What can a 4 month old baby do? Skills and abilities

A child is 4 months old: what changes await the baby by the age of four months?

Your baby is already in her fourth month. A new step in the development of a little person begins. The changes are visible to the naked eye: outwardly the baby becomes more harmonious and proportional, he looks less and less like that funny “tadpole” that you took from the maternity hospital. But even bigger changes await the baby in psychological development.

You have probably noticed that every day for your baby is a time of wonderful discoveries, learning something new about this still incomprehensible world. In addition, the child acquires more and more new skills. Of course, they may seem very simple to us adults, but believe me, for a little person these are real achievements!

The baby is growing... And along with him, the parents’ concern is growing: am I doing everything this way? Am I behaving correctly with my baby? Is he lagging behind his peers in development? How to help your child develop correctly and fully? These and millions of other similar questions swirl in the minds of moms and dads every day.

Be that as it may, dear parents, remember one important rule: now the baby most of all needs your attention, sensitivity and, of course, love. However, these tasks will remain extremely relevant in the next few years.

Now let's try to figure out what changes await your baby in the fourth month of life?

The weight gain in the fourth month is approximately 600 grams, and the increase in height is an average of 2 centimeters. That is, on average, the baby’s weight during this period will be about 6300-6800 grams, and his height will be within 60-65 centimeters. Naturally, these indicators are very average, and your baby is unlikely to match them exactly. Remember that each child is individual, he may gain weight and grow faster or slower than normal. Contact a specialist if your baby is not gaining weight at all, or is exceeding the acceptable limits.

Starting from this important four-month “threshold”, the baby will stop gaining weight as rapidly as it did before. Each month the supplement will now be slightly less than the previous one. But growth will remain stable for up to a year: about 2-3 centimeters per month.

From the fourth to the sixth month of life, the baby's organs develop at different rates. Due to this, the proportions of the baby’s body are harmonized: the head no longer seems (and is not) larger than the chest. The imbalance goes away and the baby becomes more proportional. The legs straighten, lengthen, and become stronger. Very soon, in about four to five months, your baby will be able to get up and show what they are capable of!

Hair begins to actively grow. At the same time, the color and structure of the hair also changes. The fluff with which the baby was born falls out, giving way to new hairs. Most likely, they will be very different in color from their predecessors. This hair change will last one to two months. By the way, it is likely that the color of the baby’s eyes will change at this time.

In parallel with hair, nails begin to actively grow. Parents should definitely trim them on time - long fingernails can cause microtrauma and scratching. Usually kids are not very happy with such “cutting” procedures. However, no one promised that it would be easy.

We must be prepared for the fact that this month the baby’s first teeth may begin to erupt. Help your baby - offer him special teething rings. Such devices are designed to be sucked, chewed, and thus knead the gums. If the first teeth begin to “ask” to come out, the baby will begin to drool a lot. Excessive saliva production can cause a chin rash. If you notice this phenomenon, contact your pediatrician, he will help you easily cope with the problem.

The main organ of understanding the world for a baby is now the mouth. Your baby may get used to sucking his fingers all the time. Experts recommend weaning your child off this habit now to avoid improper jaw formation.

Most babies become more active in the fourth month of life. Their movements are varied: attempts to crawl with the help of arms and legs, rollovers from back to tummy and back, something like sitting supported by pillows, and even the first steps with the support of their mother. Of course, the baby is not yet ready for full sitting - his spine and muscles have not yet strengthened for such a load. Therefore, you should not try to sit your little one down ahead of time - such “tests” can harm him. At the same time, you can and should help the baby strengthen the muscles of the back, tummy and arms with the help of a simple exercise: place your fingers for the baby so that he is able to grab onto them, and slowly raise your hand, and with it the baby. When the child rises, hold him in a sitting position for a few seconds and carefully lower him back onto his back.

Basically, during this period of life, babies learn to roll over onto their tummy. To help your baby with this difficult task, try placing one leg behind the other and pushing him to the side. Next time, place your hand under the child’s shoulders and little by little rock him from side to side.

Meanwhile, the baby can already raise his legs so high that his arms can reach his knees or even his fingers. And, if previously there were only fingers in the mouth, very soon the baby will be able to suck on his toes.

Usually in the fourth month of life, babies make their first attempts to crawl. Such movements help the baby move short distances in order to get to the “thing” that interests him. When lying on its tummy, the little one rises on its elbows, and at the same time tries to push off the floor with its legs. Experts say that half of babies begin their “crawls” backwards, not forwards. Most likely, this makes it easier for them to crawl.

The baby’s movements become more stable, the previously inherent posture of a tense neck gradually disappears, the head is kept in the midline without falling over. The baby reaches out to toys and all objects of interest to him, willingly grabs everything that comes into his field of vision, and feels objects. If you give a toddler a rattle, he will grab it, hold it tightly in his hand, and examine and feel it from all sides for a long time and with interest. When something makes the baby very happy or, on the contrary, makes him angry, he makes a “bridge” - he strongly bends his back.

The most interesting toy for a four-month-old toddler is himself. What could be more entertaining than touching your nose, pulling your hair, feeling your face, and, of course, putting your hands in your mouth! Such simple and unpretentious operations always bring interesting new sensations. The baby knows how to put both hands together and play with them.

Having grabbed an object with two hands, the baby will not immediately put it in his mouth. First, the baby will carefully examine it and study it. The baby is already able to determine how far he needs to stretch his hand to take the toy he is interested in. He tries his best to figure out the different properties of objects - how heavy they are, whether they are soft or smooth, how they sound. Plus, in the fourth month of life, the baby already notices that objects disappear or appear.

