4 months old baby. What did the baby learn at four months? months - breastfeeding a child

The fourth month of life can be called a transitional period, as the child reacts more and more meaningfully to communication with him, looks at toys longer, his movements become more confident, and some babies begin to try "adult" food.

Your child already knows...

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Physical development of the child at 4 months

During the fourth month of life, the child gains in weight 700-800 grams(total weight gain over the entire time is about 3 kg). The younger the child, the faster its body weight increases. The older the baby gets, the less his monthly weight gain.

Starting from the second quarter (from 3 months), the growth of the child increases monthly by 2.5 cm. So for the period from 3 to 4 months of life, the baby will grow by 2.5 cm. Over the past period (from birth to 4 months), the body length increases by 10-12 cm.

Head circumference by the fourth month of life increases by 1.5 cm, and chest circumference by 1.5-2 cm.

Neuropsychic development of a child at 4 months

At the 4th month of life, the manual activity of the hands is actively developing: the baby actively brings the upper limbs closer to the eyes, examines them, rubs the diaper, pillow, clothes.

The movements of the child become more purposeful, for example, the baby can take a toy, bring it to his face and examine it.

The baby reaches for toys that hang at arm's length above his chest.

Also at 4 months, the coordination of movement of the back muscles develops, which is manifested by turning the child from the back to the tummy, and later from the abdomen to the back.

The child holds his head well both in an upright position and lying on his stomach, while leaning on the handles.

Follows the toy as it moves up, down, left, right.

Lying on his back, the baby can hold the hands of an adult and pull himself up.

At four months, the baby is able to distinguish the color and shape of objects, recognizes familiar people.

The child begins to repeat and imitate sounds, makes up the first syllables (ma, pa, ba).

At this age, the child really needs attention and communication, to which the baby responds with pleasure as best he can (smiles, coos, gurgles, laughs, joyfully moves his arms and legs).

Video about the development of a child at 4 months from a child psychologist

The kid actively learns the world, now he drags everything into his mouth. Therefore, make sure that the toys are clean, and there are no small parts nearby that the baby can choke on.

Salivation may increase in a child, this may be a protective reaction to the fact that the baby has something in his mouth all the time (so that his mucous membrane clears faster), and also be one of the symptoms of teething.

Also, the baby begins to press the gums on the mother's breast, sometimes so much that it can cause discomfort to the mother.

At 4 months, the child begins to be more wary of strangers and it takes him more time to get used to a new person.

By four months, your baby begins to distinguish the tonality of musical sounds.

Interest in his own body does not disappear, but only becomes stronger, the baby feels his arms, legs, grabs his genitals, and especially dexterous ones manage to suck their big toes.

A four-month-old baby can already be upset and offended, which can manifest itself as a displeased facial expression, whimpering, crying.

That's how much a baby can do at 4 months.

Vision and hearing of a child of the fourth month of life

By 4-5 months, the formation of the visual apparatus is completed. The kid can already look from one object to another, he can also carefully consider it, just like an adult. At this age, children prefer light colors.

By the end of the fourth month, the child can distinguish between flat and voluminous objects.

Able to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar objects, toys.

The eye muscles are also already strong enough, so a healthy child should not have strabismus at 4 months.

The child's hearing is also improving; when various sounds appear, the child listens, then turns his head towards the source of the sound, finds it with his eyes, examines it.

At this age, parents can note the musical preference of the baby. Some people like cheerful fast melodies, others, on the contrary, are slow, calm, and someone generally prefers mother's songs.

In general, all babies react to a fast rhythmic melody with revival, increased motor activity, and calm down and calm down to a calm lullaby.

Speech development at 4 months

At four months, the baby is actively cooing, humming, which is called babbling.

He laughs loudly and cries out joyfully, differentiates syllables well, so many parents take them for the first words.

He loves to listen to the speech addressed to him, understands the intonation of the voice.

By his actions provokes an adult to communicate.

If you ask the baby "Where is mom?" begins to actively look for her eyes.

Fourth month baby care

Walks with the baby are getting longer, especially in the warm season. In summer you can walk for 2-3 hours 2 times a day, in winter - 1.5-2 hours 1-2 times a day (depending on the weather).

It is advisable to do massage and gymnastics 2 times a day (morning and evening).

In order for the child to fall asleep better, you can regularly conduct a “ritual of going to bed” before going to bed. Every day, at the same time, bathe the baby, after bathing, pat on the back, on the tummy, dress, feed, sing a lullaby. You can come up with your own “ritual”, the main thing is that this brings positive emotions to the baby and promotes healthy sleep.

