The baby is 1 month old. Mental development of a child

The newborn period is over and the baby has already mastered the new world for him. What did the child learn in the first month of life, what skills did he begin to possess, and how can parents contribute to the further development of a 1-month-old baby?

Physical development at 1 month

The average weight gain of a one-month-old baby compared to birth weight is considered to be 600 grams. The baby's height increases by an average of three centimeters in the first month.

These are average indicators and the development of each baby is individual, however, there are normal limits, if beyond which the child should be examined by a doctor.

The first weighing of the baby was still in the maternity hospital. Now you need to track your weight dynamics

The physical development indicators of a one-month-old baby are presented in the following table.

What can the baby do?

Here are the skills that a baby masters by 1 month of age:

• Holding the head. The baby, being in a tummy position, can raise its head and hold it for up to 5 seconds.
• Fixation of gaze. The child peers not only at stationary objects and the adult’s face, but also at moving objects, if they are large and bright.
• Development of vision. The baby can already distinguish between red, black, yellow and white, as well as cells and lines. In addition, a baby at 1 month already recognizes its mother.
• Reaction to sound. When a baby hears a loud or sharp sound, he flinches or freezes. Sometimes the sound frightens the baby so much that it causes the baby to cry.
• Booming. You will hear sounds similar to “gu” or “ga” from your one-month-old toddler, which is why this baby’s first speech is also called a coo.

The baby has changed a lot since birth

About what a baby should be able to do at 1 month, see the following video by Nikolai Nikonov, a leading doctor and massage therapist in Russia.

Can a baby smile?

A conscious smile is one of the most pleasant skills that a child masters in the first month of life. The more often a mother smiles at her baby, the faster she will see a charming smile in return. In addition, the smile will be accompanied by other manifestations of the baby's animation - the child will move his legs and arms, as well as babble.

Note that you can see a newborn smiling from the first days of life, but a baby’s first smiles are involuntary. First, the mother will notice that the baby smiles in her sleep, and a little later - when bathing or after feeding. These are all variants of a physiological smile. But closer to 1 month, the baby’s smile begins to have social content. It becomes a response to contact with mom or another loved one.

Care

The mother needs to always be close to the baby and immediately respond to the baby’s needs.

Take the baby in your arms more often, remembering to support his head, talk to the little one and don’t worry that in this way you will accustom the baby to your hands and raise an egoist. On the contrary, studies have shown that babies who are held less frequently by their mothers cry more often and for longer periods of time in an attempt to get their mother's attention. If the baby knows that his mother is always nearby, then he will not scream again.

The baby behaves much calmer in the presence of his mother

Caring for a 1 month old baby includes the following actions:

• Hygiene procedures - washing, caring for ears and eyes, washing, cutting nails, combing.
• Bathing.
• Walks in the open air.
• Massage.
• Air baths.

When changing your baby, make sure that your hands are not cold or wet, as 1-month-old babies are very sensitive to tactile sensations.

How to promote development?

Since the periods of wakefulness for a 1-month-old baby are still very short, the mother should wisely manage her time so as to have time to communicate with the baby, and carry out hygiene procedures, and give a massage, and swim in the bath, and devote a minute to the development of the baby. The mother’s well-being is important, so it is necessary to set aside time for proper rest while the baby is sleeping.

All development exercises should take place in your free time. These are just recommendations, your well-being and good mood are most important for the baby

A 1-month-old child studies surrounding objects, both stationary and moving, as well as the sounds of the surrounding world. What developmental activities are available at this age? Firstly, communication with the baby for the development of his emotional and mental sphere. Secondly, stimulation of the child’s vision, tactile receptors and hearing. And thirdly, helping to hold the head, for which the baby is often laid on his tummy and held in a column.

Here are some actions that will help in the development of a month-old baby:

• To help your baby focus his gaze, Show the baby a large toy, wait for the baby to look at it, and then slowly move it to the side, ensuring that the baby’s gaze remains focused on the toy.
• Repeat the same steps with the rattle, which makes soft sounds. Do this with your baby 1-2 times a day for up to 2 minutes per session.
• You can also play classical music for your little one. or recordings of various musical instruments. Let your baby listen to music for up to 10 minutes every day.
• Hang a mobile with large toys in the crib(3-4 pieces) and a pleasant melody. You can also place the baby on a development mat.
• Talk to your baby constantly. And do it so that the baby sees your facial expressions. This way you will stimulate both the child’s hearing and the development of the baby’s speech. In response to the mother’s affectionate speech, the baby will quickly begin to respond with a revival complex and a conscious smile.

Let not only the mother, but also the father play with the baby, because their communication with the baby is different, which allows the baby to absorb the best from each of them.

