Newborn 4 months. Child development: fourth month of life

Hello again, my dear readers! Today I wanted to continue with you one of my favorite topics - the “growing up” of our little children. I think every mother carefully monitors the changes in her baby and endlessly rejoices at his success. And this is correct, because the first year of life is a rather difficult period for a baby. He is just beginning to explore this big world!

The development of a child at 4 months cannot but please young parents, because the baby is already stronger and ready to master new knowledge! And this is really so, because the baby has recovered and grown, he does not look at all like his three-month old self! Here the mother may have a question: “what should a child be able to do at 4 months”? This is what I propose to talk about!

Don't be surprised that your baby is changing so quickly. There is no need to be shocked that the color of his eyes is not at all the same as in the maternity hospital. All this - natural process. All you have to do is watch how your long-awaited baby getting older every minute - don't miss this time!

At this age, children continue to gain weight, and, which is trivial, they grow:

• height daughters range from 55.6 to 68.6 cm (son - from 57.6 to 70.1 cm):
• weight babies range from 4.4 to 9.3 kg (baby – from 4.9 to 9.7 kg);
• Head circumference girls: from 38.0 to 43.3 cm (boys: from 39.5 to 44.4 cm).

But, you need to understand that the meanings are conditional, and if your baby does not “fit” into the framework described above, but at the same time feels great, eats well and is not capricious, then there is no point in “sounding the alarm.”

However, if you are still concerned about your baby’s well-being and the discrepancy between your baby’s weight/height and generally accepted data worries you, contact pediatrician. An experienced specialist will examine your newborn and make a conclusion.

1.1. Four month old baby's sleep

IN at this age need to be given Special attention baby's daily routine. I think you have noticed that the baby hardly suffers from pain in the tummy - the colic has gone away.

A baby's nightly sleep is now 10 hours. Don't rush to clap your hands! During this period of time, the baby will have time to get hungry three times, which means you will need to feed him at night. During the day, a child can sleep for another 5 hours, but not in one go.

Do you think you'll be able to get enough sleep? It is likely that the baby’s first teeth will not start to come out!

1.2. Nutrition at 4 months

When it comes to baby food, it is important to distinguish between breastfeeding and artificial feeding.

If we're talking about about breastfeeding, pediatrician Komarovsky does not recommend introducing complementary foods at four months of age. Mother's milk contains everything a baby needs nutrients. Now there is no need to introduce various purees and juices into the baby’s menu. Don't listen to your friends' advice about nutrition. It’s better to go to the Internet and watch videos of famous pediatricians about correct introduction complementary foods

If we talk about IV, then at 4 months you can start introducing complementary foods. And you need to start with juices diluted with water. No need to rush! At the initial stage, a few drops are enough. Gradually increase the volume of juice.

By the way, now you may notice that many of the baby’s reflexes are fading. For example, when running your index finger along the spine, the child no longer arches or squirms. An alarming sign if the baby tries to “sneak away.” Carefully! This exercise It should not be done in the absence of a specialist, but it is better to entrust it to a doctor!

2. Features of the development of a four-month-old baby

It seems that little man Now he understands everything, because he peers so carefully into his mother’s face and smiles meaningfully in response to her touch!

And this is true, moreover, the baby has acquired new skills, now he:

• knows how to independently roll over from back to tummy and back (if this is not the case, you need to make every effort so that the child develops this skill as soon as possible);
• holds the head without assistance;
• rises on the arms from the position “lying on the tummy” (in this case, the head “does not fall over”, the baby can turn his head to the sides);
• holds a rattle/bottle or other object in his hands for up to a minute;
• controls his arms and legs a little more consciously than at three months (including, he can purposefully pull his fingers and toes into his mouth);
• sits down if you pull him from the “lying on his back” position by the handles (at the same time, his head should not “throw back” - this is a bad sign that requires attention);
• “bounces” in a vertical position (if the baby is held under the armpits, he will try to touch his toes to the floor, and then sharply pull them up, as if jumping);
• controls feeding by holding the mother's breasts with her palms.

