4 month old baby. Child development: fourth month of life

What should a four-month-old baby be able to do? Are there any differences between a boy and a girl at this age? What is the desired height and weight of a newborn at four months? What to do and how to entertain your baby? What games to offer? Let's consider these questions that interest parents from the beginning of the baby's fourth month.

Height and weight of children at four months

Important indicators are the height and weight of the baby, which in a certain way indicate the harmony of its physiological development. It is believed that by six months a newborn should double its weight, and at 4 months it is already possible to approximately guess whether it will fit into this norm. The developmental calendar for a four-month-old baby suggests that he usually weighs from 5 to 8 kg. Moreover, according to WHO standards, a girl’s weight can be in the range of 5-8.2 kg, a boy – from 5.6 to 8.7 kg. You should know that the WHO is more accepting of extreme weight values than domestic pediatricians, who are more strict and provide for a smaller range of values. The height of children at this time is from 58 to 68 cm. It must be taken into account that height and weight should not be separated from other physical and mental indicators, that is, you need to look at what a child can do at 4 months, what is his general level of development.

Nutrition

For an infant at 4 months, the only food product left is mother's milk; for bottle-fed babies, this function is performed by an adapted formula suitable for age. Until the age of six months, children do not need to introduce any other additives into their food; breast milk or a formula balanced in composition covers all the needs of the infant body. Of course, this applies to healthy children who do not have developmental or physical conditions.

At this tender age, children may already begin to cut teeth, which cause concern even when they have not yet appeared above the surface of the gums. Therefore, the infant colic left behind may be replaced by whiny and irritable behavior associated with a new stage of development - the growth of teeth.

What can babies do at 4 months?

The development of a child at the age of four months proceeds by leaps and bounds. Although children often develop in leaps and bounds, and a seeming stop in mastering new skills and abilities soon turns into pleasant surprises for parents. By four months, most innate reflexes fade away and are replaced by more meaningful actions.

One cannot expect much difference between boys and girls at 4 months; differences in the level of development are due rather to temperament and the individual pace of muscle and brain maturation. According to one study, the perception of boys as more active is determined by observers' expectations, and not by actual differences between the behavior of infants of different sexes.

So, what can kids do at this interesting age?

Roll over. Not only from the tummy to the side and back, but also from the back to the stomach. If suddenly this important skill If your child still hasn’t succumbed, try encouraging him to roll over using a bright toy or voice, or train his muscles with baby swimming or massage.
Lying down, hold your upper body on your outstretched arms, resting on your palms. In this position, the baby can see a lot, he is keenly interested in the world around him.
Keep your head in line with your body without overstraining your cervical spine.
Crawl on your bellies. Usually a child at this age already manages to move around a little, pulling himself towards something that is attractive to him.
Hold a rattle or other convenient thing with the handle. Moreover, this is no longer a grasping reflex associated with grasping any object thrust into the palm, but an arbitrary, volitional process in which the baby’s desire is involved.
Understand how to move or shake a toy to make a sound.
React to a sound or voice by turning your head in the direction from which it comes.
Find out your name.
Coo and babble, pronounce sounds and syllables “ma”, “pa”, “ba”, similar to the first words. He happily responds to these sounds repeated by his mother, especially if they are accompanied by rich facial expressions and different intonations.
Distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces.
See objects several meters away.
Make sounds of different ranges and volumes, for example, a loud squeal or a quiet purr under your breath.
To object when trying to take a toy from him is something that a child of 4.5 months can do, but not always.

Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky believes that there is absolutely no need to sit down children at this age. Although children can maintain a semi-vertical body position for some time while in soft pillows, for the development of their spine, such sitting is not at all useful and can lead to problems in the future. The development of the musculoskeletal system takes its course, passing through a period of crawling, which sufficiently strengthens the back muscles for further sitting, standing and walking.

Komarovsky’s position on co-sleeping and night feeding is quite categorical. He admits that children of 4 months can be latched to the breast once a night, and after 6 months they do not need night feedings at all. Dr. Komarovsky considers the optimal place for babies to sleep to be a separate crib in the parents’ room. Not all parents are suitable for such recommendations; not every child sleeps peacefully alone and eats by the hour at such a tender age. In any case, moms and dads have the right to choose.

Educational activities and games for 4 month old babies

Do not forget that no cards or educational materials can replace live and direct communication with adults. The child develops through play and communication; connections in the brain emerge and strengthen not only from intellectual stress, but also from the atmosphere of daily acceptance, care and affection. Games and activities complement and enrich simple communication, which consists of showing the baby objects in the room and on the street, talking about their properties, colors, and sounds. Babies at 4 months are actively exploring the world and rejoice when they are given this opportunity, carried in their arms or in a sling. Various activities should be a joy for both the child and the mother; they allow you to diversify everyday life. How can you play with a four-month-old baby?

encourage him to crawl and grab toys, placing them at a short distance from the baby so that he can reach an interesting object with little effort;
if the baby has not sufficiently mastered the technique of turning over, you can give him your finger and help him start moving;
start playing with your child finger games under nursery rhymes, for example, magpie-crow, horned goat, ladushki, which develop both motor skills and the emotional sphere;
offer new bright rattles, soft balls, ordinary objects of different colors, but do not overwhelm the baby with toys, it takes time to master;
buy or sew a developmental mat for your baby with elements of different textures and colors, buttons, zippers, and animal figures. Studying it is a pleasure for the little one.