Many babies at this age begin to act up and sleep poorly, perhaps this is due to the onset of teething. Although, most often, the first teeth appear at 5-6 months, at 4 months the gums may begin to itch in a child, which is very disturbing for the baby. Special teethers will help alleviate the condition. The use of medicines is possible only after consulting a doctor.

At this age, you should more carefully monitor the cleanliness and condition of the child's nails, cut them regularly. Since the baby pulls everything into his mouth, and first of all his hands, long, sharp nails can injure the delicate mucous membrane of the oral cavity.

Baby food at 4 months

At 4 months, breastfeeding remains exclusively breastfeeding.

By four months, many babies develop their own feeding schedule.

The baby's stomach becomes larger, as a result of which he no longer needs frequent breastfeeding.

During feeding, the child may be distracted by extraneous sounds surrounding people, therefore, it is better to feed the baby in a quiet, calm place.

Breast milk (or infant formula) contains enough nutrients for a four-month-old baby. If you still can not wait to treat your baby with something new, then before introducing complementary foods, be sure to consult a doctor.

Necessary examinations

At four months, be sure to visit the pediatrician to find out how much the baby has gained in weight and how much has grown. Also, the doctor will evaluate his neuropsychic development. No additional tests and examinations are required at this age.

At 4.5 months, it is necessary to make a second vaccination with DTP (for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus) and OPV (for polio).

How to play with a 4 month old baby?

We continue the games that contribute to the development of fine motor skills and develop tactile perception (toys are different in shape, size, texture, bags stuffed with various materials, etc.).

During walks, the baby begins to look at everything around with great interest, so it is very important to talk about the world around him, to tell him what he sees.

At 4 months, the child is actively mastering coups, you can help him with this, for example, shaking a toy in front of him from the side on which he is best able to roll over.

At this age, some kids can play and occupy themselves on their own, which is good news.

Frequent communication with the baby, repetition of syllables, imitation of the sounds that animals utter contribute to speech development.

You can play hide and seek with your child: cover your face with your hands or hide behind a diaper. After a few seconds, look first to the right, and another time to the left, then up and down.

Finger games are indispensable for the development of fine motor skills.

What toys are suitable for this age?

For the development of tactile sensitivity, toys made of different materials are suitable: wooden, plastic, rubber, rag. Toys should be hard and soft, smooth and rough, heavy and light, have different shapes and sizes.

For a 4-month-old baby, it is better to place and hang toys at arm's length so that he can reach them with a little effort, this will stimulate motor activity.

Rattles on sticks, rubber toys with squeakers, bells, bright cardboard books are indispensable for a child at this age.

Put a bright sock on the child's leg or tie a bell to it, lift the leg, move it back and forth, attract the baby's attention. Next, the baby will try to get the bell, for this he will bend his legs, pull them to his chest, touch. All this greatly contributes to the development of coordination of movements and concentration.

At this age, your approval and encouragement is very important for the baby, so praise him more often and rejoice at his success.

A newborn child is constantly developing, growing and delighting his parents and loved ones. But be that as it may, adults always have concerns: they are worried about the development of children, and there are doubts about the correct upbringing 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 be the physical development

At 4 months, the child increases its body weight to about 5.5-6 kilograms. Of course, the calculation should take into account birth weight and hereditary gene. The weight of the girl will be slightly less than that of the boys.

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 in the table, which was compiled according to statistical studies. These tables will be useful to parents to find out if the physical development of children is normal:

What should a 4 month old be able to do?

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

1. Keep your head well, being in the hands of adults.
2. Roll onto your back or side.
3. Sit if his parents will support him.
4. Rise on your elbows from a lying position on your stomach.
5. With interest to consider new objects and space.

Day rest should be before and after lunch. The first dream lasts about 1-1.5 hours, the second - 2-2.5 hours. For a night's sleep, children need 10-12 hours, while taking into account the break in dreams for the next feeding.

Adults must, as before, provide children with proper care. That is, a child of 4 months should receive:

• balanced meals at certain hours;
• daily bathing and timely washing;
• daily outdoor walks.

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

Parents need to be sure to control the indicators of height and body weight, compare the data with the table. If the data obtained is far from the norm, then it is better to visit a pediatrician so that the specialist explains the incomprehensible situation.