The baby has “favorite” toys. He will not fail to tell you about this if you give him the “wrong” answer. The baby will be loudly indignant at such disrespect for his preferences, and will joyfully go on a spree, finally getting what he wants.

Previously, the baby's vision allowed him to clearly distinguish objects at a distance of 30 - 40 centimeters from him. Now, by the end of the fourth month of life, the baby can see well at a distance of 3.5 meters. The child is able to distinguish the main spectral colors. The eyes move more smoothly, and now the little one is able to easily follow a moving person or object.

During this period, a child’s hearing is developed almost in the same way as an adult’s. The baby reacts to music, can determine the source of the sound, distinguish mother’s speech from father’s, and enjoys listening to his own sounds - sneezing, coughing, muttering. He is ready to repeat those sounds that he likes the most over and over again, making them louder, quieter, and having fun in this way.

The baby also begins to “talk” more. Attempts to pronounce open sounds “a” and “o” appear. The first consonant sounds of the baby are the vague “b” and “p”, as well as “m”, which merges with the vowels, provoking a similarity to the long-awaited “mother”.

When mom or dad appears, the baby recognizes them and invites them to chat - he laughs and hums loudly. At the same time, the baby adapts to the rhythm, tempo and volume of your voice. If you abruptly end the “conversation,” the little one will get upset and start crying. Therefore, you should not leave him alone without first turning his attention to his favorite toy.

When the baby notices that you want to take him in your arms, he tries to help you with his whole body - he tenses, tries to jump and pull himself into your arms.

The baby is interested in everything that has color and moves: pets, leaves on trees, cars. He is already beginning to recognize his relatives: not only his mother and father, but also his grandparents, sisters and brothers. He instantly reacts to their faces with a joyful smile.

Children in the fourth month of life, as a rule, go to the toilet “in a big way” 2-3 times a day, and in the case of introducing complementary foods, once a day. Of course, these points need to be monitored to prevent constipation.

The time spent awake is increasing. Sometimes children can please mom and dad with their ability to sleep three times during the day and for 10-11 hours without waking up at night.

But do not forget that babies in the fourth month of life can differ very much from each other, including in terms of their level of physical development. Each baby has its own development schedule, and you should not artificially get ahead of events. It is best to help your baby develop the skills he already has: turning his head, sitting up while lying on his tummy, straightening his legs, leaning on his forearms.

In the first three months of life, there was a direct relationship between the baby’s mood and the level of satisfaction of his physical needs - he cried because he was hungry, or had a tummy ache, or tried to “call” his parents. Now, thanks to the intensive development of the brain and the improvement of the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems, the baby begins to take a keen interest in the world around him. And what is there, outside of himself? Oh, how interesting!

From now on, any action of the toddler has an emotional overtones. But the baby still doesn’t have enough experience and ample opportunities to express his emotions, feelings and attitude to surrounding events.

The baby's feelings become more varied. In addition to the previously known fear and hunger, interest, annoyance, curiosity, surprise, and disappointment appear (albeit for short periods of time). To comprehend and study the environment, the toddler must directly interact with it. Therefore, experts recommend providing him with as many opportunities for learning as possible: taking him with you everywhere, involving him in “helping” with cleaning or preparing food. This is so important for the full development of the baby! The baby now experiences any events very violently: if he feels bad, then everything is absolutely terrible, and if he is good, then everything around him is wonderful!

The most important feature of this period of a baby’s life is the urgent need for communication. It’s no longer enough for a baby to just eat and sleep; he needs the attention of mom and dad. Contacts with loved ones have already been established: the baby recognizes all family members, smiles at everyone, enjoys attention to himself, conversations, games, and almost continuously walks and babbles. But, of course, the most joyful and warm smiles rightfully go to mom and dad.

Communication gives the baby great pleasure. He maintains the dialogue as best he can - cooing, hooting, pronouncing individual sounds, repeating your facial expressions, maintaining the tempo and volume of his voice. But communication for babies is now not just a whim, but a vital need. Therefore, you should not leave him alone for a long time, even if he does not cry.

At this stage, the child already perfectly understands speech addressed to him, well feeling the intonation of the conversation. Speech skills are developing at an intensive pace. The baby devotes a lot of time to “training.” The nasolabial muscles are already quite well developed, due to which the first vowels and consonants appear. The baby begins to react to the sound of his name - he freezes, turns his head, and listens.

The baby distinguishes between familiar and unfamiliar voices. Hearing a previously unknown voice, he may sometimes get scared and cry. But more often than not, the baby “gets to know” with great pleasure.

A baby at this age will be very happy to play active games with his parents. Dad’s “tossing” up, flips, tickling, as well as funny faces or sounds cause delight. But you definitely need to know when to stop - excessive excitement of the baby can lead to fright.

And be sure to remember that the key to normal mental development of a baby is a strong emotional connection with mom and dad.

Many mothers are interested in knowing what the baby will be able to do in the fourth month of life? To summarize, we can say that he:

• recognizes mom and dad and gives them preference over other people;
• recognizes the voices of people he knows and can distinguish them from strangers;
• can independently roll over from tummy to back and vice versa;
• lying on his tummy, easily lifts his upper body, holds his head and turns it by weight left and right;
• looks with genuine interest at everything that happens around him;
• “sings”, performs roulades, tries to pronounce vowels and consonants, the first syllables;
• can grab an object with one or two hands at once;
• hears the sound of his name and reacts to it;
• lying on the back, raises the head and shoulders;
• distinguishes and distinguishes “favorite” toys from “unloved” ones;
• during feeding, tries to play with the breast or bottle;
• can react differently to things familiar and unfamiliar to him, showing different emotions;
• may please you with your first tooth;
• knows how to distinguish tastes;
• actively communicates, laughs, roars, and when the game suddenly stops, cries;
• smiles at his reflection in the mirror, studies it;
• distinguishes color, shape, volume;
• recognizes acquaintances even in a new appearance;
• drags all unfamiliar objects into his mouth;
• feels the faces of the parents, studies them.