At four months, the baby requires attention from his mother like never before. Now that he has already started walking, he wants communication and tactile contact with the closest people - with parents.

Notice how your child's emotional development has changed:

• he recognizes all the people close to him (mom, dad, grandmother);
• learned to laugh when mom makes faces;
• tries to pronounce new letters, such as “p” and “m”;
• is interested in himself, examines parts of his body, admires his reflection in the mirror;
• knows how to be offended, upset, and happy.

In fact, it doesn’t matter how you deal with your child. However, at four months of age better than a baby develop through various games.

3. Educational games

Now, in addition to the games invented over the previous three months of your baby’s life, you should introduce something new. You must understand how to play with your child so that he not only enjoys the pastime, but also learns at the same time.

Young parents come up with a lot of activities. For example, to develop speech and facial expressions, mothers often imitate fairy tale characters, grimacing and changing their voice. This amuses and makes the baby laugh. In the future, the child himself will show you how a bear growls, and you will definitely be scared!

You can turn it into a game daily care for the baby! Savvy mothers manage to not only dress their child, but also teach him: “Whose leg am I going to put in a pant leg now? Yours? Do you have another leg? Here she is!” Over time, the baby will know all parts of the body. Moreover, “voice out what I’m doing” games develop the child’s associative skills.

By the way! The baby almost always keeps his palms open, have you noticed? Isn't this a reason to play "okay" with him? Try it! Initially, of course, you will need to play with your baby's hands until he remembers the movements and claps. But in the future he will definitely play “okay” himself, and perhaps with your hands!

There are quite a lot of games, remember: “peek-a-boo”, “magpie-crow”, “horned goat”! And don’t forget that the most important thing is to captivate the child. Don't force him to study (read, play) by force. This will only ruin his mood. You don't want your baby to get upset, right?

You can see examples of games with a 3-4 month old baby here:

You can watch a video about the development of a child at 4 months, what he should be able to do and how to help him - in this video from Lara’s mother:

And here you can see the developmental features of a 4-month-old baby using a specific example:

On this note, I will say goodbye to you, but not for long. If the article was useful to you, offer it to your friends to read. And subscribe to my blog, I have something to tell. Bye bye!

Your baby is 4 months old! He no longer looks like that sedentary and helpless baby you brought from the hospital. Now he is a chubby-cheeked toddler with curious eyes and a smiling face. He is no longer bothered by colic, pain and unreasonable fears: he has settled into the new world and is ready to begin exploring it.

Active interaction with the outside world, the rapid development of the psycho-emotional sphere and the gradual fading of the newborn’s reflexes are the main achievements of a four-month-old child.

Physical development

The baby’s body changes greatly: the chest increases, the limbs lengthen, and the difference between the volumes of the head and body is smoothed out. The proportions of his body are increasingly beginning to resemble those of an adult.

The baby continues to grow: at 4 months normal height should be 60–63 cm, weight – 6–7 kg. Some children begin to develop their first teeth at this age.

Fading newborn reflexes

At 4 months, the newborn’s reflexes continue to decline. It is not difficult to check their presence or absence, but testing the baby should be done not by the parent, but by a neuropathologist:

1. Place the baby on a flat surface and slam it down with your hands. If the Moro reflex is preserved, the child will spread his arms with open palms, and then return them to their original position.
2. Place your baby on his tummy and then place your palm on his feet to provide support. The child will try to crawl. This reflex should fade away by 4–5 months to be replaced by the ability to crawl independently, without any support.
3. Run your fingers from top to bottom along the baby's back, stepping back 1 cm to the right and left of the spine line. If the Talent reflex is not extinguished, the baby will arch his back.
4. Run your finger from top to bottom along the line of the spine. The remaining Perez reflex will cause the child to twist and scream.
5. Touch the baby's palm with a toy. The baby should not only clench his fist, grabbing the object, but also try to examine the “prey”, shake it or put it in his mouth. Such interest in the grasped thing will indicate a change in the grasping reflex with voluntary grasping movements.

If reflex actions are preserved, the doctor will prescribe treatment for the child: untimely extinction of the newborn’s reflexes indicates neurological pathologies.