Involve dad in playing and kissing the baby

Games in 1 month

For physical development:

• Having laid the baby on his back, take the child by the arms, lift them up by his head, then lower them down, then cross them over his chest and spread them apart. With your baby's legs you can imitate the movement of a bicycle. During such gymnastics, hum a pleasant song.
• With the baby on his tummy, show him the toy and lift it up, encouraging the baby to raise his head. You can also place the baby on your stomach and call the baby by name so that the baby raises his head and starts looking at your face. Such activities will improve the development of his muscles.
• Gently touch your baby while bathing, accompanying this light massage with a quiet song. After bathing the baby, wrap the baby in a towel, hiding your face behind its edge, then look out from behind the towel and say “peek-a-boo.”

For vision development:

• Make a kind of “doll” out of a paper plate. To do this, draw a face and attach a handle to the plate so that you can hold and move it. Show the “doll” to the baby from a distance of 25 cm and wait for the baby to start watching the plate.
• Lean over your baby so that his gaze is fixed on your face, and then slowly move to the side. The baby will follow you by turning its head.
• You need to sew an elastic band to a small toy and hang the toy over the child. Then make the rubber toy “bounce” up and down in front of your baby. Soon the child will not only look at the bouncing toy, but also try to grab it with his hands.
• Show your baby a bright toy at a distance of 30 cm from his face, then slowly move the object horizontally. Noticing that the child is looking at the toy, then move it vertically, and finally move the object in a circle.
• While feeding, place a bright scarf or towel over your shoulder. The baby will look from your face to this bright object.

Even your affectionate speech develops the child, give more compliments to the baby

To develop other senses:

• Read nursery rhymes to your baby to develop your baby's hearing and sense of rhythm. You can introduce your baby to your favorite rhymes or come up with your own. You can take any song as a basis and change the words to your taste.
• Tie a little bell to the booties. While moving its legs, the baby will hear a ringing sound and listen to it.
• When your baby is in the crib, talk to your baby as you move around the room. This will stimulate both the baby's hearing and vision at the same time.
• Gently massage each finger on your baby's legs and arms. Touch the baby not only with your hands, but also with a piece of cotton wool, a soft brush, or a mitten made of terry, wool or other fabric.
• Dip cotton balls into mild scented liquids, such as mint or vanilla eau de toilette. By letting your baby smell such a ball, you will stimulate the baby's sense of smell.

Massage also contributes to a child's development. To learn how to do it correctly, see the following video by Nikolai Nikonov.

Exercises in the water

Among the activities that stimulate the development of a 1-month-old baby are swimming. It can be carried out both in the pool (under the supervision of an instructor) and in the bath at home. Thanks to exercises in water, the baby's vestibular system will be stimulated. For swimming, buy your baby a special inflatable ring that supports the baby under the neck.

After filling a full bath of warm water, lower the child with the circle into the water and wait until the baby gets comfortable. Literally one or two swims, and the baby will begin to enjoy such activities, and the mother will be able to simply watch the baby and catch the brightest moments for a photo.

Lower your baby into the water carefully, starting from the heels, taking into account the sensitivity of babies to changes in the temperature of the surrounding world. If your baby reacts negatively to the first baths, try immersing yourself in the bath with your baby. Place the baby on your chest, carefully pour water over the baby's body and show the toys.

You can add chamomile infusion to the water, which will soothe the skin and set the child up for a good night's sleep.

Show your little one that he can push his feet off the walls of the bathtub. Turn the floating baby so that its bent legs rest against the side and wait until the baby pushes off and swims back a little. At the opposite edge of the bath, turn the baby around and repeat the exercise.

An interesting exercise for babies in the first month while swimming is walking along the bottom of the bathtub. Hold the baby under the armpits and slightly tilt forward, stimulating the walking reflex for a few seconds. Next, let the baby swim on its back for a little while.

Common problems

Deviations from the norm that parents can identify at 1 month:

• Increased or decreased muscle tone in the child. Asymmetry of muscle tone is also possible.
• Jaundice. In some children, it does not go away by a month, which requires consultation with a pediatrician.
• Colic. They appear by the third week of life in many babies and cause great discomfort in the baby.
• Insufficient weight gain, which can be associated both with problems in organizing breastfeeding and with illnesses of the baby.

For any of these problems, the child should be shown to a doctor and told about the warning symptoms.

The behavior of a newborn in the first weeks of life is just a chain of reactions to the rapidly changing sensations that the world around him gives him. The baby has instincts, reflexes, sensory organs, but he has neither knowledge nor experience, he does not yet know that he is himself, and not part of the world around him.