Cognitive skills and aesthetic development

At 4 months, the child should learn new things and learn about the world around him with the help of:

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

Children confidently hold toys in their hands, throw them, constantly pull something into their mouths. 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, then they will definitely repeat all the movements, since this process brings them real pleasure. After all, quite often you can observe how a baby at 4 months constantly throws a toy out of the crib and watches it fall or knocks for a long time with an interesting object. But the new fun, even if it turns out to be very colorful and beautiful, does not lure children at all if the newborn does not like the research.

When children are held by adults in their arms, they begin to look around, turn their heads, while turning it exactly in the direction from which the sound comes. A child at 4 months old should be able to recognize a melody, that is, if a calm song is playing, then he just listens to it, but as soon as a cheerful one plays, he begins to “dance”, while his arms and legs actively make movements resembling a dance. Not a single bright object will escape attention, whether it be a toy or a feeding plate.

What to consider when choosing a toy

In order for a child to actively develop at 4 months, to learn everything new with interest, it is better to buy bright toys for him with a beautiful design, of course, from environmentally friendly material. Such toys will be very interesting:

• bright "Roly-Vstanka";
• rattles in which there are large beads;
• different types of cubes.

In no case should you give small objects for play, leave children unattended with a toy in their hands. To understand how to play with a new object, parents should be given a little help, for example, “Vanka-Vstanka” needs to be knocked over by adults, and the baby at this time 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 toys again, and the child will perceive the old fun as a new one, which will certainly give him a lot of pleasure.

Infant speech skills

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 coo;
• pronounce complex combinations with different intonations, which are called "flute".

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

The development of a child at 4 months is more active than before. The kid has finally adapted to the world around him and is ready to learn new things every day. Both the psychology and the body of the child are changing. Height and weight increase, and the emergence of new skills pleases parents.

• The kid is able to grab a toy that has a small weight and hold it in the handle for 30 seconds. He understands that the rattle needs to be shaken in order for it to make sounds.
• The child should be able to roll over from the tummy to the back and vice versa.
• In the prone position on the tummy, he can rise on the handles, while holding the head.
• If you hold the baby by the armpits, he should rest on the floor with his toes and push off.
• The child basically opens his palms. He should be able to put his palms together and pat them a little.
• The baby can put his fingers in his mouth.
• During feeding, he tries to support his mother's breasts himself, his weight already allows him to do this.
• The child reacts when called by name.

Physiology of the child

The weight of the baby for the 4th month increases by 700-800 grams, so the total weight of the baby reaches 6-7 kg. The circumference of the chest and the circumference of the head increase. Growth also becomes more by several centimeters. At four months, the normal height of a baby is 60-63 cm.

The proportions of the body of the baby become more harmonious. If at birth the head was very large in relation to the whole topic, then by 4 months it becomes proportionally smaller. Too large a head at this age can indicate a number of diseases. Therefore, a medical examination is required.

Feeding a four month old baby

For breastfed babies, breast milk is still the only product in the diet. If the baby has no health problems, and the mother’s milk is enough to saturate him, then you should not introduce any complementary foods.

Feeding is usually six times a day. But sometimes babies at four months are already switching to food 5 times a day. For children who are bottle-fed, the introduction of the first complementary foods is possible. If there is a tendency to loose stools, applesauce is suitable as a complementary food. Babies prone to constipation are given mashed and grated prunes. The total amount of any complementary foods starts with a quarter of a teaspoon, gradually increasing to several teaspoons. In the event of an allergic reaction to any type of complementary foods, you should immediately stop using it.

If the baby was born prematurely or in the cold season, it will be useful to give him cottage cheese. The use of this product prevents rickets. Only very fresh cottage cheese without lumps, almost liquid, is suitable for a baby.

In the fourth month of life, there is an increase in the total amount of food consumed, which is 150-170 ml.

Breast care

At four months, the baby already begins to grow hair on the head. They are still short. But even with short hair, excessive sweating of the scalp is possible. In this case, be sure to cut the hair.

Nail growth at this age also requires attention. They need to be trimmed periodically so that the baby does not scratch himself and cannot comb the body with his nails. Nails on the hands are cut in an arcuate line, and on the legs - in a straight line. This will prevent the nails from growing into the skin.

The fourth month is a time of great activity for the child. He moves his arms and legs while lying in the crib. Therefore, it can easily throw off a blanket or diaper. Once in a cooler environment, the baby freezes and can urinate. A wet baby gets supercooled pretty quickly. Mom does not always have time to react and change clothes for the baby. And hypothermia leads to colds.