Skills and abilities

The baby’s physical development occurs rapidly, so by the end of this month the child will master the following skills:

• rolls from stomach to side, sometimes onto back;
• lying on his back, lifts his legs so high that he is able to touch his knees or toes with his palms;
• lying on his stomach, he is able to raise his head and shoulders and, leaning on his forearms, hold his head for a minute;
• knows how to accept sitting position if the parents pull him up by the arms (but it’s too early to sit the baby down - his skeleton is not yet strong enough);
• can “stand” on his toes and bounce slightly if his parents support him under the arms, but is not yet able to support his own weight on straight legs;
• holds palms open, cups them together or puts fingers in mouth, slams hands on surfaces, is able to hold objects for 25–30 seconds;
• grabs objects with his hands at will, whenever he wants, examines them, drags them into his mouth;
• lying on his stomach, tries to crawl: lifts his hindquarters and moves his legs;
• distinguishes colors well, sees objects located at a distance of 3–3.5 m from the eyes, follows moving objects with interest;
• distinguishes sounds well (especially mother's voice), can distinguish a familiar voice from an unfamiliar one, reacts to quiet rhythmic music by shaking his head to the beat, and distinguishes the emotional coloring of spoken speech.

An important achievement at this age is the appearance of voluntary movements. This is a natural consequence of fading reflexes, which indicates that the child is beginning to control own body and coordinate actions.

Exercises for physical development

1. To help your baby learn to roll over from tummy to side, bring a bright toy to his face and then move it up. The child will reach for a curious thing and be able to roll over.
2. If the baby does not respond to the toy, help him make the first turn: place the baby on his tummy and slightly turn his legs so that the pelvis also turns. The baby will not be able to stay in such an uncomfortable position for long and will begin to turn its head and shoulders. If you give it a little help it will turn over completely.
3. To help your baby start crawling, place him on the floor and place an entertaining toy in front of him. Seeing an interesting thing, the baby will try to get closer to it and grab it in his hands. Make sure that the baby can satisfy this desire, otherwise interest in the game will disappear.
4. To develop body control, attach a ringing bell or bell to your baby's hand. Over time, the baby will understand that certain movements cause ringing, and will purposefully perform them.
5. You can develop finger dexterity with the help of a narrow satin cord. Place it in your baby's hand, wait until he grabs it, and then pull one end. The child will have to either grab the lace tighter or move his fingers.
6. It’s too early to sit down the baby, but you can focus on developing the muscular frame of the spine. To do this, place the baby on his back, grab your fingers with his palms and slowly lift him up. The baby will reach for you, gradually taking a sitting position (the angle of elevation should not exceed 45º).

Speech development

The four-month-old baby is a real talker. If earlier he used his voice to attract the mother's attention to his own needs or to express dissatisfaction, now he screams and roars for pleasure. The baby rejoices at the opportunity to make various sounds, repeating them after adults.

The baby does best with the vowels “a” and “o”, as well as some consonants (“b”, “p”, “m”). He is not yet able to pronounce syllables and words, but it is possible to understand his speech: if the mother listens carefully to the baby’s “conversation,” she will be able to determine his emotional state.

Exercises for speech development

1. There is no need to purposefully develop speech yet: just talk a lot with the child, tell him fairy tales and stories from life. So that the baby can subsequently connect the sound image with the visual one, show him a variety of toys or pictures and talk about what he saw.
2. Bend over the lying baby and begin to pronounce sounds (first vowels, then consonants). The child, seeing the movements of your lips, will try to imitate them. Soon he will be able to repeat individual sounds after you, and subsequently syllables and words.
3. Give your child impromptu performances with rag dolls. The content of such “plays” is not important: the main thing is expressive and emotional speech. Give each character an individual timbre, pitch and volume of voice, so that the baby, listening to you, learns to express his emotions with the help of sounds.