Children's development in the fourth month of life continues to progress at a rapid pace. For most children, the period of colic ends, the functioning of all organs returns to a stable and normal state. Motor activity in infants of the fourth month of life increases significantly, and the child begins to achieve his first successes. Since your pediatrician and neurologist will be paying close attention to your baby's developmental standards, you should know what a baby should be able to do at four months. This way you can help your baby develop age-appropriate skills and abilities.

Reflexes

In a four-month-old baby, some reflexes continue to fade, while on the basis of others, certain skills are formed:

By the age of 4 months, the grasping reflex degenerates into meaningful movements; the baby now takes in his hands everything he can reach, holds objects in his fist for a long time and feels them with his fingers. Development begins now fine motor skills;
During this period, the crawling reflex begins to fade. If you place your palm under the heels of a baby lying on his stomach, he will instinctively begin to push off with his feet from the support that appears. If this reflex is regularly stimulated, then by 5 months the baby can crawl on its own.

Skills

Despite the fact that all children develop at different rates, some babies master certain skills faster and others more slowly, there are skills that every baby should master by the end of 4 months of life:

the child must grasp and hold objects in his hand;
The baby should be able to independently roll over from back to tummy;
lying on his stomach, the baby should be able to rise on his arms;
if you hold the baby vertically so that his legs touch the surface, the baby will rest his fingers on it;
a child at 4 months should actively show emotions - smile, laugh, get angry and be surprised;
the baby must be able to distinguish between friends and strangers, and also react to the appearance of strangers in the house;
A 4-month-old child coordinates the movements of his hands quite well. He knows how to support the breast or bottle during feeding, shakes a rattle and puts his fingers in his mouth.

The pediatrician and neurologist will check whether the baby has these skills and assess whether the child is developing as expected at 4 months.

Sense organs

Vision

A 4-month-old baby can distinguish colors quite well and even begins to give preference to one of them. Now is the time to buy bright, but not multi-colored toys.

The development of visual organs during this period is increasingly associated with mental processes. The baby can already distinguish between his loved ones and should be able to recognize himself in the mirror. The child is trying to copy your movements and articulation, and you can actively use this to train his emerging speech skills and established physical skills.

Hearing

The development of hearing and brain helps the child to understand the world around him. The baby turns exactly in the direction from which he hears the sound and distinguishes close people by their voice. If you played music for your child, now he may have favorite melodies, which, with the help of his whims, he will ask to play. The child may bob his head to the beat or clap his hands.

Continue to constantly talk to your baby, tell him about everything that is happening around him, read him fairy tales, comment on all your actions.

The more information your child receives from you, the sooner he will begin to speak, and the wider his vocabulary in the future. The baby has already remembered his name and turns his head in your direction when you address him.

Dream

The duration of sleep in the fourth month of life decreases slightly; the baby now sleeps about 15 hours a day. Some children may no longer wake up all night, but nevertheless, 2-3 awakenings per night are still considered the psychological norm.

The daytime sleep schedule and the start time of night rest in children should already be established by the age of four months. During daylight hours, the child sleeps 3 times. Pediatricians and child psychologists recommend preparing your baby for bed in the evening at 19-21 hours, at more late time The baby may feel overtired and this will make it harder to fall asleep.

Emotions

The revitalization complex that appeared in the third month of life is now manifesting itself more and more clearly. When you appear in the room or talk to the baby, he begins to smile, babble and move all his limbs. Four-month-old children meaningfully rejoice at the appearance of familiar adults, as well as new toys.
The range of emotions experienced by four month old baby, expands significantly, he can experience curiosity, fear, joy and resentment - and all this will be very clearly manifested on his face.
A close bond develops between the baby and parents emotional connection, children sense the mood of adults and, like a mirror, reflect it on their faces. Kids begin to be capricious and upset when loved ones go somewhere. The psychology of a four-month-old baby makes them demand constant communication with adults.

Speech

Children in the fourth month of life are actively developing their speech apparatus, and the consonants “p”, “m”, “b” are added to the drawn out vowel sounds. Since your baby can already analyze your movements and try to repeat them, spend time talking with him more often.

Deliberately stretch out the sounds, show how the lips should move to pronounce certain sounds.

You will see that the four-month-old baby is trying his best and is pulling his lips just like you. Regular training and articulation exercises stimulate early development speech skills, so try to devote time to them throughout the day to teach the pronunciation of sounds with your baby.