Every mother wants to help her baby develop harmoniously. To do this, you should listen to simple tips:

1. Increase your walking time with your baby. In the summer you can walk for 2-3 hours, and wash up to two hours. During walks, the child name everything that the baby sees: people, trees, houses, animals, etc. Repeat sounds after your child and introduce new ones.

2. Give your baby a massage twice a day – morning and evening. Your pediatrician will teach you how to do it correctly.

3. Come up with a special bedtime ritual: bathing, lullaby, gentle stroking. This ritual must be observed constantly, and the baby will fall asleep better.

4. Play with the baby! Continue the games you started earlier - use bags with different materials, large colorful toys. Such fun will not only delight your baby, but will also help develop fine motor skills and tactile perception.

5. Support and stimulate your child's interest in learning about the world, give him the opportunity to see and try as much as possible. Don't forget to make sure that objects within your baby's reach are clean and free of small parts. Also try not to overstimulate your baby.

6. Add new exercises: spread the baby’s arms in different directions, and then cross them on the chest (repeat several times), turn the baby’s legs so that his pelvis rotates a little. At the same time, the baby will begin to turn his shoulders and head in the same direction. Help him turn by lightly pulling on the handle.

7. Buy rubber squeakers for your baby that make a sound when squeezed. Such toys will help develop dexterity and manual dexterity. To develop coordination and thinking, offer your child different rattles, with thin or thick handles, and with rings.

8. Attach an unbreakable mirror to the wall of your baby's crib. You will see with what interest and delight the baby will watch his facial expressions and smile at his reflection.

9. Encourage your baby to crawl, stimulate him by luring him with a toy or things unusual for the baby: pots, cups, scoops. But when the baby crawls, do not move the toy away so as not to discourage the desire to crawl. After the game, be sure to praise the baby, smile, and stroke him affectionately.

10. Constantly communicate with your child! During the conversation, change the speed and volume of speech, speak in different voices. Repeat the baby’s “speech”. Call your baby by name more often. Clap your hands to the beat of the music, change slow and fast music, its volume, rhythm.

11. Tell your little one fairy tales, poems, nursery rhymes. This should not be done monotonously, but emotionally and vividly. Use fun nursery rhymes, for example:

Trampling feet
The baby lies on his back, and the mother bends his legs one by one, and then brings his arms together and spreads them, saying:
Trampling feet
Let's go threshing, Rake handles
Turn up the hay.

Horn pushers
Mom brings the baby's bent legs to her tummy, turns her over on her side, saying: Pushers - horns, oops! Changelings!

Go!
Mom pulls the baby by the legs:
Let's go - let's go for salt, for salt.

Kovalek
Mom taps the little ones on the heels, singing: Kui, Kui, farrier, Give me a boot, A horseshoe for Gold’s little foot.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, be sure to consult a doctor:

• if the baby is indifferent to feeding, does not show emotions in response to a human voice or game;
• if you observe twitching of the bow and face;
• if the baby suffers from constant sleep disturbance;
• if the child does not respond to light and sound, or reacts weakly.

And, of course, a universal recipe - love your baby! And then he will definitely grow and develop, delighting his parents!

The development of a child at 4 months is more active than before. The baby 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 change. Height and weight increase, and the emergence of new skills pleases parents.

• The baby is able to grab a light weight toy and hold it in the hand for 30 seconds. He understands that the rattle needs to be shaken in order for it to make sounds.
• The child must be able to roll over from tummy to back and back.
• When lying on his tummy, he can lift himself up on his arms while holding his head.
• If you hold your baby by the armpits, he should touch the floor with his toes and push off.
• The child mostly opens his palms. He should be able to put his palms together and clap them a little.
• The baby may 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 his name is called.

Child physiology

The baby’s weight increases by 700-800 grams in the 4th month, so the total weight of the baby reaches 6-7 kg. Chest circumference and head circumference increase. Height also increases by several centimeters. At four months, the baby's normal height is 60-63 cm.

The baby's body proportions become more harmonious. If at birth the head was very large in relation to the whole body, then by 4 months it becomes proportionately smaller. A head that is too large at this age may indicate a number of diseases. Therefore, a doctor's examination is required.

Nutrition for 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 satiate him, then no complementary foods should be introduced.

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

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

Baby care

At four months, the baby already begins to grow hair on his head. They are still short. But even short hair can cause your scalp to sweat excessively. In this case, be sure to trim your hair.

Nail growth at this age also requires attention. They need to be trimmed periodically to prevent the baby from scratching himself or being able to comb his body with his nails. Fingernails are trimmed in an arched line, and toenails are trimmed in a straight line. This will prevent nails from growing into the skin.

The fourth month is a time of great activity for the baby. He moves his arms and legs while lying in his crib. Therefore, he can easily throw off his blanket or diaper. Once in a cooler environment, the baby gets cold and may wet himself. A wet baby gets hypothermic pretty quickly. Mom doesn’t always have time to react and change the baby’s clothes. And hypothermia leads to a cold.