In his system of thinking there is no cause and effect - events happen as if on their own, independently of each other. Whether a child hears his own crying, or calms down when he touches his mother’s breast, everything in this world happens unexpectedly for him. Perhaps both the crying and the feeling of hunger disappear because mom came? Only after some time a connection between these events is built in the baby’s mind.

Gradually, the baby begins to intuitively feel safe, feeling a loved one nearby. The day will come when you too will feel that the child has ceased to be an unknown and unpredictable creature for you. As soon as this happens, know that your baby has finally adapted to life outside the mother’s body, he is no longer a newborn, he is a baby!

No one except the parents themselves can determine when this will happen. With the onset of this period, the child’s trust in you increases, and your confidence in your abilities grows. It is during these first weeks that a bond of love is formed between you and your baby. Throughout his life, the child will draw energy from them and build relationships with the outside world on their basis.

Learning to understand each other

The period of infancy is the time when both the child and the parents adapt to each other. An integral part of this process is the baby’s self-regulation. He learns to independently regulate the degree of his activity, so as to smoothly transition from sleep to wakefulness and vice versa.

In the first weeks after the birth of your baby, you will spend a lot of energy trying to help your baby master these transitional states. During periods of wakefulness, the baby reacts to sounds, looks intently at faces and objects in front of him - his energy is aimed at perceiving information. It is at these moments that parents have the opportunity to engage and communicate with the baby.

However, too intense exercise can tire your child out. If his mouth wrinkles, his fists clench, and he nervously moves his legs, then it’s time to rest. Periods of activity and rest in the life of a little man should alternate. By properly organizing your daily routine, you will help your baby naturally move from one state to another.

After feeding, for example, you can hold him in an upright position, leaning him against your shoulder, or pick him up and gently rock him. If your baby is screaming, help him calm down. But remember that each child requires an individual approach.

Some children become quiet if their parents carefully take them in their arms or wrap them in a warm, soft blanket. Others, on the contrary, become irritated by any restriction of freedom and calm down much more quickly when they are placed on a flat surface, without covering or impeding their movements.

Sounds, as well as movements, have a calming effect on children. Some people calm down faster when they hear a clock ticking, etc. Others respond better to soft talking, monotone singing, or whispering. There are also children who like music - lullabies, recordings of classical works, etc.

There are two ways in which a child can communicate his internal state - smiling and crying. In the first weeks of a baby’s life, they appear as if by themselves and reflect a reaction to the physiological processes occurring inside his body.

A cry is a sign of discomfort or pain, a smile is evidence that the baby is calm and enjoying himself. Gradually the balance begins to shift. Crying and smiling are increasingly regulated by external factors, and as a result, the child begins, of course, without words, to communicate with his parents.

The first wandering smile appears on the baby's face during sleep. At the age of two weeks, the newborn begins to smile not only in his sleep, the smile can also be seen after feeding. By the third or fourth week, qualitative changes occur in the smile. The child already reacts to the parents’ voice, establishes visual contact with them and, in the end, rewards the adults with a completely conscious smile.

But if your baby, even despite the caring attitude of adults, is not easy to calm down, do not lose confidence in yourself. Remember that the baby’s increased excitability often depends on the internal physiological processes occurring in his body. Through trial and error, you gain experience and find your own ways to calm your son or daughter.

Motor skills of a baby at 1 month

We tend to think that all newborns begin their development from the same starting point, but infants differ markedly from each other in their level of motor activity. Some are surprisingly lethargic and passive, others, on the contrary, show noticeable activity. If such a child is placed face down in a crib, he will slowly but persistently move towards the head of the bed until he hits the very corner.

Another important difference in newborns is the level of muscle tone. Some children look very tense: their knees are constantly bent, their arms are pressed tightly to their body, their fingers are tightly clenched into fists. Others are more relaxed, the muscle tone of their limbs is not so strong.

The third difference is the degree of development of the sensory-motor system. It is very easy to throw someone out of balance: with any, even insignificant noise, the baby shudders with his whole body, and his arms and legs begin to move randomly. And some people seem to know from birth how to put their hand in their mouth, and often do this to calm themselves down.

The different levels of development of motor skills, muscle tone and sensory-motor system that are observed in newborns reflect features in the organization of the nervous system. Active, well-developed children with normal muscle tone are considered “light.”

It is more difficult for parents of passive, lethargic babies, as well as for mothers and fathers of children with too tense muscle tone, which is observed in 1 month of life. Fortunately, thanks to the caring care and patience of their parents, most children overcome these difficulties and quickly catch up with their peers in their development.

I see, I hear, I feel...

A child is born with a certain set of reactions that help him adapt to the world around him. He squints his eyes when a bright light comes on or an object comes close to his face. At a short distance, he can follow with his gaze a moving object or a human face.