Mental development

The following achievements indicate the mental maturity of a four-month-old child:

• the ability to express emotions - joy, resentment, fear, curiosity, annoyance, surprise;
• different reactions to the people around him: when he sees his mother, the baby screams, coos, babbles and smiles, when he sees stranger– freezes, cries with fear;
• the appearance of favorite and unloved toys: the child, with a joyful squeal, grabs his favorite thing, and indignantly throws away the unloved one;
• distinguishing between familiar people and strangers (only those whom the baby sees every day and does not have time to forget are considered acquaintances);
• showing interest in his body: the baby looks at his fingers, feels his face and hair, pulls his feet into his mouth;
• the ability to detect the simplest cause-and-effect relationships: upon seeing mother's breast the baby becomes silent and waits for feeding, and at the sight of hands extended to him, he tenses with his whole body, waiting for a hug.

By 4 months, the baby masters the ability to laugh loudly. Bend over the baby, smile at him, tickle his body - and the baby will answer you with a joyful laugh.

How to prevent mental retardation?

1. Now constant contact with the mother is important for the child. He must feel her love and care, must hear her voice telling him about amazing things from the world around him. Such close communication is the key to proper emotional development.
2. At 4 months, the baby’s fine motor skills improve, tactile sensations and touch. Therefore, offer him as diverse a set of toys as possible: plastic rings, wooden cubes, rag dolls, plush animals. He will be especially interested in squeaky toys and musical toys with buttons: they improve not only tactile sensations, but also the baby’s hearing.
3. Play games with your baby that are suitable for his age: “Peek-a-boo”, “Ladushki”, “Horned Goat”, “Magpie-Crow”.

Daily regime

Dream

Until recently, the baby spent most of his time sleeping. But at 4 months, the period of wakefulness increases significantly and reaches 9–10 hours a day. At night, the baby sleeps for 9–10 hours without waking up, and during the day he falls asleep only 2–3 times.

Start accustoming your child to a routine: to do this, put him to bed at a strictly certain time. However, do not interfere if the baby falls asleep before the set hour: when the baby begins to yawn and refuse to play, take him to the crib.

At 4 months, the child can already fall asleep on his own, without the presence of his parents. However, for this he must be in an excellent mood. To calm your baby, put him in bed and stand next to him for a while.

Feeding

The best way to eat for four month old baby – breast-feeding. If the mother has enough milk, it is not necessary to introduce complementary foods yet. If the baby is on artificial feeding, then its menu can be diversified with the following products:

• vegetable and fruit juices(mix a few drops of juice with water and feed the resulting mixture to the child);
• egg yolk (mash ¼ yolk and dilute it with your usual milk mixture);
• baby kefir, cottage cheese;
• single-grain porridges.

All these types of complementary foods are introduced gradually, in small portions (½ teaspoon each). If a child appears allergic reaction, the product should be immediately excluded from the diet.

The average number of feedings at this age is 6–7 per day. Food is provided upon request.

Getting used to a new type of food leads to a change in children's stool. Now bowel movements occur no more than 2-3 times a day (with breastfeeding) or 1 time per day (with the introduction of complementary foods).

A four-month-old baby is a tireless explorer. He has already gotten used to the changed living conditions, acquired enough new skills and is now ready to actively use them to study the world around him. Help your inquisitive little one satisfy his curiosity!

What should a 4 month old baby be able to do? In most cases, children exhibit new abilities. The baby, instead of grabbing everything, begins to purposefully take the toy. He knows that they are playing with him. At his age, the baby should be able to roll over from his back to his tummy, he is already leaning on his forearms, and raising his head high. He also rests on his toes if he is lifted. Read on for other development elements.

The most important characteristics: weight, height, weight gain

Weight in the 4th month of life ranges from 6 to 7 kg, height – from 60 to 63 cm, and gains up to 750 g in weight.

The child sleeps 16 hours a day - 10 of these hours are night sleep, and 6 - for the day. That is, the child should sleep 3 times for two hours during the day. This is all approximately - and it’s not critical if the indicators do not match.

It is believed that at this age a child eats 1/6 of his body weight, that is, approximately 180-210 g of breast milk or formula per feeding.