Weight and height

The child continues to actively grow and develop, and due to his still sedentary lifestyle, he may experience significant weight gain. During the fourth month, the baby's weight increases by an average of 750 grams, and the circumference of the head and chest lengthens by 15-20 mm.

During this period, the baby grows by 2-2.5 cm. Now you can estimate the growth rate of children, because a newborn baby weighed half as much as a baby at the end of four months.

Feeding

Pediatricians recommend continuing to feed children who are on breastfeeding, upon request. We can control the volume of milk a baby eats by weighing it before and after feeding, or simply by observing the weight gain of a four-month-old baby. If your baby is growing at a normal rate, is feeling well and is acting up in moderation, then you do not need to worry that he is not getting enough nutrition.

When feeding formula, you can monitor the amount your baby eats and keep his eating schedule on a strict schedule. In the fourth month of life, children eat 6-7 times a day, 150-160 ml. per day.

If the doctor considers that a four-month-old baby is ready to introduce vegetables or cereals into the diet, he will recommend that you start complementary foods rich in fiber and advise which foods the baby can begin to expand his menu with.

What should you pay special attention to in the fourth month?

Since a four-month-old baby does not yet know how to play independently, and he quickly gets bored of lying in a crib, contact and communication with adults is very important for the child. In addition, children in the fourth month are actively interested in the world around them; they need to look at, hear and touch everything that is around them.
Talk to your four-month-old baby more often and respond to his humming, talk about what is happening around him, name objects, their colors and shapes.
Children may now be interested in more than just a comfortable rattle, so buy for your baby an educational rug with parts of various shapes that rustle, rattle and squeak. The child likes to touch the objects around him, so provide him with objects that feel different to the touch; this will develop his motor skills well and help him actively explore the world.
Do not forget to take timely care of your baby's toys; at four months, many children begin to have itchy gums due to teething, and they put everything in their mouth. To avoid intestinal infections, regularly wash and pour boiling water over your baby’s toys. Do not buy products for a four-month-old baby that cannot be properly cared for.
Since a four-month-old baby begins to drool profusely, signaling the imminent appearance of the first tooth, purchase teethers and pain-relieving gels for him in advance. To prevent irritation around the lips and chin, wipe the skin with a clean tissue and care for this area with healing creams.
Develop the rolling over skills your baby is learning by encouraging him to reach for toys located on his side.
Having laid the baby on his stomach, help him push off with his legs from your palms. If you do such exercises daily, you will train your baby to crawl; Early development of these abilities will accelerate the formation of other skills.
To develop motor skills, play finger games with your baby, for example, “Magpie White-sided” and “Finger Boy.” Four-month-old children like rhythmic poems and manipulations with their hands; over time, the child will make the characteristic movements of these rhymes on his own.
After bath procedures, gently massage the baby's body, kneading his muscles. To make your hands glide, use the same oil for the procedure that you use to care for your baby’s skin.

Ekaterina Rakitina

Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

Reading time: 22 minutes

A A

Article last updated: 03/28/2019

In the first months of life, the child develops so actively that every day brings new achievements. By the end of the third month, he had already accumulated a certain amount of skills and abilities, and continues to do this with more and more enthusiasm. Daytime sleep requires less time, so often after feeding the baby prefers to study the world around us, and not immediately fall asleep. The baby is growing, he is already four months old. What can a child do at 4 months and what should he already learn at this age?

The baby shows his emotions and desires in different ways. But it is not difficult for an attentive mother to communicate with her baby, because at this time the subtle connection that was established during intrauterine development. But, in addition to your own intuitive skills, it won’t hurt to listen to the recommendations of specialists and better study what a child should be able to do at 4 months.

Physical development

At four months, the baby has already grown stronger, grown, and began to react to his environment. His body adapted to new living conditions. This is especially true digestive system: the necessary digestive enzymes have been developed, the intestinal microflora has been normalized.

Baby's height and weight at 4 months

The baby becomes calmer, eats with pleasure, gains weight and sleeps peacefully. Weight gain at 4 months is approximately 750 grams per month.

To assess the correct development of your baby, compare your data with the indicators in the table of norms for a child’s physical parameters at 4 months:

The table shows average statistical data. When assessing a child's development at 4 months, consider individual characteristics– for some, the baby was born already large, and for others, it was born prematurely. The pediatrician who accompanies you will give you an accurate assessment.

Reflexes

Some reflexes in a child already fade away at 4 months, such as:

Grasp reflex. The finger of an adult placed in the handle is automatically squeezed tightly by the baby. A four-month-old baby is already aware of the movements of his hands. He makes targeted grabs and controls them himself;
Crawling reflex. We place the baby on his stomach and press our hands tightly to his feet. The baby reflexively makes pushing movements. This reflex is the basis of the crawling skill. If you start stimulating it, your baby will start crawling earlier;
Moro reflex. When exposed to any external stimuli, a sharp sound or sharp bright light, the child raises his arms and makes hugging movements. It is because of this throwing up of their arms that newborns very often wake up, frightened by their sudden movements.