The baby even shows certain preferences among what he sees. Typically, babies are particularly attracted to moving objects and black and white combinations. By the way, to stimulate vision development, try walking around at home in vests!

The newborn also has remarkable hearing. Did you know that a child is able to distinguish a human voice from any other sound? However, although a newborn can perceive sound and turn in the direction from which it is coming, his visual and auditory systems are not sufficiently coordinated.

If a child hears a noise whose source is directly in front of him, he will not instinctively look for it. Such coordination takes time to develop. By giving the baby the opportunity to get acquainted with objects that attract his attention both by their appearance and their sound, parents lay the foundation in the baby’s mind for the ability to connect what he sees with what he hears.

A newborn also has access to other sensations. For example, he turns away from strong and pungent odors and reacts to all kinds of touches. While vigorous rubbing with a terry towel excites the baby, a gentle massage can put him to sleep. It is especially pleasant for the baby to feel the touch of human skin.

Activities with a 1 month old baby

The newborn sleeps most of the time. Periods of active wakefulness, when he is ready to perceive new information, are rare and short-lived. Therefore, you should not plan activities with your baby in advance, just do not miss the opportunity.

When your child is awake, try to vary his positions. Let him lie on his stomach for a while, then on his back or side. Being in different positions, the baby will learn to move his arms and legs. Enjoy the time you spend with your loved one. Laugh and have fun with him.

Don't be afraid to spoil your child. Try to quickly fulfill his wishes. If you give your baby enough attention when he needs it, he won't bother you too much. First of all, a baby needs human warmth, so he loves to be held. If a baby is rarely held, he may become lethargic and apathetic.

How long has your entire family been waiting for this moment, and now it has come! Finally you are home, and your newborn baby is with you. Watching this real miracle of nature, lying in the crib in the frog position, you are trying to guess what can be expected from the baby at every moment of his life. Arms bent at the elbows, legs spread apart - the whole body seems to have increased tone. Don't worry - this is a normal reaction of the child - the desire to return to the usual intrauterine position. But what will happen next? Is he developing normally, how should he breathe, should he urinate and eat often?

Millions of questions arise. Let's try to listen to the advice of doctors and experienced mothers. In the first month, the baby grows by 3 centimeters, and the weight can increase by 600 grams, and this takes into account the fact that in the first few days the child loses 10% of body weight due to the restructuring of blood circulation, activation of the immune system, the start of the digestive system, kidneys and etc. At this time, the child sleeps almost all the time - up to 17-20 hours a day, often in short intervals. All babies sleep differently, some fall asleep right during feeding.

Baby development at 1 month

Nature made sure that our children, acting on the basis of unconditioned reflexes, could survive, adapt to conditions, and prepare for the development of non-reflex movements. In the first month of life, the baby has a sucking reflex, with the help of which it receives nutrition. Try to move your finger around the mouth - the baby will exhibit sucking movements. When you touch the cheek, he will turn the head, and when positioned on his stomach, he will already be able to turn the head to provide himself with free access to air for breathing. By one month, the baby will be able to grab onto your finger, so tightly that it can even be slightly lifted in this way.

If you place it vertically so that its feet touch the surface, its feet will take several steps. The main thing is that he does not cross his legs, otherwise you need to consult a neurologist. Month-old babies hardly hear, but at sudden ringing sounds they spread their arms and legs. If he reacts this way to minor noises, this may indicate increased excitability. The baby also confidently reacts to pressure on the heel and palm, and while lying on his stomach, makes swimming movements. In the first months, the baby grows faster than it ever has in his life compared to his weight.

Child care at 1 month

1. Of course, at this time, his whole life depends on caring for the child. All his work is to suck milk, but he still does not know how to do this correctly, sucking in air along with food. He tries to get rid of it by regurgitation. To make it easier for the baby to cope with this, every 5-10 minutes when feeding, change the breasts or the position of the bottle every 50 grams. Place him upright and wait until he burps, then continue feeding.

2. Help your baby get rid of bloating, which affects all newborns to varying degrees. To do this, massage with your palms clockwise. Another way is to place your tummy on your chest and stroke the back. During the day you need to do such procedures several times. In more complex cases, dill water and a gas outlet tube are used.

3. Keep an eye on the umbilical cord - it falls off between the first and second week. It is necessary to properly treat the umbilical wound so that it does not become red or swollen.
4. Inspect the fontanelles - the spaces where the cranial bones meet the connecting membranes. They need to be washed during bathing; by 3 months a small one will be delayed, and by 18 months a large one will be developed.

5. Examine boys while they cry - there should be no noticeable reactions in the navel, scrotum or groin area. Tumors and protrusions may indicate the presence of an umbilical hernia.
6. Perform a massage for 10 minutes to strengthen the baby’s muscles and stimulate his physical development, time - half an hour after feeding. Walking in the fresh air is very important.

