with his eyes; a sudden call or loud music can scare the baby; the articulatory apparatus, auditory perception and speech hearing develop. The kid carefully listens to the sounds that adults utter, and tries to independently produce them in the form of separate syllables; recognizes the voice of a mother or loved one.
Understanding and developing speech (cooing)	the baby is at the preparatory stage of active speech development (pronounces the first sounds and syllables); during wakefulness melodiously and with different intonation hums; tries to pronounce consonant sounds; combining a vowel sound with a consonant, pronounces the first syllables: ma, pa, ba, thus, thus, the baby appears babbling.
Cognitive development of a child at 5 months	continues to get to know and learn about the objects around him; examines objects and toys: attracts, repels, feels, examines with tongue and lips. Claps, swings, knocks and throws toys on the floor to produce sound; takes a toy extended by an adult; when grasping various objects, it develops tactile sensitivity of the palms, highlights the shape of objects and the material from which they are made (wood, rubber, fabric, polyethylene); conducts elementary research activities with toys that have different physical properties (sinks, gets wet, squeaks, breaks).
Emotional and social development of a child at 5 months (revitalization complex)	distinguishes between relatives and strangers. In an unfamiliar environment behaves wary; distinguishes between affectionate and angry tone of voice, reacts to them differently.
Psychological changes	confidently holds the head in an upright position; selectively treats close people; learns to differentiate the sounds, shape and color of objects.

The correct and comprehensive development of the child occurs only against the background of a positive emotional state of the baby.

How to develop a child at 5 months

Exercises and activities with the child

A special time is allocated for conducting classes in the daily routine of a child of 5 months. They are carried out only against the background of a favorable emotional state of the baby. If he feels unwell or is naughty, then it is better to postpone classes until a more favorable period. Classes are held after feeding, during wakefulness: from 10.00-10.30 and from 13.30-14.00, the duration of classes should not exceed 5-7 minutes.

The great teacher V.A. Sukhomlinsky said: "The mind of a child is at the tips of his fingers."

In the human brain, the centers responsible for the movement of the fingers and speech are located quite close. Developing the motor skills of the hands, neighboring zones responsible for speech and thinking are activated in the cerebral cortex.

How to develop hand coordination and motor skills in a 5-month-old baby? For this, there are special exercises.

Given that the baby knows how to lie on his stomach for a long time, resting on his palms, you can make a special benefit: sew a small flat pillow measuring 20 by 40 cm and no more than 1.5 cm thick. It will need an additional set of covers from fabrics of different colors and structures (baize, satin, oilcloth). On the back, “neutral” side of the cover, we sew on a variety of flat buttons: oval, round, square, large and small. Lying on his stomach and leaning on his palms, the baby's hands will be on the surface of the pad. Taking the child's hand by the wrist, the adult runs his palm over the surface of the made pillow, encouraging the baby to feel it.

A similar exercise is used to develop research skills and tactile sensations of the hands.

Maria, mother of 5-month-old Ilya: “I sewed a pillow for my son with a set of different covers, sewed buttons on the back. Lying on his stomach, he examines her with pleasure. Ilya likes a multi-colored field with buttons. He claps his hand on the pillow with pleasure and tries to grab them with his fingers. When I turn the pillow over to the other side, the son looks at it for a long time and runs his palms along the surface, as if trying to find the missing buttons!

Building crawling and walking skills

To prepare the child for crawling and develop the skill, it is necessary to put the baby on his stomach and place a bright toy or any other object that arouses his interest a little further away from him. Any attempts by the baby to get closer to the toy must be encouraged and encouraged.

You can sew a rope to the toys and slowly pull on it. The child, becoming interested, will crawl after the toy.

Educational games with a child at 5 months

With the help of educational games, the baby learns the world around him, learns to act with objects and establish a relationship between them.

hanging toys games

Using a classic mobile, you can teach your baby to perform two interrelated actions that lead to a certain result. An adult encourages the baby to reach for a certain toy. Having captured it, the child begins to pull towards him, thus changing the location of the toy, which is nearby.

You can invite the baby to pull the ring, suspended on a rope to the bell. The bell attached to the mobile or the side of the bed will begin to make a sound. So the baby will master a simple action that has a result.