In addition to the fading of old reflexes, new ones begin to appear, which are called installation. At 4 months it is formed superior Landau reflex. The baby, being on his stomach and leaning on his arms, raises his upper body and is able to hold himself in this position for quite a long time.

A 4-month-old baby is very different in its mobility and thirst for knowledge compared to an infant.

Daily and feeding schedule

Each toddler has a different daily routine, but there is a general routine that must be followed.

Baby's daily routine at 4 months

Time	Routine
6: 30	Waking up for the first feeding, hygiene procedures.
8: 00	First daytime nap.
10: 00	Waking up for the second feeding, period of wakefulness.
11: 30	Walk and second nap in the fresh air.
13: 30	Returning home, waking up for the third feeding.
14: 00	Period of wakefulness, educational games.
15: 30	Walk and third nap in the fresh air.
17: 00	Returning home, waking up for the fourth feeding.
17: 30	Period of wakefulness.
19: 30	Bathing, fifth feeding, going to bed at night.
00: 00	Waking up for the sixth feeding and falling asleep immediately after.

The regimen at 4 months for a bottle-fed and breastfed baby is identical, the only difference is what you will feed the baby - formula or breast milk. Only if there is not enough mother's milk and the baby does not get enough to eat, will he require food more often.

Usually, if a mother only breastfeeds her baby and has enough milk, then no complementary feeding is introduced at this age. You can give water for fever, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

The baby's interest in adult food appears;
The baby holds his head well and is already sitting confidently or with support;
If food other than milk or formula gets into the mouth, it does not push it out;
His weight has already doubled since birth;
The baby is able to hold a spoon and tries to put it in his mouth;
The appearance of the first teeth.

The risk of developing iron deficiency anemia,
Insufficient weight gain
Functional digestive disorders.

A bottle-fed baby has a stricter diet:

6 feedings per day at intervals of 3.5 hours.
The amount of formula per day is determined by dividing the baby's weight by 7.
The resulting value is distributed equally over 6 feedings.

Complementary feeding begins by adding to the baby's diet vegetable purees or porridge. Fruit purees are introduced a month later, otherwise the baby may refuse savory dishes.

Where to start complementary feeding?

If your baby is prone to constipation or has overweight, then you need to start with vegetables,
If there is a risk of developing anemia, low weight gain and unstable stools, start with cereals enriched with micronutrients.

Micronutrients(vitamins, macro- and microelements) are irreplaceable components of human nutrition, since they are necessary for the occurrence of numerous biochemical reactions in the body - Wikipedia

Is it worth feeding with juices at 4 months? It should be remembered that Early introduction of juices to a child’s menu can lead to acidification of the internal environment of the stomach and provoke regurgitation. After sweet juices, the baby may refuse what he considers tasteless vegetable purees or porridge.

How much does a 4 month old baby eat?

On average, babies at 4 months eat 900-1000 ml adapted mixture per day - this is 150-170 ml per feeding. At this age, complementary foods are already being introduced to formula-fed children. New product, mainly vegetables and cereals, begin to be given in the second feeding, gradually increasing its amount to 100 g.

Physiological features

Increased muscle tone, characteristic of the early neonatal period, decreases. If muscle tone remains, you should definitely contact a neurologist.
Promotion physical activity child. He doesn’t just lie on his back or stomach as before, but tries to do flips, leaning on the handles. Before you know it, the baby can move to the edge of the table or bed. At this age, leaving him unattended is very dangerous. A fall from even a small height can cause injury to an infant. He needs a special playpen where he can be safe.
Not only reacts to toys, but tries to hold on to them. He reaches out to them, picks them up on his own and puts everything into his mouth. This is a way of understanding the world. It is necessary to ensure that there is no nothing dangerous around a child. All sharp, traumatic objects must be removed to a safe distance.
There is increased salivation.
Sleep becomes deeper and longer - up to 8 - 10 hours a day. He sleeps less during the day than before.

What does a 4 month old baby do:

The muscles have already become noticeably stronger and the baby is using physical activity more and more confidently. He holds his head up well when he is helped into an upright position. While lying on his stomach, he rests his arms, lifts his head, turns it and looks around.

Lying on the bed, a 4-month-old baby can already roll over from his back onto his tummy, independently pulling the handle out from under him, and then return to the position on his back. If he doesn’t know how to do this yet, then you can help him. How to teach a child to roll over? It's simple. You need to turn it over, holding the handle and leg. The baby quickly understands how this can be done and begins to roll over on his own. Below, watch a video from Nikolai Nikonov with instructions on massage and exercises for a 4-month-old baby, there is a technique for teaching a rollover.

Some of the most active children are already trying to sit up by the end of the third month, but these attempts should not be encouraged, because The baby's spine is still weak. It’s better to follow the advice of experts and start sitting down your child no earlier than six months.