7. Particular attention should be paid to skin care; in the first months it is tender and sensitive, and is also exposed to urine and feces. You need to use soft materials and dry diapers, lubricate the skin with baby oil and powder.

8. Girls are washed from front to back, after each diaper or diaper change. The boy needs to be washed as well, but every 10 days, wash the foreskin with plain water without soap. Babies need to be bathed daily.

Nutrition for a 1 month old baby

Nature has not yet come up with better nutrition than breast milk. It is able to fully cover all human nutritional needs in the first six months. But if for some reason lactation is not established, you can successfully use adapted milk formulas. Mixed options are also possible, when if there is a lack of milk, the baby can be supplemented with formula.

It is better to put your baby to the breast more often to stimulate lactation. Today, in the nutritional regime, priority is given to free feeding, in other words, “feeding on demand,” while the main volume of milk is absorbed by the baby in the first 5-10 minutes of feeding. If the baby is not energetic and falls asleep during feeding, it is better to wake him up and encourage him to suck, so that not only satiety occurs, but also weight gain.

1 month old baby's daily routine

Proper organization of the daily routine is part of caring for the baby. Newborns live according to their own special regime - they want to eat every 2-3 hours and almost always sleep the rest of the time. This is required by their physiological needs. At 1 month the child already needs help. The baby can be awake at any time of the day, and it is not always daytime. The routine may get confused if the child confuses night and day, and then the mother will have a hard time.

At the age of 1 month, sleep duration is 18-19 hours, wakefulness intervals are from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. It is advisable to feed the baby 7 times a day and from 19.00 to 6.00 put the baby to bed for a night's sleep. During a six-time feeding, a night's sleep occurs already on the sixth feeding. From the very first days, every morning you need to wash your baby, clean his ears and nose.

Activities with a 1 month old baby

You can use bathing and interesting exercises to develop your child. If you are bathing in the bath, you can take your baby with you and place him on your chest with the back of his head. Hold the tummy with your left hand, use your right hand to show rattles or pour water. Connect dad. Roll your baby in the water, rocking up and down, just hold him by the chin and turn him in different directions.

Let him push off the side of the bathtub with his heels, bring him closer to the edges so that he rests with his feet. A few springy movements will help your baby understand how to behave. Another exercise - hold the child vertically so that he rests his legs on the bottom - let him step over - as if he were walking. Then turn him on his back and let him swim. The “sea pitching” exercise perfectly strengthens and develops the vestibular apparatus.

Games and toys for 1 month old babies

Of course, in the first month the baby is not yet ready for games and entertainment, just talk to him in a voice with a different timbre, involve dad, tell the baby stories about how he was expected and how welcome he is. Carry in your arms and stroke parts of your body. The first toys are light rattles and a mobile suspended above the crib. You can show the baby squeakers and shake the rattles in front of his eyes with different intensities. Kids love music - dance with him, holding him vertically - at the same time, gas prevention is carried out. Lean towards him more often, let him look at your face, introduce him to family members and loved ones.

Games and exercises: 1 month

When your child is awake, try to play with him and do some useful exercises. Stop activities if your baby cries.
1. With the baby on his back, give him your thumbs, and when he grabs them, spread his arms to the sides and shake him slightly.
2. Drawing figure eights on your feet when bathing gives a good effect.
3. Stroke your baby’s forehead from the middle to the temporal lobes.
4. The simplest massage of fingers on handles and knives.
5. Stroking the baby from the chest to the shoulders.
6. Stroke the leg from the foot to the thigh, holding the heel with the other hand.
7. Gentle hand massage from hand to shoulder.
Children perceive the melodic music of Mozart, Strauss, Haydn, Vivaldi well; while listening, the child’s physiological processes are normalized. Children also love to listen to a person’s voice, so talk to him as much as possible, change intonations, greet when coming closer, and change the timbre of your voice.

Medical observation for 1 month

Children all develop according to their own program, but by the end of the first month they should have mastered some general skills. In addition to caring for the fontanelle and umbilical cord, medical supervision at this time consists of monitoring how the baby develops.

At 1 month, babies can already:
- raise your head while lying on your tummy;
- blink and flinch at sudden sounds;
- listen to sounds, distinguish the mother’s voice, turn the head towards the sound;
- fix your gaze on the face inclined towards him;
- when moving an object smoothly, follow it with your gaze;
- make sounds “o”, “a”, “u”;
- grab a finger or rattle.

In order for both mother and child to be in a good mood, the whole family should take care of a favorable state, be calm and not show nervousness. It is better to carry the baby in your arms - this way he will feel the beating of mom or dad's heart, smell it - this calms him down. It is very important to create tactile contact, monitor the temperature of the room, massage and lay the baby on his tummy.