Rattle games

An adult should teach the baby to take a rattle from his hands and from any position of the body, hold the rattle in his hand for 1-2 minutes. Focusing on a bright toy lying on the side, you need to provoke the baby to roll over from his stomach to his back and vice versa.

Tumbler games

Playing with non-falling and pleasant-sounding toys helps your baby develop visual, auditory and hand-eye coordination. At the sound of the tumbler, the baby turns its head and tries to reach it. Be sure to accompany the action with the question: “Where is the tumbler?” - so the child learns to remember the names of the surrounding objects. At first, you can tie a rope with a ring to the tumbler. By pulling the ring, he will set the toy in motion.

word games

There are many nursery rhymes, songs, games and toys that can entertain and amuse the baby! For example, the nursery rhymes “Ladushki, ladushki”, “Magpie-Belobok” make the baby listen to the speech of an adult and follow his actions. An adult, holding the baby in his arms, imitates movements (claps his hands, runs his finger over his palm and bends one finger after another). The famous game "We shared an orange" amuses all kids without exception:

We shared an orange, (squeeze the baby's hand into a fist)

There are many of us, and he is one.

This slice is for a hedgehog, (we begin to bend the child's fingers in turn)

This slice is for a swift,

This slice is for ducklings,

This slice is for kittens,

This slice is for the beaver,

And for a wolf - a peel. (straighten the palm and shake it)

He is angry with us - trouble!!!

Run up in all directions! (We spread both palms in different directions)

Toys for children at 5 months

A variety of games and toys contribute to the cognitive, sensory development of the child, develop coordination and hand movement, teach him to see the beauty in this world.

Important! Make sure that the toys do not have sharp corners (cubes are too early) and varnished or coated with toxic paint surfaces (nesting dolls, wooden spoons). A 5-month-old baby may already have the first teeth and will chew and swallow harmful materials!

A 5-month-old baby should have the following toys in their collection:

multi-colored rattles with a pronounced handle, otherwise it will be difficult for the baby to hold it in his hands. Rattles contribute to the development of actions with objects;
rubber toys-squeakers - squeezing in the hand, the baby will be able to develop the general motor skills of the hand. Rubber toys can entertain the baby while bathing;
soft toys of different textures with rings sewn to them and rustling inserts. They develop tactile sensations of small fingers.
tumbler, spinning top, soft pyramids - with their colorfulness they will attract and amuse kids. Making a variety of manipulations with toys, the baby learns to distinguish the shape, color of objects, size.
musical toys develop auditory perception. With their melodiousness, they are able to calm the baby;
clockwork toys contribute to the development of visual perception. They amuse and amuse the little crumbs.

You can make your own toys. To do this, use a small plastic bottle with a tightly screwed cap, beads or beads that are poured inside. The baby will be interested to see how the contents are poured inside, making sounds.

toys must have a quality certificate and are made of environmentally friendly material;
must be safe for children. Remember, during teething, babies take not only their own fist into their mouths, but also toys;
toys should be washed daily.

Leisure

Every day for the baby is filled with different discoveries, events and achievements. Without the love and care of loved ones, the full development of a small crumb is impossible. Despite the cyclical periods in the baby's daily routine: sleep, feeding, wakefulness, his leisure should be varied and interesting.

walks

Walking has a positive effect on the physical development of a child at 5 months. They should be daily, especially in the warm season. It is not recommended to walk with the baby at temperatures below -10 C.

The child's clothing must be appropriate for the weather. Hypothermia and excessive wrapping are equally harmful to health.

For walks, it is better to choose an area remote from highways. For this purpose, a variety of parks are suitable.

Walking with the baby you need to constantly talk to him. Show him leaves or twigs on trees, benches on which passers-by rest, cats and dogs walking on the grass. In the process of walking, he gets acquainted and learns the world around him, his horizons expand.

What to do with a 5 month old baby

A 5-month-old baby constantly needs the attention of an adult. But there are times when mom needs to do household chores, and the baby sits in her arms all the time and does not give the opportunity to do anything. In order to find a way out in this situation without whims and tears, it is necessary to accustom the baby to independent games. Any interesting activity can distract him and switch his attention to another activity.