Pay attention to the educational mat - for children it is like an exciting adventure

Feeding

If he begins to bite his breast with his gums, you must be on guard like a mother and be sure to react: scream, remove the child from the breast, show that such behavior is not acceptable, and you do not allow him to treat you this way. These are the first elements of raising a child under the breast.

Development

1. The child grabs and holds the toy.
2. Can lie on its stomach for a long time, while rising quite high on its elbows.
3. Some people make their first attempts or begin to actively roll over.

At this age, carefully monitor the baby: do not leave him on high surfaces, even on the changing table.

You cannot turn away to carry a diaper or reach for cream. Everything should be at hand, very convenient and safe for your baby.

1. The baby develops emotions – resentment, fear, joy and others.
2. He pronounces his first syllables “ma, pa”, although this is not conscious.
3. He responds to his name.

He recognizes some of his loved ones and relatives, rejoices at their arrival, and is upset when they leave. If some new people come, the baby becomes wary, behaves calmly, or starts crying and strives for mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa. There is a distinction between “friends and foes”. Recognizes his family by their voice.

Highlights your favorites or your least favorites. He spends most of his time with some, and some don’t interest him at all. You bought expensive toy, and decided that he would like her 100%, but the little one wouldn’t look at her. He may be more interested in a nail in the wall than a cool toy.

At this age there is an active awareness of one's body. He begins to touch and feel his nose, stomach, head, and look at his hands.

You can motivate your baby to crawl with bright toys that you place right in front of him.

What to do to ensure your baby develops well at 4 months

Continue exclusive breastfeeding. Feed around dreams so that he receives breast milk and develops harmoniously against this background. Start carrying your baby on your hip. At this age, the formation of the hip joint occurs.

You can now place the child on a developmental mat. Either he lies on his back and looks at the arcs with hanging toys, or it is a developmental mat on which the child lies on his stomach, and various hooks, bows, ribbons, rattles, rustles, and squeaks are sewn on it. All this will have a beneficial effect on the development of the child.

How to properly carry a baby at this age, watch the video:

We recommend that at this age you start playing body awareness games with your child. In the form of a mosquito that it “flyed and flew and sat down on its tummy.” Or you just stroke the baby and name each part of the body. Introduce such games into your communication with your child so that it will benefit the baby, and you can also relax a little and play with your baby.

There are months that are remembered for a long time, the 4th month is just like that. Why? A young mother of two children will tell you:

Explain and show the baby what not to do, wherever you go, for a walk, or in the bath. Tell me everything. It has been proven that those children who were talked to in infancy for a long time and a lot, they explained and showed everything - they develop faster than those with whom their parents did not communicate. Feel free to talk.

Develop fine motor skills. Give us different bags of cereals, rags of different textures. Anything that is different to the touch in terms of texture, temperature, shape - give it to the baby’s hands.

Let babies from 4 months look at books. Don't give it to him, as he is unlikely to hold the book. Scroll from your hands. Tell us what beautiful bunnies, bears, frogs, etc. are drawn there. The baby will be interested in listening.

Children perk up when they see bright pictures in a book.

Imitate animal sounds: the kitty says “meow-meow”, the dog says “woof-woof”. Repeat after your baby the sounds he makes. Introduce new sounds that he does not speak.

Tell your kids fairy tales, you can make them up yourself, sing songs, dance with your baby, read poetry. Scientists have proven that children who were read poetry at such a young age in the future, when they grew up, they had no problems with memorizing large texts.

Massage remains important at this age. You can hire massage therapists, or massage your baby yourself. Bend arms, legs, stroke - stimulate any physical activity baby. Turn him over if he doesn't already. Slowly teach him to crawl if he doesn't do it.

Video about how to do gymnastics with your baby and exercises in the bath:

conclusions

After fourth month life, the baby faces a time of big changes, especially in the psychological and emotional development. Mom is always happy when the baby reveals something new. Notice every success of your baby, and then any difficulties will be nothing.

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. While awake, the baby carefully examines everything around. Let's take a closer look at physical and mental development.