Since the development of the grasping reflex is in full swing, the toddler’s favorite pastime is working with his hands. At first, he may try to grab large fragments of drawings on his mother’s clothes or bedding. But soon his actions are transferred to real objects - everything that can be reached. The baby will sort through them, examine them and even try them on his teeth. He will quickly enjoy not only touching objects, but also feeling the texture of various materials.

At four months, motor skills are actively developing, so provide your child with a large number of toys that are easy to grasp and hold in his hand. These can be either purchased rattles on handles and rings, or homemade ones from scrap items.

In some babies, the formation of saliva increases, but this is not due to the appearance of the first teeth, but to the constant presence of hands and various objects in the baby’s mouth, which he studies in this way.

Features of vision and hearing development

At four months, vision develops noticeably. Small eyes are already good at focusing on objects and moving after objects. Vision becomes sharper, the baby is able to distinguish shades of colors and take in the entire room with his gaze.

A 4 month old baby is able to distinguish several primary colors - blue, red and yellow. A large number of colors and their shades strain the eyesight and create an increased load on the still weak nervous system, so there is no need to tire the baby with multi-colored toys.

The child distinguishes sounds excellently. He knows the voices of his family well and loves to listen. To help your hearing develop, you can demonstrate the sound of various musical instruments- xylophone, bells, pipes, guitar, piano, in general, everything that you have available. Even take ordinary rattles so that they sound differently.

At 4 months, the baby discovers that one of the most interesting sources of sound is itself. Then all sorts of experiments with his voice begin: the baby changes intonation, clicks his tongue, folds his lips into a tube and tries many more different variations.

At this time, the child may make his first attempts to speak individual syllables or simple monosyllabic words.

Achievements in psycho-emotional terms

In addition to physiological skills, adaptation to the surrounding world occurs and the ability to interact with other people develops. A 4-month-old baby is not at all a living doll, as many people think; it is very interesting to communicate with him and you just need to learn how to do it.

What a 4 month old baby can do:

Begins to respond to his name. You need to call him by name more often, he will turn his head to the sound of the voice.
Begins to coo and pronounce individual sounds.
You need to talk kindly and kindly. The baby retains the intuitive ability to catch the intonations of the voice. With a loud voice with threatening intonations, the baby experiences fear and anxiety.
He begins to pick up the intonations of the voices of his family and calms down at the sound of his mother’s voice. You can’t quarrel or scream in the presence of the baby, he instantly gets scared and starts crying loudly.
The child sees well around him, his gaze becomes more meaningful. He begins to recognize his family and friends. The baby watches his facial expression. As soon as you frown or become sad, your baby’s mood also changes and he begins to worry. There were even suggestions that children have telepathic abilities. The baby calms down from the sound of a gentle voice and a friendly facial expression.
Response emotions appear. If you smile, the baby also begins to smile back. A baby's first smile is a great reason to add a new photo or video to the family album.

All the child’s emotions manifest themselves quite consciously. He smiles and laughs when he really likes something. He also always cries in different ways, and the mother knows how to determine the cause of the child’s disorder by intonation. But the fear of strangers will appear a little later. Now the baby is equally friendly with everyone and does not show resistance when someone new around him takes him in his arms.

Children very quickly begin to feel the benefits of communication and accept all signs of attention with great pleasure, especially if they are presented in a game form. Simple games "white-sided magpie", "tire-car", “finger-boy”, “okay”, “goat” and others delight the child and, in addition to the developmental factor, provide many more positive emotions.

An important place in the development of a four-month-old baby is communication with other children, especially if they are peers. Older children nurse the baby like a doll or pet, and with children of the same age a slightly different type of contact is established.

At first glance, it may seem that the little ones are simply floundering and “walking”, but if you look closely, you will notice that there is a real interaction between them. They talk in a way that is unusual for adults, but they understand each other well, each reacts in their own way and expresses this reaction in a special way. This is how the first adaptation to society occurs.

When a doctor's help is needed

All children develop differently, and many indicators often do not fit into strictly defined frameworks. Some begin to speak earlier than their peers, some get to their feet later, some get teeth not one at a time, but several at once. Such cases are not considered deviations; they are features of individual development.

But, unfortunately, there are cases when development occurs with obvious violations. Deviations are diagnosed by an experienced doctor. However, any mother, if she is attentive and knows what a child should be able to do at 4 months, can notice that something is wrong with her baby.

Alarming symptoms that need to be responded to immediately:

The baby moves little and does not strive to be active and acquire new skills: roll over, grab objects and hold them in the hand, try to sit up.
The four-month-old baby has not yet learned to hold his head confidently.
The baby is not interested in toys and any other objects, especially bright colors.
The baby does not babble and does not strive to show emotions, does not laugh or smile, and if he does this, it is as if unconsciously.
The baby does not respond to his name and various sounds, as well as to his family, who are always nearby.
The child sucks the breast sluggishly and refuses food and drink.

Lethargy and apathy may indicate an onset of a cold or some kind of digestive problems. But such temporary ailments are accompanied high temperature, cough and other symptoms. If the doctor has not diagnosed any diseases, you must definitely draw his attention to the signs that cause you concern.