Leave the child alone in a crib or a special playpen!

Any bright and yet unfamiliar toys can interest a child. Exploring and performing various manipulations with them, the baby can be alone for some time.

Elena, mother of 5-month-old Igor: “Starting from the age of 3 months, I bought a bunch of toys and gave my son everything in turn during the day. By the end of 4 months he was not interested in any toy. Then I removed all the toys for a few days and took out 2-3 different ones every day (1 rattle, one developing and a crumb cube, for example). The rest was removed for another 4-5 days. And every time he was happy with the toys, as if they were new. ”

Baby food at 5 months

Proper and balanced nutrition is essential for the normal growth and development of young children. Babies up to 5 months, throughout the day, need to eat 6 times (every 3.5 hours), and small children from 5 to 9 months go to 5 meals a day with an interval between feedings of 4 hours.

With a lack of mother's milk or its absence, children are transferred to full-fledged mixed or artificial feeding.

With any type of feeding, children at 5 months are already given fruit, berry and vegetable juices.

Breastfeeding

The main food for the baby of the first year is mother's milk. It contains biologically valuable fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, hormones and immune bodies.

At this age, the baby still has a sucking reflex. It helps the baby not only get enough, but also calm down.

On mixed feeding

With a lack of mother's milk, the pediatrician prescribes special adapted mixtures. If the mother's milk is not enough for the baby, then he is supplemented from a special bottle immediately after breastfeeding.

All mixtures are made at dairy plants. In order to bring the composition of the mixture closer to mother's milk, cow's milk protein is subjected to special processing, increasing its digestibility.

Fermented milk mixtures are prepared on the basis of an adapted milk base using lactic acid bacteria.

On artificial feeding

The transfer of a 5-month-old baby to artificial feeding requires close attention. This is especially true for children whose diet changes occur suddenly. In the first 2 - 3 days, the baby is given a small amount of food (approximately 2/3 of the daily age norm), supplementing the missing amount with tea. If he tolerates the prescribed mixture well, then within 3-4 days, its amount is brought to the daily norm.

Lure

At 5 months, the child receives the first complementary foods. Unlike supplementary feeding with mixtures, complementary foods are given at the beginning of feeding, and then the baby is fed up with the usual breast milk or formula. Start complementary foods with 1 teaspoon gradually increasing to 150 g over 2 weeks.

From 5 months, in a half-sitting position in the arms of an adult, you need to teach the child to eat from a spoon.

Vegetable puree is good. For the preparation of vegetable puree, zucchini, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower are suitable - they are traditionally considered the most hypoallergenic and easily digestible. A variety of vegetables saturate the child's body with essential vitamins and minerals. For weakened children, vegetable puree is recommended to be introduced 2 weeks earlier.

Porridge as the first complementary foods are recommended for children who are not gaining weight well. In this case, the baby is given 8 - 10% porridge, which is brewed in water or milk formula. Non-lazy moms can cook porridge with expressed breast milk. For better absorption of cereals, a variety of cereals are ground into flour. Another option is also possible: ready-made cereals are crushed with a blender.

Until the child tastes the new food, it is given in its pure form, without additives. And only by the 4-5th feeding can you add olive or unrefined sunflower oil to the puree or porridge.

Vegetable oils have a greater nutritional value for a growing organism, since they contain unsaturated fatty acids and substances necessary for cell growth.

Care and hygiene

Care

A 5 month old baby needs a lot of care. The baby's bedding and clothes should be clean and ironed. Do not allow the crumbs to stay in wet clothes or a diaper for a long time. Excessive moisture negatively affects the delicate skin of the baby, diaper rash and irritation appear on it.

If a child has been taught to be neat, his skin was kept clean, then during this period he may begin to react negatively to wet linen, while showing anxiety or crying.

Elena, mother of 5-month-old Alina: “My Alina, on the pope, has irritation from diapers. I try to use them on rare occasions. I change wet diapers and sliders in a timely manner. Recently, I began to notice that my daughter herself notifies me of the need to change the diaper.

Frequency of stool and urination

At 5 months, the frequency of urination decreases. Now the child can be 30 minutes without a diaper and clothes without wetting the diaper. This is good for the skin, in addition, the baby is tempered. Of course, the temperature in the room should not be below 24°C and no drafts!