Sing him songs and tell him sayings and nursery rhymes - he will respond to sounds and will soon try to enter into a dialogue. He will quickly begin to walk and coo meaningfully. Bright and contrasting toys develop vision and perception. As soon as he begins to focus his attention, move the toys so that he follows them as they move. By talking to him as often as possible and maintaining eye contact, you will soon notice that your baby is smiling at you.

There will be hundreds of months and dozens of years in the life of this person, but the FIRST month is four weeks of special responsibility and attention of parents, it is thirty days of new sensations and recognition of this world by the baby, new extraordinary impressions and experiences of mom and dad.

Physical development

There will be hundreds of months and dozens of years in the life of this person, but the first month is four weeks of special responsibility and attention of parents, thirty days of new sensations and recognition of this world by the baby, new extraordinary impressions and experiences of mom and dad. This is the month when new life literally and figuratively flows into your home. In the maternity hospital, like the shot of a starting pistol, the cry of a new citizen of our planet is heard. The start has been given, and ahead is a marathon distance of a lifetime.

During the first month after birth, the baby is usually called a newborn. Only after being born, after a difficult first breath and a deafening birth catharsis, the baby’s organs and systems begin to actively adapt to extrauterine life. Immediately in the maternity hospital, according to the rules, in the first 12 hours of life, the newborn is given the first vaccination against viral hepatitis in his life, and within 3–7 days he is vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG). The next vaccination will be a booster vaccination against hepatitis B at 1 month of age.

The circulatory system is significantly reconstructed, red blood cells with the fetal type of hemoglobin (also called fetal) are rapidly destroyed, now irrelevant for the body, the immune system is activated, the kidneys, digestive and endocrine systems of the child, and his skin, respiratory tract and intestines solve their first problems for the first time they encounter previously unfamiliar microbes.

It is possible that in the first week after birth, the baby will lose about ten percent of its body weight. This is a consequence of the newborn’s body adapting to the extrauterine environment. Parents should not panic or worry about this. In the future, the baby will quickly recover and gain weight. In the first week, the entire body of the newborn works under great stress, and a more stable and calm state occurs only at the beginning of the second week.

Indicators of a child from birth to 1 month

Growth chart and

And a weight chart

Height

3.330-3.530 kg

Head circumference

Chest circumference

The baby spends a significant part of the day (up to 20 hours) sleeping during the first month. A newborn, as a rule, sleeps in the frog position, that is, lying on his back, with his arms bent at the elbows and raised up, and with his legs bent at the knee joints and spread apart.

During this period, a newborn has five sleep states:

• deep sleep, when the baby is absolutely relaxed, breathing slowly and evenly, eyes closed and face relaxed;
• shallow sleep, when the child has more rapid, not quite even breathing, possible twitching of the arms and legs, you can see how the eyeballs move under the eyelids;
• a drowsy state that occurs during feeding or before falling asleep, characterized by half-closed eyes;
• wakefulness, when the baby is active, makes movements with the whole body, arms and legs;
• Crying to indicate that the newborn is in discomfort, such as being hungry, scared, or wet.

In the first month, the baby exhibits the following motor skills: lying on his stomach, he tries to raise his head, and sometimes he even manages to hold it in this state for several seconds. In the first thirty days, the newborn will add about 600 grams to its initial weight and grow by approximately 3 centimeters, the head circumference will increase by 1.5 - 2 centimeters.

In the first month it is very important to establish feeding the baby

Obviously, the best food for him is mother's milk. In the first days of a child's life, the amount of milk in women gradually increases, but for some (especially first-time mothers) this increase is not enough. In this regard, doctors’ recommendations for stimulating lactation are relevant. One of the main ways to stimulate lactation is to put the baby to the breast more often at the first sign of the baby's anxiety. This method is called “free feeding mode” or “feeding on demand”. Thus, some mothers get 10–12 feedings per day.

It is important to place the nipple correctly in the baby's mouth- it should cover the entire isola. It has been established that the baby sucks out the bulk of breast milk in the first 5 to 10 minutes of feeding. However, there are children who quickly get tired and fall asleep at the breast; they need to be encouraged to suck by lightly patting their cheeks, removing the nipple from their mouth and reinserting it. When sucking, the baby swallows not only milk, but also air, which the baby tries to get rid of, along with the nutrient fluid. Therefore, the procedure of regurgitation, when excess accumulated air is released, is very important. When breastfeeding, burping is optimal every 5 minutes (or when changing breasts) and every 50 g when bottle feeding. This is usually done in three ways - upright on your shoulder, face down on your lap or in a sitting position - and it's a good idea to try all three ways to see which works best for you and your baby.