This is why hardening is important. For a 4-month-old baby, these are rubdowns, which are usually carried out after bathing. The baby's entire body is wiped with a damp sponge or damp towel. First, the mother wipes the baby’s chest and hands, then puts a shirt on him. Then he wipes his feet. During the entire process, you should talk to the child and 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. Along with it, a polio vaccine is given. DTP is done three times, the intervals between vaccinations are 6 weeks.

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

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

On the first day after vaccination, the baby experiences a decrease in appetite, an increase in body temperature, and is capricious. This is normal, but the temperature should drop the next day. If the fever persists or a rash appears on the body, you should consult a doctor.

Developing the baby

How to develop a child at 4 months? The daily routine is of particular importance for the baby. Bedtime should be the same. Many mothers introduce their own bedtime rituals that help the child relax, calm down and fall asleep quickly. This could 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 last up to 2-3 hours. In winter, walks are not so long, especially in frosty weather. Still, it is advisable to walk with your baby for at least an hour.

At 4 months, babies often ask to be held in their mother's arms. It’s not surprising, because from a height they can better see the world around them. But you shouldn’t follow your baby’s lead. His height and weight are quite large. It may be too difficult for mom to carry her treasure in her arms. In addition, the baby will soon get used to it and will be capricious if he is left in the stroller.

But dad is quite capable of lifting the baby into his arms. His height and weight should not confuse the parent. But how much joy the baby will experience while examining the surroundings from above.

At 4 months, the baby continues to actively walk and coo. He is learning the language little by little and listening to his mother’s speech. Therefore, be sure to talk to him, read poems and fairy tales. Let your speech be affectionate and expressive. This will create emotional comfort for the baby.

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

A 4-month-old baby begins to put everything in his mouth and taste everything around him, including his fingers and toes. This is an important part of his development - he learns about the world through his taste buds. This should not be prevented. But what needs to be done is to wash all toys with soap every day.

For the baby's safety, remove all small objects that he might accidentally swallow. Remove all sharp objects and anything that should not be put in your mouth.

Do not leave things with filling near the crib. The baby may tear them, and the filler will end up in 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. The materials used to make toys should also vary: plastic, rubber, wood or fabric. Give them to the baby. Let him feel the toys, while tactile sensitivity develops.

For the development of a baby's vision and hearing, the following toys are indispensable: bells, rattles, rubber squeakers, cardboard books with large drawings.

Some babies already start teething at 4 months. At the same time, the baby may be capricious 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. To alleviate the baby's condition, buy him rubber teethers.

Thus, at 4 months the child will be able to do many things that were previously difficult. For example, roll over. His height and weight will increase, his vision and hearing will become stronger. Use a variety of toys in games, but be careful. Whatever you give to the baby, he will definitely taste it.

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Another month flew by completely unnoticed, there was not even time to look back. It’s amazing how much the baby’s appetite has increased by this time, isn’t it?

When breastfeeding, mothers sometimes even begin to worry that there is not enough milk. But don’t worry, everything is explained very simply: the development of a child at 4 months coincides with a period of increased growth. A few days will pass with slightly more frequent feedings and lactation will again meet needs. And for artificial babies, you should, after consulting with your pediatrician, increase the portions or frequency of feedings.

What new has appeared in the baby’s life during this time, what has he learned, what is he capable of?

What should a 4 month old baby be able to do?

The toddler is now learning to imitate speech: the sounds he makes become more and more rhythmic. How funny all these repeated “meme-meme” and “ge-ge-ge” sound! Have you noticed how he calms down at the sound of music and listens sensitively? By the way, the baby already remembers voices and begins to be funny and active (waving his arms and legs in the air), as soon as he hears his favorite ones - mom’s or dad’s.

Sitting in the arms of an adult and hearing a noise or someone’s voice, the child quickly turns around to where it is coming from. At this age, you can no longer take risks by leaving him outside the crib or playpen alone and unattended, because he is increasingly turning around and even learning to roll over. This means there is a risk of falling from a high surface without sides.

The baby is becoming more and more confident in grabbing rattles that come into view, although he still often misses. Books that fall under the grasp of tenacious fingers especially suffer from this, so remove such items away from the toddler who is thirsty for new toys and impressions. Yes, he absolutely charmingly perks up at the sight of unusual bright rattles and tumblers. A variety of rings are especially good for the baby: they are so convenient to grab and pull into your mouth!

The baby is still fascinated by the human face, he watches facial expressions with great attention, greatly rejoicing at the smile and another of his mother’s comic grimaces. The baby likes to sit comfortably in his parents' arms, while he already confidently holds his head straight.

Observe a healthy and happy baby while he is lying in his crib or on a flat surface. There is a specificity in the behavior of the toddler, based on which one can judge that development is proceeding normally.

Once on his tummy, the baby will immediately begin to rise on his forearms, freely turning his head to the sides as soon as something attracts his attention. The pelvis and wide-set hips should lie tightly on the diaper or blanket, as well as the entire belly. He can move his feet by lifting them.

Place the toddler in a good mood on his back, he will begin to lift his arms and legs up. Noticing the palms in front of him, he will examine them and put them in his mouth. The same will happen with the feet: as soon as they come into view, he will grab them with his hands and taste them, smacking his toes. Make sure that the back of the head, buttocks and back rest tightly on the support while the child is playing.

As with any age stage, there are standard indicators of what a child should be able to do at 4 months. If any deviations are observed, it is important to consult with your pediatrician in a timely manner. The famous American pediatrician Benjamin Spock recommended seeing a doctor if your four-month-old toddler:

- unable to lift the body, trying to lean on the forearms;

- involuntarily tilts his head back when he is lifted by his palms from a supine position;

- does not even try to lean on the tips of his toes when he is held under the arms in a vertical position;

- does not smile at the conversation of relatives;

- does not enjoy games.