The frequency of stool at 5 months remains the same: 1-3 times a day. With the introduction of complementary foods, the smell and texture change slightly: this is normal and indicates that new food enters the child's body.

Conclusion

Summing up the above, in a brief table of development, we will outline all the achievements of a 5-month-old child:

Criteria	Achievements
Weight height	Compared to the previous month, the baby gained 700g in weight and grew by 2 cm.
What should a child be able to do at 5 months	leaning on the palms, lies on the stomach for a long time; movements that contribute to the skill of crawling develop; knows how to shift rattles from one hand to another; rhythmically waving a rattle, extracts sounds; turns his head towards the source of the sound; listens to adult speech, begins to sing melodiously; tries to pronounce some consonant sounds; the baby carefully listens to the sounds that adults utter, and tries to pronounce them independently in the form of separate syllables; reacts differently to close and unfamiliar people, the same applies to the surrounding space; distinguishes between affectionate and angry tone of voice, reacts to them differently; able to play independently for 15-20 minutes; confidently holds the head; teeth begin to erupt.
Nutrition	From 5 months, the first complementary foods are introduced
Care and hygiene	Begins to react restlessly to soiled and wet linen

S.L. Novoselova “Didactic games and activities with young children”, pp. 8-12;
T.G. Aptulaeva "First year together";
IN AND. Yadeshko "Preschool Pedagogy";
V.G. Kislyakovskaya "Nutrition for children of early and preschool age";
L.N. Pavlov "Introducing the baby to the outside world."

Physiology of a child at 5 months - the height and weight of the baby

By the end of 5 months, the child should gain up to 700 grams and grow a couple of centimeters.
Baby averages:

the baby is improving every day, the task of parents is to carefully observe the child and, in case of deviations, consult a doctor.

Vision	The kid for a long time focuses his eyes on the subject that interested him. If you drive them in different directions, the baby confidently follows him with his eyes. How to develop: For the development of the eye muscles, it is useful, holding a bright toy at a distance of 35-40 cm from the child’s eyes, slowly move it from side to side and up and down several times so that the baby follows her with his eyes.
Hearing baby	The kid easily determines the source of the sound and reacts to it. He expresses dissatisfaction if he does not like the sound and smiles happily when he hears pleasant intonations. Examination: To test your hearing, you need to stand at a distance of 5 meters from the baby, call him softly or clap your hands. A child with normal hearing will turn their head in your direction and greet you with a joyful smile. Remember that the most favorite sound for the baby is the voice of the mother.
New sounds	The baby quickly replenishes its sound reserve and constantly babbles something. He develops the ability to use speech as a means of communication. Output: That is, the sounds that he makes have an emotional connotation. The baby, through sounds, shows that he is good or bad, happy or sad.
Need for sleep	The daily duration of sleep for a five-month-old baby is from 14 to 16 hours, at night it accounts for most of it - up to 10 hours. At 5 months, the child sleeps 2-3 times during the day, depending on the physiological needs.
teething	Many babies start teething by the end of 4 months. Children have a hard time with this process. The kid does not sleep well, is naughty, loses his appetite. Teething is accompanied by high fever.

Motor activity and skills of the baby at five months

At 5 months, the child's motor activity increases markedly, as the last manifestations of muscle hypertonicity disappear. The baby is no longer lying in the crib, calmly looking at the toys. He successfully turns on his stomach, raises and holds his head, leaning on the handles. Lying on his back, he tries to sit up, diligently lifting his back from the bed.

The mobility of the child helps to strengthen all the muscles of the baby. The movements of the crumbs become purposeful, coordination improves noticeably, arms, legs and neck move in concert, obeying one goal. If you spread toys around the crumbs, he, trying to get them, learns to crawl.

The child becomes quite flexible. Resting his head and legs against the surface of the crib, he arches, almost making a "bridge". The baby can easily put his toe in his mouth.

During this period, the child's favorite hobby is throwing objects. The baby diligently collects toys and throws them out of the crib. All children go through such classes, so do not scold them.