Many developmental deviations can be successfully corrected if they are noticed in time and measures are taken. It will also be useful to take into account hereditary predisposition to certain diseases.

The most dangerous deviations that can lead to developmental delays are hearing and vision impairments. Therefore, even at the slightest suspicion, do not be afraid to play it safe and consult a doctor for a professional examination.

What does a child need for further development?

If the baby has serious developmental disabilities, qualified help is needed. But family members can also make simpler adjustments. After all, often a child has not mastered some skills only because he is not given enough attention.

What is needed for the normal development of a child:

For good development it is necessary to do strengthening exercises for muscles and joints. Massage, games, swimming will help with this. The more attention you pay to the baby, the faster he develops and the sooner he pleases with his achievements.
Necessarily see your local doctor regularly, get vaccinated in a timely manner, undergo medical observation by specialized specialists (show the child at 4 months to doctors: neurologist, ophthalmologist, ENT doctor, orthopedist, surgeon). Pass general clinical tests, do an ECG, undergo an ultrasound of organs abdominal cavity, according to indications - NSG of the brain. These measures will help to promptly identify pathology in the baby and take the necessary measures to improve health.
If your child is worried or feels unwell, you should definitely call your local doctor. You cannot self-medicate or use recommendations on the Internet.. In children, the disease develops faster than in adults. The immune system is not mature enough, is quickly depleted, and sudden death can occur. Take care of your children!
Premature babies develop with delays. The lag is especially noticeable in children who were born before 30 weeks; their lag can be up to 3 months. In children born after 30 weeks, the delay may be 1 month. This is due to underdevelopment nervous system, all organs and tissues. Such a baby needs constant medical supervision and special care from parents. At proper care and feeding, premature babies grow quickly and adapt, are catching up with their peers in development.

In this article:

Already at the stage of planning children, future mothers study the Internet. They are looking for any information, from the course of pregnancy week by week to the development of the baby up to one year. And it must be said that they are not doing this in vain. A lot in the physical and psychological development of a child depends on the mother’s skills and knowledge. That is why in this article we will look at how a 4-month-old baby develops.

Let's start with psychological development

When a child enters the second “quarter” of his life, the emotional connection with his mother becomes very important for him. If up to 3 months the child did not care what condition you were in, as long as you fed and washed him, then with the onset of 4 months everything changes.

During this period, the so-called “security barrier” is formed. In other words, a 4 month old newborn begins to copy you like a mirror. He turns his attention to your reaction to his actions and begins to understand what is good and what is bad.

So, if he smiles and plays with toys and in return from you he receives a smile or words that are still incomprehensible to him with a pleasant intonation and a satisfied expression on his face, then the understanding that he is doing something good is deposited in the child’s head. And if in response to his smile you stand with a stone face, then he does not understand whether he is doing the right thing or not. With this attitude, the child experiences psychological breakdown.

When you react adequately to certain actions of a child, you form a safety barrier for him. This means that when exploring something new, the baby will initially look at you. Only after your reaction to his actions will he either continue what he started or stop doing it.

If you miss the moment to start it psychological development, then the baby will develop a fear of everything unknown. He will play calmly in the playpen, for example, because his comfort zone is so limited.
It is very important to spend a lot of time with your child and engage with him. After all, at this stage the foundations of his psychological perception of the world are laid. If time is lost, you will no longer be able to make up for it.

Basics of physical development

Starting from the first month of life, every mother monitors the development of her baby. He's looking forward to when he can do something new. Starting from the fourth month, there will be many more such discoveries.

Firstly, at this stage of his life, the child begins to confidently hold his head. Although vigilant parents will still hold her. He will be able to look around the world around him more confidently.

Secondly, at this age the baby begins to independently turn onto his tummy and back onto his back. This means that he can no longer be left unattended on the bed, otherwise there is a high risk of falling. At this age, for his safety, it is better to place the child on the floor.

Thirdly, some babies begin to crawl on their bellies, which also increases the risk of falling. You can now let your child “stand” for a couple of minutes, holding him by the armpits. His legs and arms are becoming stronger and more stable every day, so such exercises will not harm him.

Also, with the appropriate approach, the baby’s fine motor skills develop. He begins to grab the toy and move it from hand to hand. At this stage, it is important to do gymnastic exercises so that in the future your baby does not stand on his toes, but steps on his full foot.

Your baby's skills and abilities

At 4 months, the baby begins to intensively explore the world around him. Therefore, he simply needs to sit up on his stomach and turn his head. It is the knowledge of the unknown that pushes him towards accelerated development. Previously, lying on his back, he could only see the ceiling, but as he grew older, new opportunities opened up for him, which couldn’t help but make him happy.

By 4 months, the baby’s vision has finally formed, so he looks with interest at the bright details of the interior or toys. If hung above the crib a bright toy, then it is quite possible to divert his attention for 15-20 minutes.