That is why hardening is important. For a 4 month old baby, these are rubdowns, which are usually done after bathing. The whole body of the baby is wiped with a damp sponge or damp towel. First, the mother wipes the baby’s chest and arms, then puts a shirt on him. Then he rubs his feet. During the whole process, you should talk with the child, gently pronounce your actions. This will calm the baby, he will not be capricious.

In the fourth month of a baby's life, an important event occurs. He must prepare for the DPT vaccination. It acts against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. She is also vaccinated against polio. DTP is done three times, the intervals between vaccinations are 6 weeks.

To safely get vaccinated, the baby must be healthy not only at the time of vaccination, but also a month before it. If the baby has developmental disabilities, the pediatrician can set a special vaccination schedule and prescribe medication to prevent the consequences.

The child in the last days before vaccination should not be given new products. It is also necessary to strictly observe the daily routine and monitor the observance of cleanliness. If one of the relatives is ill with acute respiratory infections, it is undesirable for him to approach the child. Wearing a mask is mandatory to prevent the spread of infection.

On the first day after vaccination, the infant has a decrease in appetite, an increase in body temperature, and he is naughty. This is normal, but the next day the temperature should drop. If the fever persists or a rash develops on the body, you need to see a doctor.

We develop the baby

How to develop a child at 4 months? Of particular importance for the baby is the daily routine. Bedtime should be the same. Many mothers introduce their own bedtime rituals that help the child relax, calm down and fall asleep quickly. It can be light strokes, a lullaby or the quiet sound of calm classical music.

A 4-month-old baby will walk longer than at an earlier age. It is advisable to go for a walk with him twice a day.

Staying outside in summer can be up to 2-3 hours. In winter, walks are not so long, especially in frosty weather. And yet it is advisable to walk with the baby for at least an hour.

At 4 months, babies often ask to be held by their mother. It is not surprising, because from a height they can better see the world around them. But do not go with the baby on about. His height and weight are quite large. It can be too hard for mom to carry her treasure in her arms. In addition, the baby will soon get used to and will be naughty if left in the stroller.

But the father is quite capable of lifting the baby in his arms. His height and weight should not confuse the parent. But how much joy the baby will experience, examining the surroundings from a height.

At 4 months, the baby continues to actively walk and coo. He gradually learns the language, listens to his mother's speech. Therefore, be sure to talk to him, read poems and fairy tales. Let your speech be gentle and expressive. This will create emotional comfort for the baby.

Try to teach your child to speak vowel sounds. He will repeat after you. Organize a small puppet theater. Actors can be toys in the form of animals. Move the toys, imitate their voices, play a mini-performance in front of the baby. Try to show emotions during the performance: joy, surprise, chagrin. It is now important for a baby to be able to perceive emotions.

A 4-month-old baby begins to take in his mouth and taste everything around him, including his fingers and toes. This is an important part of his development - he learns the world with the help of taste buds. You shouldn't interfere with it. But what needs to be done is to wash all the toys with soap every day.

For the safety of the baby, keep all small items away from him that he could accidentally swallow. Remove all sharp objects, as well as everything that should not be taken into the mouth.

Do not leave things with filler near the crib. The baby can tear them, and the filler will fall into his mouth. In addition, the weight of the toys should not be too large so that the baby does not accidentally injure himself.

When mom is around, you can use a variety of toys. Soft and hard, light and heavy, rough and smooth, big and small. Materials for making toys should also differ: plastic, rubber, wood or fabric. Give them to the baby. Let him feel the toys, while developing tactile sensitivity.

The following toys are indispensable for the development of the baby's vision and hearing: bells, rattles, rubber tweeters, cardboard books with large pictures.

Some babies start teething at 4 months. At the same time, the baby can be naughty and sleep poorly, sometimes the temperature even rises and a runny nose begins. During the appearance of the first teeth, there is an increased secretion of saliva. In order to alleviate the condition of the baby, buy him rubber teethers.

Thus, at 4 months, the child will be able to do much of what was previously given with difficulty. For example, roll over. His height and weight will become larger, his eyesight and hearing will get stronger. Use a variety of toys in games, but watch out for safety. Everything that you give to the baby, he will definitely taste it.

The baby isn't gaining as much weight anymore. If in the first 2-3 months of life he could add even 2 kg per month, then by the fourth month the rate of gains noticeably stops. This is normal, because he becomes more mobile, he spends more energy and, accordingly, gains less weight. Growth rates remain approximately at the same level (about 1-3 cm per month).