Bloating, intestinal cramps, colic- frequent companions in the first months of life even in practically healthy children. Home ways to help a child with these conditions: light massage of the tummy in a clockwise direction; vertical position in the arms of an adult or the so-called “skin to skin” contact - the baby is placed with his tummy on the bare chest of the mother, reclining in a chair, covered with a blanket on top, the mother strokes his back; using a gas tube, laying the baby on his stomach for 3-5 minutes, taking Plantex (containing dill). All these methods help prevent “colic” by promoting the removal of gases from the intestines.

A very important moment in the first weeks of a child’s life is the healing of the umbilical wound. When discharged from the maternity hospital at the usual time (fifth - seventh day), the umbilical wound does not have time to heal completely.

Traditionally, it is customary to treat the navel with a solution of brilliant green (brilliant green). And this must be done daily, until the wound becomes completely dry in the morning when the child goes to the toilet and in the evening after daily bathing. Until the crust falls off, it is recommended to add a faint pink solution of potassium permanganate, an infusion of chamomile or St. John's wort to the bathing water. The temperature of the water for swimming is 37–37.5°C, the duration of swimming is no more than 5–7 minutes. If your child has discharge from the umbilical wound or redness and swelling of the umbilical ring, you should consult a doctor. You should also consult a doctor if the crust from the umbilical wound does not fall off when the child reaches 14–15 days of age.

Mental development

Innate reflexes contribute to the baby’s adaptation to the extrauterine environment. Some of them disappear in the first months of life, others transform into acquired reflexes, reaching the level of consciousness. Such innate reflexes as the reflex of sneezing, wincing, blinking, yawning, and knee-jerk reflexes are preserved in the baby for life. During the first month of life, a child has seven main reflexes:

• Prehensile- appears when stroking or lightly touching the child’s palm. Reflexively, the baby grabs and holds everything that touches his palm.
• Search- the baby turns his head if his cheek is touched or stroked. This reflex is a necessary component of the instinct to search for food and nutrition.
• Sucking- the baby has noticeable sucking movements of the lips if you run a finger or pacifier around the mouth. The sucking reflex, like the search reflex, is firmly connected with the feeding instinct.
• Babinski reflex- when running a finger along the outer edge of the foot, the toes diverge in different directions along with the rotation of the foot.
• Mohr's reflex- the newborn spreads and closes his arms and legs, reacting to a loud and sudden sound.
• Babkin reflex- when pressing on the baby’s palm, he turns his head and opens his mouth.
• Swimming reflex- the baby makes movements similar to swimming if you put him on his stomach.
• Walking Reflex- a newborn makes movements that imitate walking if you support him under his arms so that his legs touch any surface.

How do the senses develop during this period?

By the middle of the second week of life, many newborns are able to hold a moving object in their field of vision, for example, a bright rattle with a diameter of about ten centimeters. If you place a bright toy at a distance of 40–50 cm from a baby lying on his back and begin to slowly move it left and right, the child will fixate the toy with his gaze for a few seconds. A three-week-old baby is usually already able to fix with his gaze more or less large stationary objects, for example, the face of mom or dad. If you approach a newborn lying on his back at a distance of 40–50 cm and attract his attention by talking, and then fall silent, remaining motionless, the baby will also freeze, carefully peering into your face. By the fourth week, the movements of the baby's eyeballs are already smoother and more coordinated.

The first weeks of life are the most memorable for parents, because during this period everything happens for the first time. The most anxious and interesting, full of worries and troubles, the first month of a baby’s life is characterized by the beginning of intensive physical and mental development.

Many young parents believe that a month-old baby is still too small, and all he needs is healthy sleep and mother’s milk. But this is not true: babies develop very quickly, especially when they are given a lot of time and attention. To assess how the baby is developing, parents should know what a child should be able to do at 1 month.

Features of the physical development of a month-old baby

It should be noted that the first month of a baby’s life is largely spent sleeping: newborns can only stay awake for 4-6 hours a day. This is a normal phenomenon when nothing bothers the child and he is healthy.

When the baby is not sleeping, he actively “moves” in his own way - he wiggles his legs and arms a lot, and sometimes makes involuntary movements. This phenomenon is called neonatal hypertonicity and refers to the characteristic features of the development of a child at 1 month.

The physical development of a child at 1 month is different in that the baby no longer sleeps in the fetal position, his movements become more coordinated.

By the end of the first month of life, he will try to lift both his head and butt together. If the baby's heels can rest on his mother's palm, then he will be able to push off on his own - this will be his first serious movement .