The baby also begins to respond to music. If you, while listening to a cheerful melody, sing or dance with him in your arms, then in the future he will begin to perform these actions independently. And this lifts his mood, because, as we said above, the baby copies you. At the end of the fourth month, babies are already trying to make independent sounds in the form of syllables.

The baby's tactile perception is very important. Now he learns everything new through his mouth. It doesn't matter what you give him, he will still taste it. This will continue for a very long time, so it is important at this stage to try to remove objects that cannot be put into the mouth.

Games for this age

Educational games are a very important stage in a child’s development. The speed of its development depends on how you work with it. To develop speech, use the game “Repetition”. This is very simple game, based on you repeating sounds after your baby.

Try to draw out words better, emphasizing vowels, highlighting them. To begin with, you can attract his attention with a toy, and then talk about every action performed with it. The baby will begin to hum in response to you. Here your task is to repeat the sound after the baby, but more correctly and stretched out. So if he says “ahu”, you should stretch the word to “aguuuuu”. Such exercises should be done for 3-4 minutes.

Playing with toys

For the initial development of fine motor skills, multi-colored rings of small diameter are well suited. For better perception, you can tie bells to them.

First, show the toy to your baby and shake it to get him interested. After this, place the ring in the baby’s hand and close the fist. You can shake this pen so that the bells ring and he becomes interested. Watch his reaction. The baby should try to shake the handle on his own to make a sound.

Then the same rings can be tied above the crib at arm's length from the child. At this age, babies are very inquisitive, so he will definitely try to reach the toy with his hand. After such exercises, you can tease the baby by bringing the toy towards him and putting it back. This way, you will get him to want to reach out and grab the toy.

The baby should be taught to different types figures. To do this, place him on his tummy and place toys of different colors and shapes in front of him. By approaching toys, he will develop the ability to grasp different objects.

What and how to develop

At 4 months of age, hearing development should be actively pursued. Various rustles, rattles or musical toys. Pick up a sounding object and make a sound with it. As soon as the baby turns his head towards the sound and concentrates on it, move the toy to another corner and ring there. At the same time, your baby should follow the movement of the toy with his eyes.

When doing gymnastics for your baby, talk to him in nursery rhymes. Be sure to follow up your words with actions.

Portray everything you say, for example:

Wall, wall (at the same time touch the baby’s cheeks one by one)
Ceiling (touch forehead)
Two steps (touch the lips with your fingers)
And the bell (by lightly pressing the spout).

Your baby will love these exercises. When doing exercises on arms and legs, tell and show a poem about them. This way your baby will soon begin to understand where and what he has.

Teach him to roll over

To develop this skill, tumbler toys are suitable. First, show him the toy and get him interested in it. After this, place it on the side of the child and rock it. The sound made by the tumbler will certainly attract the attention of the baby, and he will try to discern where the source of the sound is. You can gently encourage him to turn over by slightly lifting the edge of the diaper.

By doing such exercises several times a day, very soon you will teach your baby to roll over on his own.

Formation of a daily routine

Over the previous 3 months of life, your child has already developed a certain daily routine. It should not be changed, you can only adjust it taking into account age. Following a 4 month old baby's routine is very important. You are still feeding your baby at least 6 times a day, every 3-4 hours. Or on demand, if that’s how you were initially used to it.

Children's sleep patterns vary, but should still be limited to certain time frames. Go to bed at night, best at 9-10 pm. Thus, he will finally wake up at 6-7 am. This will be useful in the summer. Waking up at 7 am, you can slowly feed him, wash him, dress him and go for a walk while the sun is not so hot.

Since he is still very small, he will sleep on average 3 times during the day. The time periods of such sleep will be 1-1.5 hours of sleep, between 3-4 hours of wakefulness. On average, sleep should take 14 hours a day.

Walks at this age should be at least 2 hours. It is better to divide this time and walk for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon. Most often, your child will sleep during walks, but be prepared for the fact that he may wake up unexpectedly and then you will have to entertain him.

Be sure to bathe your baby before bed. In the first 3 months, he already gets used to water procedures and by the fourth month he already begins to enjoy bathing. Using circles and toys for this, you will greatly cheer up your baby.

Useful video about baby development at 4 months

In the fourth month of a baby's life, important changes occur 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, and begins to show an active interest in the events happening around him. Changes also occur in physical development - the proportions of the child’s body gradually approach 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 a child is slightly behind his peers, this can easily be corrected with the help of special classes and educational games. It also happens that the discrepancy between the baby’s skills and existing standards is the first sign of serious neurological disorders and other serious pathologies, so parents should know the peculiarities of the child’s development at 4 months.

How much should a baby weigh at four months?

During the first year of life, the baby should undergo a monthly scheduled examination by a local pediatrician. At each appointment, the baby must be weighed, his height, head and chest circumference are measured. These are the most important anthropometric indicators that allow us to assess the state of the child’s health and the correctness of his development.