A normally developing child, approaching six months, should be able to:

Roll over on your own to the tummy and back.
Lying on your stomach stretch the legs and arms, making a “swallow”, bend and hold your head well.
Support mother's breasts while breastfeeding , and bottle-fed babies - hold the bottle on their own.
No problem stuffing into your mouth and sucking your toes .

Mental and emotional development of a child at 5 months

The child actively explores the world and is very pleased when this happens with his mother or other people close to him. For full development, you need to devote enough time to meet the cognitive needs of the baby.

Tactile sensations and fine motor skills	The baby should receive different sensations by touching different objects. He already knows all his toys, it's time to expand the circle of acquaintances. What do you need: Walk around the rooms with your child, letting him touch furniture, curtains, refrigerator and other items (soft and hard, rough and smooth, cold and warm). Name them along the way and explain their properties. For the development of fine motor skills sew several bags, pour different cereals, beans and peas into them. The kid will touch them with handles with no less pleasure than toys. Pay attention to how your baby grasps objects . At 5 months, the child should take the ball or ball with spread fingers, the stick or pencil with the whole palm, and the rope with the fingertips.
kid and music	Music from an early age affects the spiritual world and the intellect of the child. It helps to relax, can cheer up the child and defuse emotional tension. In addition to music, it is useful for the baby to listen to songs. that my mother sings. It can be not only lullabies, but songs for all occasions, for example, when the baby is babbling and muttering something, sing along to him: The nightingale sings, the nightingale sings Sings, sings young young, pretty Pretty, pretty! It will not be difficult for any mother to find and memorize a few nursery rhymes, rhymes or songs.
Introduction to books	A good book with bright illustrations perfectly satisfies the child's needs for learning new things. . Looking through books together with mom and her explanations for the pictures contributes to speech development, expands the worldview and imaginative thinking, and has a beneficial effect on the baby's intellect.
Educational excursions	During walks, the child is no longer satisfied with simply lying in a stroller. It is interesting for him to consider everything that is around him, to determine where certain sounds come from. . Give the opportunity to touch the objects of interest to the baby. During walks, talk more with the baby, telling him about everything that he sees around.
Further development of speech skills	At the age of 5 months, the formation of the child's speech occurs. He not only utters individual sounds, but also tries to imitate your intonation. *The most important thing in the formation of speech skills is that the child must learn to understand the speech of adults.* , rather than perceive it as a simple set of sounds. You need to talk with the baby slowly and clearly, accompanying the words with actions. For example, while rocking the baby in your arms or on a swing, comment on the child’s movement : "Up - down, up - down." So far, the baby is not able to understand the meaning of what was said, but he can learn that movements in opposite directions are indicated by different words. Use more easy-to-understand words in your speech . For example, a doll is Lyalya, a cat is meow, a grandmother is a woman. Such sounds are easier for the baby to repeat.

Baby food at 5 months

The diet of children at the age of five months is not much different from the nutrition of a child at 4 months. Breast milk is still the best product for a baby. Since the baby's ventricle grows with him, he eats a larger amount of food at a time. In this regard, the number of feedings is reduced.

At the 6th month of life, the baby is enough to eat 5 times a day.

No matter what kind of feeding - the baby is breastfed or artificial, he needs an introduction.
If you haven't started doing this before , at 5 months, it is imperative to add new foods to the child's diet.
For one feeding the baby should be given only one product to try.
By the age of six months in the diet of the baby should be present vegetable and fruit mixtures, dairy products, cereals, juices and compotes.
start complementary foods you need half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume.

In this case, it is necessary to monitor the child's allergic reactions to a particular product.

Exercises to help the physical development of a child at 5 months

Physical exercise and massage play an important role in the development of the child, helping the baby grow healthy and strong. In the morning and evening before bathing, you need to devote a few minutes to massage and gymnastics. In addition, daily you need to perform a number of physical exercises that strengthen muscles and help you learn new skills.