Height and weight chart*

* - Data are presented according to the charts of the World Health Organization (WHO):

• Growth of girls from birth to 2 years.
• The growth of boys from birth to 2 years.
• Weight of girls from birth to 2 years.
• Weight of boys from birth to 2 years.
• Head circumference, girls 0-2 years.
• Head circumference, boys 0-2 years

How does a child learn about the world around him?

The list of what a 1-month-old baby can do is not strictly limited to physical skills. Hearing, vision, facial expressions and even speech - all this does not stand still.

In the first month, the baby still cannot really move, but the newborn hears wonderfully. When he is awake, he constantly turns his head - this is how he tries to determine where the sounds he heard are coming from.

Speech directly depends on how a baby’s hearing develops. Of course, a small child will not yet be able to reproduce complex sounds, but the first “ahu” and “gul” are already appearing in him, read when a child begins to gurgle. The more parents talk to him, the faster the baby’s speech develops.

The development of a child suggests that at 1 month of life he likes to follow the movement of objects and people's faces. The last fact is scientifically proven.

The baby's facial expressions also develop: he begins to smile at his mother, stick out his tongue, trying to copy her movements.

Emotional and mental development of a month-old baby

The normal mental development of a child at 1 month directly depends on the emotional background in which the little person grows. It must be said that babies sense their mother’s mood very well; any emotions instantly affect their psychological well-being.

Irritation, fatigue, and upset of the most important person brings discomfort to the child, and the only way to “throw it out” is to burst into tears.

Crying is the only signal that a baby can give if something is bothering him. When the family is calm and quiet, the baby feels safe, which means he develops normally.

The peculiarities of the emotional development of a child at 1 month are that the baby begins to give signs when he is dissatisfied with something and to rejoice when he likes everything.

By the end of the first month, many new sounds appear, the baby begins to react in a special way to the appearance of loved ones: smiling and even laughing.

Important baby reflexes

The psychomotor development of a child at 1 month is characterized by the presence of unconditioned reflexes, by which one can determine how well the baby adapts to new conditions - this is the key to further development. It is imperative that a baby in the first month of life, provided that the nervous system is healthy, should exhibit the following reflexes:

• Rhythmic movements necessary to suck breast milk. In other words, the sucking reflex. It is present during the first year of the baby's life.

The development of a premature baby at 1 month is characterized by a weak manifestation of this reflex. The fact is that babies born prematurely are not yet prepared by nature for sucking milk and often their sucking reflex is practically not formed. For this reason, premature babies who were bottle-fed during the first weeks of life completely refuse to accept mother's milk;

• The search reflex lies in the fact that, barely touching the corner of the baby’s mouth, you can cause an active search on his part for the mother’s breast;
• The baby’s ability to firmly grasp mother’s fingers with her palms is called the grasping reflex;
• If a baby is placed on his stomach, he will immediately turn his head to the side. This is a manifestation of a protective reflex that protects the baby from the possibility of suffocation. This is why healthy children, even infants, can sleep on their tummy without fear. Read more about this in the article Can a newborn sleep on his stomach?>>>;
• The crawling reflex manifests itself as follows: the child rests his feet, for example, on the palms of an adult and pushes off from them, thereby moving forward;
• To see how a month-old baby “walks”, it is enough to hold him vertically so that his feet lie on a hard surface. By slightly tilting the baby, you can observe involuntary steps;
• An interesting reflex is the palmar-oral one. It turns out that if you touch the baby’s palm and press it lightly, he will open his mouth and at the same time tilt his head slightly forward.

Special skills of a one-month-old baby

Children's development cannot and should not be identical: they learn new things and acquire skills at different speeds. But, having considered the developmental features of a child at 1 month , We can highlight the moments that should manifest themselves in the development of each baby:

1. holding the head, lifting it from a position lying on the stomach;
2. searching for the source of sounds, listening to them and being able to distinguish mother’s voice among others;
3. flinching from a sharp or too loud sound;
4. observation of bright objects, and later - of people’s faces;
5. grasping and holding mother's finger or toy;
6. “humbling”, the ability to have an emotional response to the mother’s affectionate voice.

The development of a child in the first month of life largely depends on a warm family environment so that the baby feels safe. When communicating with him, leave problems and bad mood aside, smile and talk kindly.

It is necessary to often take the baby in your arms, because the heartbeat of a loved one and the mother’s smell have an exclusively positive effect on his nervous system. And rhythmic rocking will help put him to sleep.

What does a child need in the first months of life? , so that it develops harmoniously? For the development of hearing and speech development - songs, nursery rhymes, jokes. If you respond to his “aha”, he is more likely to learn other sounds.

Touching and stroking the back and stomach are no less important. This calms the child, and the massage promotes the physical development of all muscle groups. Bright toys and instrumental melodies will help develop the baby's vision and hearing.

To test your knowledge of how a child changes and develops in the first month, take