Physical development of a child at 4 months

Over the past month, the baby has gained 450 g in weight, and has grown in length by 2.5 cm. Do not be alarmed if further growth in indicators proceeds a little more slowly: this is the norm.

According to the standard indicators of the basic physical parameters of children under one year of age and older developed by WHO (World Health Organization), at this age your baby meets the following criteria:

- girls’ height is in the range of 59.9-64.3 cm, and boys’ height is 61.8-66.0 cm;

- the weight of little princesses varies from 5.7 to 7.3, and their peers - from 60.2 to 7.8 kg;

- the head circumference of tiny smart girls is 39.3-41.8 cm, and that of smart girls is 40.4-42.8 cm.

If a child’s indicators do not fall within the range of average values, then do not rush to get upset: each child is unique and develops at his own, comfortable pace. However, be sure to consult with your pediatrician to know how you can help your baby.

Exercise for babies

Physical exercise strengthens the baby’s cardiovascular system, stimulates blood circulation and breathing, and develops motor skills.

1. From a supine position, first bend the right and left legs alternately. Then both do the same at the same time. At the same time, the knees are separated, the bent legs should touch the tummy, then straighten. The number of movements is 3-4 times.

2. In the same position, place your thumbs into your palms - your fists will reflexively clench. Smoothly spread the arms to the sides, pull them forward and lower them in a circle. The movements are performed 5-6 times.

3. The baby holds your thumbs. Gently spread your arms to the sides and cross them over your chest. Alternately change the position of your hands when crossing (on top, then left, then right). The tempo is rhythmic, fast alternating with slow, repetitions - 6-7 times.

Exercises for baby development at 4 months

Everything a child should be able to do at 4 months is mastered gradually, in accordance with nature. But parents have the power to help the little one. You just need to pay as much attention as possible to development, because it is not at all difficult and requires only your desire and patience.

1. Talk to your baby constantly during periods of wakefulness and be sure to provoke his reaction: let him babble in response to you.

2. Replace one by one the toys around him with others, expand his space, comment on all your actions - this is how the baby’s cognitive interests are stimulated.

3. The child needs to learn to grasp objects on the first try, so offer him toys with long handles, pendants, rings with bells. The baby can already distinguish colors, therefore, objects should differ according to this characteristic.

4. Take your time and create unique nursery rhymes: take fabric of different textures and sew multi-colored bags. Place noise fillers inside: a Kinder Surprise box with peas or beads, rustling paper, a bell. The sound will attract attention, and various sensations when palpating will develop the child's tactile sensitivity.

5. At arm's length from your toddler, hang various toys above your chest. Waving his little arms, he will definitely stumble upon them and enthusiastically begin to engage in exciting, useful activities: he will examine them, touch them, grab them, and pull them towards him.

6. Arrange regular “roll calls” with your baby. Free up time so that it’s just the two of you and nothing distracts the little one. Show him the toy and tell him about it. At the same time, stretch out the vowels, speak louder and quieter, repeat phrases several times. This forces the baby to focus on the sounds of your speech. Make pauses so that he can insert his babble into them when his mother’s voice fades away: he wants to hear it again.

Get the little “interlocutor” to watch your mouth and pronounce sounds, deliberately exaggerating, articulating with your lips. At this time, he may even begin to imitate their movements.

7. Place your baby on his tummy more often, gradually increasing the time he spends in this position: this is how the skill of crawling is formed. Show your baby bright toys and let him reach for them. Pull them from the side - then it will gradually turn over better and better. But do not try to stand the baby up or sit him down - at four months of age this will not do any good, it will only cause harm to the fragile skeletal system.

Nowadays, children's stores offer a variety of interactive programs (computer, television), cartoons, and audio recordings for all ages. There is a great temptation to turn them on and leave the little one to follow the bright flashing images, waiting for the promised leap in development.

But you and I understand that live communication with your mother and loved ones cannot be replaced by any achievement of science or technology. Only through emotional communication can a child develop fully at 4 months. Better talk during every interaction, sing songs, tell nursery rhymes - the benefits will be a hundred times greater. And for all kinds of technical innovations and media resources, the time will come when they will be needed. There are many discoveries ahead that the baby will have to make with the help of mom and dad.

By four months, not only the baby’s appearance changes, but also his physical and psychological state. The baby “eats” its cheeks, becomes more active and mobile, and happily makes contact with its parents. He willingly interacts with the outside world, consolidates already acquired skills and masters new ones. All these processes take place against the background of improving the child’s movements, sensory organs and nervous system. The question of what a child should be able to do at 4 months worries many parents. After all, knowing the answer to it, adults can promptly notice deviations from developmental norms and take measures to eliminate them.

Let's take a closer look at what a baby should be able to do at four months.

Social skills

At 4 months, the “revival complex” is established. It manifests itself in the fact that in response to a friendly address from an adult, the baby actively moves his arms and legs, gurgles joyfully, and smiles. In addition, a 4-month-old child can already laugh merrily and show joy at the sight of an adult’s kind emotions or the appearance of a new toy.

Children at this age unmistakably recognize and distinguish among those around them those people who spend the maximum amount of time with them.

As a rule, these are moms and dads. The baby can already distinguish “friends” from “strangers” not only by their faces, but also by their voices. At 4 months, a child can distinguish the voice of mom or dad - he looks for it, listens, and when he finds it, he smiles.