Physical development of a child at 4 months

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

Table of indicators of average values ​​of physical development

Important! Although every mother knows that her baby develops at his own individual pace, it is still worth paying attention to the average parameters of the majority infants of this age. The boundaries of the norms make it possible to identify whether there is a developmental delay and whether attention should be paid to adjusting one or more indicators physical development(height and weight are the most important for assessing).

Basic baby skills at 4 months

Time	Mode element	Approximate duration
6.00	Feeding, washing, morning toilet (diaper changing)	30 min.
6.30 – 7.30	Wakefulness, light exercises	1 hour
7.30 – 9.30	Morning dream	2 hours
9.30	Feeding	30 min.
9.30 – 11.00	Staying awake, playing, morning walk	1,5 hour
11.00 – 13.00	Daytime nap	2 hours
13.00	Feeding	30 minutes
13.30 – 14.30	Wakefulness, massage, gymnastics	1 hour
14.30 – 16.30	Daytime sleep on 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	Staying awake after waking up, communicating with mom	30 min.
20.00	Feeding	30 min.
20.30	Bathing, getting ready for bed	30 min.
20.30 – 6.00	Dream	8 – 9 o’clock

Five secrets to good sleep for babies

Closer to six months, babies begin to be more active than before and become overexcited during the day from events and emotions, which often leads to sleep disturbances. Mom has to look original ways help your baby when he can't sleep. Below are some tips to help you get your little one to sleep.

1. Daily walks

Sleep in the fresh air comes to babies very quickly - the slight rocking of the stroller, the noise of the trees, the breeze... And after 10 minutes the baby is already snoring sweetly. As a rule, children sleep longer outside than at home. Before the walk, you can feed your baby. A well-fed toddler falls asleep faster and sleeps better.

2. Active games

Healthy fatigue during the day will contribute to strong and healthy sleep. Play with your daughter or son for about an hour at different funny 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 feels drowsy and willingly falls asleep in the stroller.

3. Swimming before bed

It is most difficult to put infants to sleep at night - it is in the evening hours that whims overcome, but falling asleep infant doesn't want to. In this case, bathing immediately before bedtime will help. warm water with soothing herbs (lavender, valerian, juniper). The water “envelops” and relaxes the baby, and after bathing he falls soundly asleep.

4. “Simultaneous breathing”

A peaceful mother and her calm heartbeat can calm a wild toddler. Lie down with your baby on the bed or pick him up. 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 in rhythm with his mother and fall asleep.

5. Emotional state

You definitely need to pay attention to the baby’s behavior and attitude. If the baby begins to be capricious after a long stay, this is the first sign that he is tired and ready to sleep. Conversely, if the baby refuses to sleep, or the period of time that the mother spends putting him to bed is longer than the sleep itself, then the baby needs to be put to bed later.

On a note! It is important to remember that when you are calm, your baby is calm. Young children are very sensitive to change emotional state moms. Try to forget about the things you have to do and focus on your beloved child's sleep.

Baby nutrition - what mothers should pay attention to

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

Note! World Organization Health officials advise breastfeeding mothers to continue breastfeeding throughout the first year of their baby's life.

For bottle-fed babies, the situation is different: by the age of 4 months, their secretion increases of hydrochloric acid, local intestinal immunity is formed and the activity of digestive enzymes increases. By this period, the baby’s body’s need for proteins increases, mineral salts and vitamins, which cannot be satisfied only through a nutritional mixture. Therefore, by 4 - on IV you can gradually adapt to eating 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, 0.5 tsp. Vegetable puree or porridge are suitable. The choice of a specific product to try depends on the baby’s well-being and the characteristics of his fragile body.