Anonymous

Hello everyone, please help with advice. My son is 9 months old and absolutely does not want to crawl. At 4 months, the neurologist diagnosed PP CNS, underwent a course of massage, thermotherapy, electromyostimulation. Of the drugs, Cortexin was taken intramuscularly, Mexidol and Kogitum. Now the baby sits on his own without support, rolls over from his back to his stomach and back, can stand up on his own, holding hands or a handrail, sits down from a semi-lying position, sometimes from a lying position, sitting on his buttock, moves his legs and moves in this way. Doesn't get on all fours. Tell me, is this normal or should I continue treatment?

Psychology

By the fourth month, most of the problems with infantile colic usually pass, and the child arrives in a positive mood for most of the day. He still does not know how to move independently, so he cannot make a lot of mess. However, the child is very happy to communicate with you.

Skills and abilities

♦ Learns to roll over from back to stomach and can roll from stomach to back.

♦ In the position on the stomach, stretches the handles, leaning on them and lifts the body, tearing the chest off the horizontal surface.

♦ Clearly distinguishes familiar and unfamiliar people, emotionally highlights familiar people.

♦ Actively smiles in response to new adult sounds.

♦ Babbles, even simple syllables may appear in babbling.

A child at this age learns the world with the help of tactile sensations. All new items that are within reach, he immediately pulls into his mouth. That is how he knows the world.

Make sure that there are no small objects in the child's play area so that the child cannot inhale or inhale them.. In general, toys and objects that cannot pass through a toilet paper tube are considered safe for a baby. Remember that the game must first of all be safe.

How to organize the life of a child at 4 months

The baby already has a fairly well-formed regimen. That is, he distinguishes between day and night. At night, he periodically wakes up for feeding and immediately falls asleep. During the day, 2-3 (sometimes 4) sleeps are allocated, between which he is awake. The period of wakefulness is approximately 2 hours, after which the child falls asleep, even if only for 20-30 minutes. Usually, children of this age have one long daytime sleep and several short ones.

Walks of four-month-old children are approximately 2 hours. But there is no need to strive to “despite everything” to walk for 2 hours. You can break the walks into several smaller ones. If the baby sleeps on the street, then you can guess a walk for one of the short dreams, so that he sleeps at home for a long dream. This is the time that mom can use for herself and household chores: sleeping, cooking, cleaning.

At the age of 4 months, it is necessary to introduce the rituals of going to bed at night: a bath, a lullaby. A daily ritual will help the child calm down and tune in to sleep, and subsequently fall asleep easier.

How to play

The emotional development of the child is what you should focus on at 4 months. Various hugs, ticklers, new sounds, funny faces - what your baby loves and what will make him smile or even laugh.

4 months is the period of formation of tactile sensations. You can stimulate their development with various materials. You can invite your child to feel a variety of textured fabrics such as faux fur, silk, or cotton. Remember that most likely the baby will put them in his mouth, so do not leave him alone with these educational homemade items.

It will be interesting for a child to play with an unbreakable mirror. Attach this to the wall of the crib and watch him stare at his reflection and make faces.

What can be taught

Education of children under 4-5 years old should take place exclusively in the form of a game.

The kid already sees objects at different distances quite clearly and focuses his eyes well. He can look at the toy that is in his hand for a long time.

The child goes continuously. Hearing the speech of an adult, he begins to communicate more actively. Every day he pronounces more and more new syllables. If at this (or any other) age you limit communication with a child, then he again slides down to a simple cooing.

Initial development of speech

The first syllables appear at about 4 months. They are not yet conscious, this is only a preparation for a full-fledged speech. In most cases, the child does not yet know how to double syllables (yes, ma-ma, ba-ba). Speech at this age becomes another way to communicate with adults. That is, the baby learns not only to scream and cry in order to attract the attention of an adult.

How the child feels and behaves

4 months is one of the quietest periods in a child's life. Colic has already ended, but teething has not yet begun. Try to relax, get positive emotions, meet friends and keep in touch with the outside world in every possible way.

In an unfamiliar environment, the baby will first look at new faces, and when he gets used to it, smile at new people (while remaining in your arms). For a child, you are the guarantor of safety.

The development of children in the fourth month of life continues to take place at a rapid pace. In most children, the period of colic ends, the work of all organs comes 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. Because your pediatrician and neurologist will pay close attention to your baby's developmental standards, you should know what your baby should be able to do at four months. So you can help the baby develop the skills and abilities necessary for age.

reflexes

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

• the grasping reflex by 4 months is reborn into meaningful movements, the baby now takes everything he can reach into his hands, holds objects in his fist for a long time and feels them with his fingers. It is now that the development of fine motor skills begins;
• during this period, the crawling reflex begins to fade. If a baby lying on his stomach put his hand under his heels, he instinctively starts to push off with his feet from the support that has appeared. If you regularly stimulate this reflex, then for 5 months the baby can crawl on its own.