Psychological and emotional development

If previously a child’s smile was a purely reflexive phenomenon, now it becomes more meaningful. The mood of a 4-month-old baby is controlled by the nervous system; it is determined by the set of feelings and emotions that a toddler is capable of experiencing.

Already at the age of four months, the baby learns what fear or disappointment is.

These feelings can be caused by meeting a stranger or replacing the breast with a bottle when switching to mixed feeding. Curiosity, joy, anxiety, delight, surprise - the list of emotions experienced by a toddler is quite long.

At this stage of development, parents need to establish a close emotional connection with the baby. This will allow the baby to develop normally and quickly adapt to the world around him, in which there are people who love him. At this age, the mother's image is associated in the child's mind with something pleasant. Therefore, when she appears on the horizon, he begins to smile and walk, attracting attention to himself. By spending as much time as possible with the child, parents will provide him with the most comfortable conditions for full psychological development.

Physical activity

At 4 months, the child can turn his head, following toys or the face of an adult. And during the feeding process, they help themselves with their hands, holding the bottle or breast.

However, this is not all that a baby should be able to do at four months.

Let's list the baby's basic skills:

Grabbing Items

Closer to four months of age, the baby's grasping reflexes begin to fade. The seizure of objects begins to be arbitrary. That is, if previously the baby reflexively closed his fist as soon as something touched his palm, now he can hold the toy in his hands when he wants to.

The voluntary movement is a serious leap in the development of the baby and a big step towards mastering one’s own body.

The process of grasping itself is a complex chain of nerve impulses, which is triggered when the baby shows interest in various objects.

First games

A baby's physical skills at this age are not limited to voluntary grasping of things. He reaches for toys and grabs objects with one or two hands. The baby already has his favorite rattles, to which he reacts especially actively. The child is already trying to perform various actions with them: knocking on the surface, looking at them, tasting them, feeling them with his fingers. All this is an important stage of cognition. Of course, the coordination of movements of a four-month-old baby, coupled with the muscles of his hands, are not yet sufficiently developed, so the duration of holding objects is short.

Coups

Some children who have previously mastered the skills of rolling over from their back to their stomach learn to return to their original position.

Such activity worries parents and, in order to prevent the baby from falling off the sofa or bed, they begin to lay it out on the floor. A huge territory for exploration opens up before the baby, which stimulates him to frequently turn over in order to get to any object. When lying on its back, the baby begins to raise its shoulders and head, as if trying to sit up. However, such attempts are unlikely to ever succeed. After all, as practice shows, babies sit upside down, leaning on their hips. Obviously, at this age the baby is not yet able to independently assume a vertical position.

Parents should refrain from forcing their child to sit down against a support, so as not to harm him.

Dr. Komarovsky, pediatrician of the highest category: “If the child is healthy, all that is required from mom and dad is to create favorable conditions for his development. If doctors have not identified any significant abnormalities in the baby (neuralgia or problems with the musculoskeletal system), then he will certainly sit down. And it will happen by itself. Parents need to understand that the process of sitting does not bring any benefit to the baby. On the contrary, the later the vertical load on the spine appears, the stronger the baby’s legs and the straighter the back will be. Therefore, the main task of parents in relation to the issue of sitting a child is not to help.”

Preparing to crawl

At 4 months, the baby develops certain inclinations to crawl. Lying on his stomach, he raises his butt and tries to push off the surface with his legs. Some babies even begin to move on their bellies. At the same time, it is much easier for children to crawl backwards than forwards, because it requires less effort. To motivate your baby to move, you should use his favorite toys located at a short distance from the baby.

Vision and hearing

Vision

A four-month-old baby is particularly attracted to bright and moving objects.

If previously the baby could distinguish them only at a distance of 35-70 cm, now his visibility zone has increased to 3-3.5 m. This allows the baby not only to look around the room, but also to admire the view from the window. When the weather is favorable for walks, parents need to take the baby out of the stroller more often and introduce him to the world around him. If it’s too cold or cloudy outside, you should arrange tours around the apartment, not forgetting to go to the window from time to time.

Hearing

At four months, babies hear sounds as clearly as adults.

The little ones react to them accordingly. When they hear loud, harsh or unfamiliar sounds, they may become frightened and begin to cry. Therefore, parents should avoid sorting things out in front of their child. At this age, the baby already reacts to music and understands the emotional connotation of speech. Listening to classical works, mother's lullabies, children's fairy tales and poems will benefit the baby. All this will contribute to the development of the baby’s phonetic hearing, which will affect his ability to remember.

Speech development

Four-month-old babies begin to pronounce the first syllables, such as “ba”, “pa”, “ma”.

Many adults think that the baby is about to start talking. But this is still a long way off. Humming and babbling are obligatory companions for a baby who is in a great mood. When pronouncing sounds, the child tries to reproduce the articulation of adults with his lips. He is already able to encourage parents to communicate, smiling at them and “talking” in his own language.

Lyudmila, mother of four-month-old Sofia: “My baby stubbornly did not want to communicate with me until she was three months old. My friends’ newborn babies began to chatter at 3-4 weeks, but mine was silent until the very end. I heard my first “aha” from my daughter at three months and ten days. She immediately began to respond to her sounds and we began a “conversation.” Now the baby, if she is in a good mood, literally does not shut up for a minute. She's become such a chatterbox! And I'm glad. I try to maintain this sociability in her.”