We strengthen the press	The baby is pressed against his body , with one hand holding his legs above the knees, and with the other - just below the tummy. In this position, the baby can bend and unbend your body, "shaking" the press and strengthening the muscles.
Learning to crawl	Lower your baby to the floor more often laying out toys in a small distance. At 5 months, babies should learn to crawl. At first, the baby's legs will slip , but gradually the baby will cope with the task.
Learning to stand on all fours	The baby will really start to crawl when he gets on all fours. If he raises his ass while trying to crawl, you need to lift him by the tummy so that the arms straighten out and he can lean on his palms. First time the baby will fall in a few seconds, but after training he will succeed.
Pull up	Take the baby by the arms when he lies on his back. Sip the baby on yourself first to, and then completely raise the baby. Such exercises should be part of the morning and evening exercises. Later, the child is given a smooth stick or rings, for which they pull it up.
We develop the vestibular apparatus	Get your baby up in the air , making "flights" around the room, swing it, putting it on your feet. Fitball exercises develop the vestibular apparatus well (swinging from side to side, circular turns, tilts).

Give your baby as much time as possible, because only the care and love of loved ones helps the versatile development of the child.

Already at birth, babies have different heights and weights, and the development of each of them proceeds in its own way. By the age of five months, some "shorts" become larger and larger than the "heroes" with whom they were born together. There are average standards in which the norm for different months is very accurately prescribed, but very few babies up to a gram and centimeter correspond to these values. The table gives indicative values, but how many deviations can be in order to be considered acceptable, and when should mom be alert?

Anthropology of a five-month-old baby

Within what limits should growth be, and how much does a healthy baby weigh at 5 months? International standards give a fairly wide range of values, Russian pediatricians adhere to a stricter framework. The reason is that WHO registers parameters all over the globe: from large, tall Europeans to miniature Asians. In Russia, too, there are peoples who are not distinguished by an athletic physique, for example, representatives of northern nationalities, but their share in the total composition of the population is not very significant.

According to the doctors of our country, at 5 months, a child should weigh from 5.9 to 8.3 kg, and the height can be 61-67 cm. A girl is smaller and lighter than a boy. The international norm does not differ much from Russian standards: 5.4-8.7 kg and 61.5-70.1 cm. How proportionally the development of the baby's skeleton is shown by measurements of head circumference: from 40.3 to 44.6 cm, and chest: from 40 to 44.5 cm. Here is a table of average indicators, how much the baby weighs and how tall it reaches in different months of life.

Most likely, your baby does not meet exactly these standards. How to understand what deviation is considered acceptable, and when do you need a doctor's consultation? A single measurement will not say anything, the development of the baby must be considered in dynamics. Some children are born prematurely, their weight barely exceeds 2 kg, others are in no hurry to be born on time and gain up to 5.5 kg in their mother's belly. In a short 5 months, they are unlikely to become the same. To objectively assess the condition of the baby, doctors use other methods. One of them is the calculation of the body mass index according to the formula: m / h 2, where m is weight in kg, and h is height in m. For a boy, the index should be in the range from 15.9 to 18.9 kg / m 2, in a girl from 15.4 to 18.4 kg / m 2. An important indicator of development is the dynamics of weight gain. Be sure to save all the data from previous measurements, then you can calculate how many grams the baby has added for any of the months, and compare your data with the table.

Save the baby's height and weight measurements, especially if development is not going according to the standard. When the child becomes an adult and he has his own children with the same problems, this table will help to understand whether deviations from the norm are caused by some kind of pathology, or the genetic characteristics of the body are to blame.

Standard values for a 5 month old baby: a boy weighs 6.1-8.3 kg, a girl 5.9-7.7 kg. It's okay if the weight differs from the norm by no more than 7%. There is no reason to worry if at 5 months your son's weight is in the range from 5.5 to 9.9 kg, and your daughter's weight is from 5 to 9.2 kg. The mother can correct a deviation from 7 to 14% on her own, but if this limit is exceeded, a doctor's consultation is needed. The growth of a boy should be from 61.5 to 70.1 cm, for a girl - from 59.6 to 68.5 cm. A slight deviation from these values is allowed, but not more than 10%.

Why does the baby weigh not as much as it should?

Weight and height can differ significantly from the norm for various reasons. At 5 months, teeth begin to appear, and each baby reacts to this process in its own way. Some do not notice at all that the gums are swollen, some kind of sharp, hard process comes out of them. Others endure this process very difficult: they sleep poorly, act up, refuse to eat. Closer to six months, many babies begin to give complementary foods, and until the body fully adapts to the new diet, weight can change in one direction or another. When breastfeeding, the mother does not know how much milk is in her breast, she may not notice that it is no longer enough, and the baby does not receive the amount of food that he should eat.