Porridge	Complementary feeding begins with porridge if the baby is underweight or is suffering frequent disorder chair. It must be dairy-free and gluten-free. Buckwheat porridge (intended for early baby food) is easily digestible, followed by rice and corn porridge.
Vegetable puree	WITH vegetable puree it's worth starting acquaintance healthy child, as well as in cases where the baby overweight, or there is a tendency to constipation. Good for testing cauliflower, either broccoli or zucchini. Children eat vegetables less readily than porridge, so mothers should be patient. If the baby refuses to try the puree, you can try again to master the new dish after a couple of days.
Fruit puree	One-component fruit purees perfectly satisfy hunger and give the baby more energy. At 4 - 4.5 months, the toddler can be offered puree from prunes, plums, and peaches. This 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 monitored until the end of the day. If the attempt is successful, the portion is gradually increased from half a teaspoon to a whole one. In 5 - 7 days the portion is brought to age norm 50 - 100 g and replaces one of the previous formula feedings. After 10 – 14 days you can try adding it as complementary food next product. As a result, by the end of the month the feeding regimen may look something like this:

Exercises with the baby

Strengthening gymnastics can be done with the baby if his hypertonicity has completely gone away. This usually happens within a period of up to 3.5 – 4 months. Gymnastics includes various bending and extension of body parts, stimulation of crawling and turning over, and placing on a fitball. If your young athlete cannot handle 10 minutes of exercise, gymnastics can be done little by little throughout the day, dividing the sessions into 2-3 minute sections.

The following exercises are especially effective at this age:

1. ball rolling– the baby needs to be placed on his tummy on the fitball, and stand next to him, holding him by the arms. Try to spring the ball slightly and shake it. The little one will have fun, and in the meantime he will use all the muscles of his body;
2. cyclists– we stretch one leg of the baby forward, and at the same moment we bend the second at the knee. Then vice versa. Repeat the exercise 4-6 times. This technique with legs is reminiscent of riding a bicycle. Be sure to accompany the lesson with music, nursery rhymes, and do not forget to monitor the baby’s reaction;
3. hugs– take the baby by the palms and point your right palm to the left side, and your left palm to the other side, as if the baby is hugging himself. Then repeat the hug, only let the other palm now be on top. Repeat several times.

From four months you can actively accustom your baby to morning exercises V game form. So that every day for the baby begins with Have a good mood and a boost 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, this five-minute exercise with a poem will be an excellent help for the first exercises with a baby:

The mice were doing exercises near the garden bed (we lift the baby’s arms up, then lower them down),

They raised their paws up and saw the cat. (holding by the handles, turning sideways).

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

Don't sneak up on us, cat! (circular turns with handles at elbows).

We mice are 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 do exercises for them (handles to the sides and towards you).

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

Paws – higher, then – wider, and now let’s lower them down, and quietly sneak (handles on the sides).

Let's run, let's run, oh, how tired the mice are (legs bent at the knees, bend and unbend in turn).

Thank you, little mice, I’ll tell everything to the kittens.

Massage to improve child health

Massage puts stress on the muscles, so it should be carried out with great caution without a doctor’s prescription, literally with your fingertips. It is best to combine massage movements with gymnastics, but always an hour after the child eats. 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 his tummy. Start making stroking movements on your neck and shoulders, working for comfort index fingers. 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 spine area during massage. After stroking, you can lightly walk the edges of your palms along the same lines. With a light rubbing motion, stretch the entire back. Then pat lightly, moving from bottom to top. Finish the back massage with gentle stroking.
• The baby’s buttocks are massaged in the same way as the back, only kneading is added with the hard side of the bent fingers with a little effort.
• The baby's legs are vigorously stroked massage movements from heel to buttocks. The massage should be done alternately - having completed kneading one leg, move on to the next.
• The breast is stroked with the movements of the fingertips. The area of ​​the mammary glands remains untouched during the massage. Rub your baby's tummy clockwise around the belly button. Perform the second and third circles with slight pinching, then light stroking again.
• Handles are massaged from palms to shoulders with stroking movements. Then you can lightly pinch and create vibration with your fingertips. At the end - stroking again.

A newborn child constantly develops, grows and pleases his parents and loved ones. But be that as it may, adults always have concerns: they are concerned about the development of children, and there are doubts about proper education and parental responsibilities. At 4 months, a newborn should already be able to do a lot, but what exactly is worth understanding in more detail.

What should physical development be like?

At 4 months, the child increases his body weight to approximately 5.5-6 kilograms. Of course, birth weight and inherited genes should be taken into account when calculating. A girl's weight will be slightly less than a boy's.