Child development chart at 4 months

We looked at the answer to the question of what a child should be able to do at 4 months. The table for the further development of the baby may also be useful to parents:

Social skills	A “revival complex” often occurs Laughs loudly in response to an adult's address Able to distinguish “friends” from “strangers”
Psychological and emotional development	Expresses emotions not only in response to physical stimuli (hunger, cold, heat), but also to events and adult behavior
Physical activity	Can turn on its side Raises himself from a lying position on his stomach on his arms Leaning on his palms, he can independently roll over from his back to his stomach. Movements become voluntary - he reaches out and takes only the object that is interesting Supports his legs firmly from a lying and standing position when an adult holds him under the armpits
Vision and hearing	Able to recognize faces, favorite toys and react with joyful excitement Sees a large object at a distance of 3 m from himself Able to follow a moving object Turns head towards invisible sound source Reacts differently to calm and dancing melodies
Speech development	Developed intonation (singing) humming The first syllables of babble appear

It is possible that the four-month-old toddler has not yet had time to master all the skills listed in the corresponding row of the table. Many babies begin babbling and rolling over around 6 months. Many skills will certainly come with time, so parents should not sound the alarm and rush things.

Deviations from development norms

First of all, it is worth remembering that all children are individual. Each of them has its own pace of development, which determines the physical and emotional activity of the baby.

Deviations from the norm of 1.5-2 months are quite acceptable.

However, if the gap from peers becomes more significant, parents should show the baby to specialists. A justifiable cause for concern for adults should be the absence of more than half of the skills listed above. You should sound the alarm if by the age of four months the baby:

• does not show physical activity;
• does not hold the head independently;
• does not hum;
• does not respond to his name and extraneous sounds;
• smiles rarely and completely unconsciously;
• does not try to roll over;
• completely indifferent to toys.

The presence of such deviations indicates a slow development of the baby. In this case, parents need to seek help from specialists, primarily a pediatrician and neurologist. If deviations from the norms occur, but are not too significant, parents need to pay close attention to the development of the baby. Let's look at this issue in more detail.

Schedule

By four months, the baby becomes more active, and the time of his continuous daytime wakefulness increases to 2-3 hours.

He eats, walks, communicates and plays with his parents, and learns new skills. Four-month-old babies are fed according to a previously developed regimen. The continuous night sleep of a bottle-fed baby is no longer 4-6, but 7-10 hours. Babies periodically wake up to eat.

Svetlana, mother of six-month-old Kirill: “At four months, my son slept three times during the day, but not for long, only 30-40 minutes. Even while walking I woke up after half an hour. But at night we went to bed at 7-8 pm and slept until the morning. Since birth, my son has been bottle-fed, and from the age of 3 months he stopped eating at night. At first I was worried about this and tried to slip the baby a bottle. But he stubbornly spat it out and with all his appearance showed displeasure that he was disturbed. Soon I gave up trying to feed my son at night.”

How to develop a child at home

Developmental activities and games should become a mandatory part of the child’s daily routine.

They must be carried out when the baby is cheerful, active and in a good mood. In this state, the baby readily makes contact and interacts with parents with great pleasure. As an example, consider several games and exercises:

Physical development

Ball games

This exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the baby’s arms, legs and abdomen, and develop tactile sensations. To complete this you will need an inflatable beach ball. Having placed the baby on his back, you should lift the object above him, swing and rotate it. The baby will reach out to the ball and try to grab it. If a child cannot hold a toy, you need to help him with this. You can also use the baby's legs. After all, holding the ball with four limbs at once is much more convenient. Next, you should bring the ball to the child’s legs so that he begins to push it away. If the baby does not make such attempts, you need to help him hit the object.

Coups

As a rule, at 3-5 months, babies begin to master the skill of turning from back to stomach. Parents can speed up this process by using this simple exercise. Having laid the baby on his back, you need to bend his leg at the knee joint and move him in the direction of the inversion so that it comes into contact with the surface. The baby, by inertia, will begin to pull the handle in the same direction. Having given him your finger to grab, you should wait until the baby pulls himself up and rolls over on his tummy. If the baby is lazy, you can help him a little by dragging the little one along with your hand.

Stimulating the “revitalization complex”

Place the baby on the changing table, smile, lean towards him and move away, reading the rhyme. Perform all the actions of the rhyme (stretch, turn, show the toy):

We woke up
Stretched out
From side to side
Turn around!
Stretches!
Stretches!
Where are the toys?
Rattles?
You are a toy, rattle
(Child's name) pick it up!

Development of fine motor skills

Sensory box

You can advise parents to make an educational toy for their baby using a cardboard box of milk or kefir. This will be a cube with the inner sides covered with various materials and details. The two sides of the product should be equipped with small holes into which the baby can put his hands. The inside of the cube can be covered with bows, fleecy and smooth fabrics, foil, sewn on cardboard with laces and buttons, etc. The result is an excellent toy for developing fine motor skills of a toddler. Over time, the baby will learn to hold it with one hand and feel the parts inside with the other. You can take this cube with you on the road to distract your baby at the right time.

Vision development

Hide and seek

This game is very popular with a 4 month old baby. There are several ways to do it. The choice of the appropriate option depends on the preferences of the baby. Covering your face with your palms, you need to ask the baby “Where is mommy?”, and then after a while remove your hands and say “Cuckoo!” After doing this several times, you should change roles with the child. Now he will find himself with his eyes closed, and his mother will look for him. You can also hide under a scarf or peek out from behind furniture from different sides. Four-month-old boys and girls watch with interest the movements of adults and even try to independently remove the cloth thrown over their faces.

Hearing development

You will need different musical instruments and toys: a bell, a pipe, a tambourine, a rattle, a tumbler. Ring the bell to the right and left of the baby at a distance of 60-70 cm so that he can see them. Watch your child: he must listen carefully. Let the sound fade, say: “This is a bell. It rings ding!” Do the same with other tools.