Sometimes the weight is significantly different from the norm, and the child is cheerful, active, development is going well. Before sounding the alarm, pay attention to the genetics of your family. If parents can act in films about Russian heroes: they are both large, tall with a massive skeleton, do not be surprised that the height and weight of the baby exceeds the standards. No need to put him on a diet: at the cost of incredible efforts, you can achieve average statistics, but the baby will become like a prisoner of Auschwitz. In the case when mom and dad are miniature and graceful, they have bones, like a chicken, you don’t need to try to feed the baby. Bones and muscles will not become larger than nature intended, and the child does not need extra fat.

If the baby has recently been ill or on the eve of the examination he had poor appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, the results may be unreliable. To know exactly how much the baby weighs, repeat the procedure after a few days.

If there are no prerequisites, and the norm of weight is not achieved in any way, a medical examination is required. Too little body weight happens with diseases of the digestive system or problems with the nervous system. An overly well-fed child should also cause concern for the mother. Consult an endocrinologist, perhaps the baby has something wrong with the metabolism. It should be of particular concern when not only weight, but also height is very different from the standards.

How to bring the weight back to normal?

The main task of the mother, if the weight of the child is significantly different from the norm, is to establish a diet. It is desirable that at 5 months the baby remains fully breastfed. At the same time, a woman needs to ensure that her diet is also complete: eat as much as you need and diversify your menu. What else can be done to bring the indicators back to normal?

If you are underweight, follow simple rules.

Make sure your child is not distracted while eating.
The baby must suck the breast to the end: the last portion is the most nutritious.
With artificial feeding, keep track of how much the mixture eats the baby, and whether the composition of the product is appropriate for the age of the baby.

If the baby weighs too much ...

... encourage the child to move more, do physical education with him;
... give the baby a massage;
…try to change the diet, increase the intervals between meals.

If the baby often asks for food, try giving him water, perhaps he is not worried about hunger, but thirst.

At 5 months, if necessary, you can enter a diet, but you cannot solve this issue on your own, only a doctor should determine what and how much to give the baby. Too thin children can be fed with porridge, with excess weight, vegetables will help. For weight loss, doctors sometimes prescribe a special vitamin menu. In some cases, the baby is prescribed drugs on a natural basis to reduce or increase appetite. If the weight norm is not achieved due to illness, treat the underlying disease, and after recovery, the indicators will improve on their own.

Data on how much a baby weighs will not give a complete answer to the question: how is its development going? It is necessary to take into account a lot of factors: growth, health status, activity and mood of the baby. If the doctor finds no cause for concern, just accept your baby as he is. You have a thin, but mobile and cheerful child - fine, he does not need fat, and muscles with such mobility will definitely develop. The girl seems too big for you, and she has such a physique by nature - there is no reason for tragedy: not everyone can be photo models, millions of women with massive forms live happily and cause envy among emaciated friends. The goal of every mother should not be the norm of height and weight, but a healthy happy baby.

It's been 5 months since the baby was born. By this time, the baby has learned to give a smile to his loved ones. The daily routine remains the same, but the developmental activities are a little more complicated. The prerequisites for crawling are formed in the crumbs and the first teeth begin to erupt.

The development of a child at 5 months continues, and restless mothers are interested in issues of physiology, psychology, nutrition, care and leisure of their beloved baby.

Physiological development at 5 months (table)

The duration of wakefulness increases to 1.5 - 2 hours.

Some babies begin to switch to three times a day's sleep, which lasts 1.5 - 2 hours.

Throughout the day, the baby needs to eat 6 times with an interval of 3.5 hours.

Child development norms at 5 months

By five months, the muscle mass of the baby increases. The pediatrician should regularly examine the child, and carefully monitor his development and anthropometric indicators. Most often, the table developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) is taken as a basis.

When looking at measurements of height and weight, a starting point needs to be chosen. Considering that in the first days after its birth, the newborn loses a little weight, we will take as a basis the indicators that were recorded on the day of discharge from the hospital.

Table: height and weight standards for a child at 5 months, developed by WHO