In 4 months, the newborn will grow to 60-63 centimeters, the head circumference should be 40-45 centimeters, and the chest circumference should be from 40 to 43 centimeters.

Average indicators of physical development are entered into a table, which was compiled according to statistical studies. These tables will be useful for parents to find out whether their children’s physical development is normal:

Age by months.	Height in cm, girls	Height in cm boys
Newborn babies	49	51
1 month	52	54
2 months	55	58,5
3 months	57	61,5
4 months	61	64,5
5 months	62	67,5
6 months	65	68,5
7 months	66	69
8 months	68	71,5
9 months	71	73,5
10 months	72	74,5
11 months	73,5	75,5
12 months	74	76,5

What should a four month old baby be able to do?

In addition to physical development, parents should also monitor new skills that a child can already do at 4 months:

1. Hold your head well while in the arms of adults.
2. Roll over onto your back or side.
3. Sit if his parents support him.
4. Rise on your elbows from a lying position on your stomach.
5. Look at new objects and space with interest.

Daytime rest should be before and after lunch. The first sleep lasts approximately 1-1.5 hours, the second – 2-2.5 hours. Children need 10-12 hours to sleep at night, taking into account the dream break for the next feeding.

Adults must continue to provide adequate care for children. That is, a 4-month-old child should receive:

• balanced meals at certain times;
• daily bathing and timely washing;
• daily walks in the fresh air.

A newborn at 4 months can easily roll over and move as he wants, so you need to choose clothes for him that will not hinder his movements. Of course, when children are actively performing exercises, adults should be nearby to protect the play movements. Do not try to sit children down often, although they will enjoy this process, because a child should be able to confidently do this exercise after 4 months have passed, that is, at 6 months.

Parents need to monitor height and body weight indicators and compare the data with the table. If the data obtained is far from normal, then it is better to visit pediatrician for a specialist to explain the unclear situation.

Cognitive skills and aesthetic development

At 4 months, a child should learn new things and learn the world with help:

• children's vision;
• touch and hearing;
• taste buds.

Children confidently hold toys in their hands, throw them, and constantly put something in their mouth. By making different movements, it becomes clear that some types of toys can ring, others can fall to the floor and not return, and still others can sound unusual, and so on. If children like these manipulations, they will definitely repeat all the movements, since this process brings them real pleasure. After all, quite often you can observe how a 4-month-old baby constantly throws a toy out of the crib and watches it fall or knocks for a long time with an object of interest to him. And here new fun, even if it turns out to be very colorful and beautiful, they will not attract children at all if the newborn does not like the research.

When children are held in the arms of adults, they begin to look around, turn their heads, and at the same time turn it exactly in the direction from which the sound is coming. A 4-month-old child should be able to recognize a melody, that is, if a calm song is playing, he simply listens to it, but as soon as a cheerful one starts playing, he begins to “dance”, while his arms and legs actively make movements reminiscent of a dance. Not a single bright object will escape attention, be it a toy or a feeding plate.

What to consider when choosing a toy

In order for a 4-month-old child to actively develop and learn everything new with interest, it is better to buy for him bright toys With beautiful design, of course, from environmentally friendly material. The following toys will be very interesting:

• bright “Vanka-Vstanka”;
• rattles containing large beads;
• different types of cubes.

Under no circumstances should children be given small objects to play with or left unattended with a toy in their hands. To understand how to play with a new object, parents should get a little help, for example, “Vanka-Vstanka” needs to be knocked over by an adult, and at this time the baby will definitely begin to observe the movement, and will soon do such manipulations on his own. Experts recommend periodically changing toys for development, and hiding old ones for a certain time. In the future, you can change the toys again, and the child will begin to perceive the old fun as a new one, which will certainly give him a lot of pleasure.

Speech skills in babies

It is at 4 months that the child begins to actively communicate through speech. At this age he should be able to:

• make peculiar sounds;
• pronounce the so-called humming;
• pronounce complex combinations with different intonations, which are called “pipe”.

From this age, children's hearing tries to catch adult voices, and then children try to repeat the sounds they hear. Quite often they start a dialogue with their parents or loved ones whom they know well.