Speech development (stimulating babbling)

Take your baby in your arms, facing you. Do speech therapy exercises:

• stick out your relaxed tongue and swing it left and right;
• puff out your cheeks and snort;
• stretch your lips with a tube and blow.

After a while, the baby will begin to repeat after you.

To stimulate the development of a child’s speech at 4 months, you need to show an example of pronouncing sounds and syllables. Start with singing “a-a-a-o-o-o”, “y-y-y-a-a-a”. Then add consonants: “la-la-la”, “ta-ta-ta”, “da-da-da”, etc.

Conclusion

A four-month-old baby already has a fairly extensive list of skills. He can purposefully grab objects and perform various manipulations with them, communicate with his parents in his own language, and consciously show various emotions. The baby is able to stay awake for several hours, devoting this time to studying the world around him and improving new skills. These processes require the direct participation of parents, who will push the baby to new achievements.

Video on the topic

A four-month-old baby is very different from a newborn. By this age, children are already noticeably maturing compared to the first months after birth, changing externally, physically and psychologically.

Body proportions change slightly: the difference in the volume of the head and chest, which is striking in the first months of life, gradually decreases, the limbs become longer. In general, body proportions are slowly approaching those of an adult. In addition, by the age of four months, the baby “eats up” his cheeks and turns into a nice, plump toddler.

New skills are also emerging. The baby masters different ways of studying the world around him, begins to actively interact with it, and masters new actions. All this happens against the background of improving the organs of movement, senses and nervous system. Let's talk in more detail about what a child can do at 4 months.

Skills of a four month old baby

• At four months, the grasping reflex fades and grasping becomes voluntary. This means that previously the child reflexively clenched his fist as soon as something touched his palm, but now he squeezes the object with his hand when he wants to take it. Arbitrariness of movements is a great progress in development, because this means that the child is already trying to learn to control his body and coordinate movements. If we talk about grasping, then for a child this is a new, much more complex chain of nerve impulses, the trigger of which is the child’s interest in the subject. ()
• When a child picks up some interesting object, he no longer just holds it, but tries to perform various manipulations, examines it, and always puts it into his mouth. The baby may try to knock with an object or touch parts with his fingers. This is a natural and very important stage of cognition. True, at four months, coordination of movements is still very far from ideal, especially since the hand muscles are still poorly developed, so the child cannot hold anything for very long.
• At the age of 4 months, many babies master not only the ability to roll over onto their stomach, but also in the opposite direction. Usually, when a child has a whole set of flips in his arsenal, parents move the child to the floor to avoid falling. So much the better for the child, because he now has a huge space to explore. With the help of flips, children will learn to move around the room and even get to objects of interest. (Read in detail:)
• Lying on his back, a four-month-old baby tries to raise his head and shoulders, as if trying to sit up. In fact, rarely do any children sit down from a “lying down” position; most children begin to sit as if from the side, leaning on their hip. Previously, it was believed that at 4 months a child should be seated. Attempts to rise from a horizontal position only increase the desire to get the baby to sit down as quickly as possible. Today, orthopedists categorically do not recommend sitting children down until they begin to sit up on their own, and even more so, there is no need to offer the baby soft pillows as support. The seat support should be firm at any age. (Reading the article:)
• The child also demonstrates new skills while lying on his tummy. We are talking about the makings of crawling. At 4 months, the child can lift his butt and push off with his legs. Some people really crawl on their bellies. By the way, for many children it is easier to crawl backward than forward at first. You can motivate your baby to crawl with his favorite toys placed in front of him at an accessible distance. At the same time, the baby must still be able to carry out his plans and reach for the toy, otherwise interest in such fun will quickly fade away.()
• Innovations are emerging in the areas of vision and hearing. If previously the child could clearly see objects located within 50-70 cm from him, now he can see well at a distance of 3-3.5 meters. This means that your baby can easily look around the room or enjoy the view from the window. Hearing also becomes more subtle. The child begins to distinguish sounds well, respond to the sounds of music, and understand the emotional coloring of sounds. The most pleasant sound for a child, of course, is the mother’s voice.
• Speech development is very closely related to hearing. From four months, the child can already pronounce syllables, which are often mistaken for the first words. These can be the syllables “pa”, “ma”, “ba”. With his lips, the baby tries to reproduce the articulation of adults. Humming and babbling are becoming more frequent. Kids “talk” especially a lot when they are in a good mood. At that stage, emotional communication between an adult and a child is very important. At 4 months, children themselves are able to initiate this communication, calling on their mother for contact with the help of smiles and their “words.”
• Social development also does not stand still. The main figures in a child's life are undoubtedly the parents. By four months, the child already begins to distinguish between “us” and “strangers”. Moreover, even very close relatives can fall into the category of “strangers” if the baby rarely sees them. Usually, the toddler expresses his preference by the fact that in the presence of a stranger or little-known person, the baby shows anxiety, cries, and tenses his whole body. By and large, a child at this age allows into his circle of affections only those whom he sees daily or at least every other day. The fact is that the little man’s memorization and long-term memory are not very well developed, so for him there is only what he sees at the moment. Therefore, relatives who appear in front of the child sporadically are perceived as new people each time.

In this article we looked at what a 4 month old baby should be able to do. This set of skills is conditional for 4 months, since each child develops certain “skills” in accordance with his own pace of development. There are still many new discoveries and achievements ahead, so it is better not to rush things and enjoy the gradual growing up with your baby.