Table of height and weight indicators for boys and girls

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

It is equally important to regularly measure the child’s height and weight - this will help to suspect endocrine system pathologies in time (for example, impaired synthesis of insulin and adrenal hormones). A child's weight at 4 months can range from 6 to 7 kg. The average increase during this period is about 700-750 g, since motor activity the baby 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 normal if no abnormalities are detected in blood and urine tests.

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

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

Important! If indicators of physical development differ significantly 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 should a 4 month old baby be able to do?

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

Motor skills

A child’s muscles at 4-5 months are already strong enough for him to perform many actions:

consciously grasping objects (not to be confused with reflex actions) and transferring them from hand to hand;
holding the head in a prone position on the stomach and raising the upper body with support on the palms;
turning over from back to stomach and back;
raising the shoulder body and head while lying on your back (first attempts to sit down);
grabbing the bar or arm of an adult lying on his back with attempts to pull himself up;
the ability to hold the mother's breast or bottle with her hands when 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 listed skills, it is better to lower him to the floor, limiting the space for movement with the help of pillows or special floor playpens. This has a positive effect on physical and intellectual development child and allows you to study the world around you from a new perspective.

Important! Under no circumstances should you sit down a child if he himself does not attempt to sit down and cannot support his back on his own. Attempts to plant the baby too early can cause spinal diseases (osteochondrosis, scoliosis). In girls, this practice can lead to disruption of the functioning of the reproductive organs and curvature of the uterus.

Physiological development

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

Hearing. The child is able to determine the source of the sound. It is considered normal at this age if the baby responds to speech addressed to him from a distance of 2-2.5 meters.
Vision. The ability of the organ of vision to perceive and differentiate various shades and colors expands, and visual acuity improves. Many children at this age may experience a change in eye color. The child sees well not only near, but also, like an adult, at a distance of 20-30 cm. At 4 months, the baby should be able to focus his gaze on toys and other objects, as well as people who talk to him. Many children are born with mild forms of strabismus, which occurs due to weakness of the visual muscles. This condition should go away by 4 months. If this does not happen, it is necessary to show the baby to a doctor to rule out pathologies of the visual organs and various forms of neurological disorders, for example, cerebral palsy.
Lacrimal glands. In the fourth month of life, the baby’s crying is already accompanied by tears, and not just loud sounds with a negative connotation.
Hair and nails. Hair also begins to actively grow at the age of 4-5 months. The nail plates also grow faster, and the skin of the periungual ridges thickens. This is due to the normalization of digestive processes and improved absorption of beneficial elements, which directly affect the nutrition of hair follicles and epidermal cells.
Digestive system. By 4 months, the baby’s body normalizes the production of digestive enzymes necessary for digesting and breaking down food. This is manifested by the following signs: elimination, compaction of stool (stool formation), regularity of bowel movements, relaxation abdominal muscles. The child becomes calmer. Appetite improves, sleep quality improves. Some babies at this age can transition to eight hours of sleep a night with one feeding at night.
Typical reflexes of newborns are almost no longer visible. Only a few reflexes remain: sucking, crawling reflex, Moro reflex. The search reflex may be partially preserved, which over time is replaced by a reaction to a visual stimulus (the baby’s revival at the sight of a bottle of formula, a breast prepared for feeding), the grasping reflex, the Galant reflex. If the child still has the proboscis reflex, Babkin reflex, and automatic walking reflex, fourth month 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, and the possibility of unexpected crying without any obvious reason gradually disappears. At this age, the child is interested in being alone, exploring his body, so some children can devote up to 30 minutes to activities without the participation of adults

Booming. At 4 months, the child actively gurgles while awake and tries to pronounce the first syllables using consonants.
Emotionality. A four-month-old baby clearly expresses his emotions: he laughs, shows joy, and puts on airs. He likes to communicate with adults.
The child learns to respond 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, smiling, stretching of consonant sounds (most often “a”, “o” and “u”).
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, or favorite fairy tales.
The beginnings of communication using gestures appear. The baby can stretch out his arms, thereby showing his desire to be in his mother’s arms.
The baby shows signs of interest in the things around him. If he wants to take some object or take a better look at it, then his lips stretch out with a “proboscis”, breathing quickens and the baby reaches for the object.
Active knowledge of one's own body. The child feels his feet with his hands, thereby, as if fixing in his consciousness the fact of their presence, studies them, sucks his toes.

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

"Singing" in babies 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. Positively affects emotional and speech development reading stories and singing calm songs, such as lullabies. Even if the mother does not work with the child, but is at the same time in the same room with him, she should communicate with the baby more often 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

Great value in proper development for a 4-5 month old baby there are toys. Pediatricians advise purchasing the following toys for a child of this age:

bright rattles, bells and other toys to attract attention and stimulate crawling skills;
fabric toys and scraps for the development of tactile perception;
fabric bags filled with various cereals to develop tactile sensations;
rag bracelets and toys with pendants to develop 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.