Skills

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

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

A pediatrician and a neurologist will check the baby for these skills and assess whether the baby is developing at 4 months as expected.

sense organs

Vision

At 4 months, a baby distinguishes 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 the visual organs during this period is increasingly associated with thought processes. The kid already distinguishes between his loved ones, 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 nascent speech skills and established physical skills.

Hearing

The development of hearing and the brain helps the child to learn about the world around him. The baby turns exactly in the direction from which he hears the sound, distinguishes close people by voice. If you turned on music for your child, then now he may have favorite melodies, which, with the help of whims, he will ask to put on. The child can shake his head to the beat or clap his hands.

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

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

Dream

The duration of sleep in the fourth month of life is somewhat reduced, 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 regimen and the time of the beginning of the night rest in children by four months should already be established. During daylight hours, the child sleeps 3 times. Pediatricians and child psychologists recommend preparing the baby for bed in the evening at 19-21 o'clock, at a later time the baby may feel overtired and this will make it worse to fall asleep.

Emotions

1. 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 with the baby, he begins to smile, babble and move all his limbs. Four-month-olds are meaningfully excited about familiar adults as well as new toys.
2. The range of emotions that a four-month-old baby experiences is greatly expanded, he can experience curiosity, fear, joy and resentment - and all this will be very clearly manifested on his face.
3. A close emotional connection arises between the baby and parents, children feel the mood of adults and, like a mirror, reflect it on their faces. Toddlers begin to act up and get upset when loved ones go somewhere. The psychology of a four-month-old child makes them demand constant communication with adults.

Speech

Children in the fourth month of life actively develop their speech apparatus, and the consonants "p", "m", "b" are added to the stretching vowel sounds. Since the baby already knows how to analyze your movements and make attempts to repeat them, spend time with him talking more often.

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

You will see that a four-month-old child is trying his best and pulling his lips just like you. Regular exercise and articulation exercises stimulate early language development, so try to make time for them throughout the day to teach the pronunciation of sounds with the baby.

Weight and height

The child continues active growth and development, and due to the still sedentary lifestyle, he may experience a significant weight gain. For the fourth month, the weight of the baby increases by an average of 750 grams, 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 breastfed babies on demand. We can control the volume of milk eaten by a child by weighing it before and after feeding, or simply by observing the weight gain of a four-month-old baby. If the baby is growing at a normal pace, feels good and is capricious in moderation, then you do not need to worry that he does not have enough food.

With formula feeds, you can keep track of how much your baby is eating and put him on a strict schedule. In the fourth month of life, children eat 6-7 times a day for 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 on what foods the baby can start expanding his menu with.

What should be paid special attention to in the fourth month?

1. Since a four-month-old baby does not yet know how to play on his own, and he quickly gets tired of lying in a crib, contact and communication with adults is very important for a 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 it.
2. Talk to a four-month-old baby more often and respond to his cooing, talk about what is happening around, name objects, their colors and shapes.
3. Children can now be interested not only in a comfortable rattle, so get your baby a developing mat with details of various shapes, rustling, rattling and squeaking. The child likes to touch the surrounding objects, so provide him with objects that are different to the touch, this will develop his motor skills well and help him actively explore the world.
4. Don't forget to take care of your baby's toys in a timely manner, at four months many babies have itchy gums due to teething and they put everything in their mouths. To avoid intestinal infections, regularly rinse and pour boiling water over your baby's toys. Do not buy for a four-month-old baby those products that cannot be cared for in this way.
5. Since a four-month-old baby begins to salivate profusely, foreshadowing the imminent appearance of the first tooth, purchase teethers and pain gels for him in advance. To prevent irritation around the lips and on the chin, wipe the skin with a clean handkerchief and care for this area with healing creams.
6. Develop baby's rolling skills by encouraging him to reach for toys on the side.
7. 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 the baby, and he can crawl; early development of these abilities will accelerate the formation of other skills.
8. To develop motor skills, play “finger” games with the baby, for example, “Magpie-white-sided” and “Boy-finger”. Four-month-olds love rhythmic poems and manipulations with their hands, and over time, the baby will make characteristic movements from these counting rhymes on their own.
9. After bath procedures, gently massage the baby's body, kneading his muscles. To make your hands slip, use for the procedure the oil with which you care for the baby's integument.