By 4 months the baby had grown noticeably. Almost all the clothes that were put on the baby from birth have already become too small. The baby holds his head up perfectly, gurgles and babbles, and smiles with pleasure at all the adults.
examines everything around him with great interest , knows how to grab toys and bring them to his mouth.
Left behind are such troubles as baby colic and frequent crying. To the delight of parents, by the age of 4 months the baby begins to sleep more calmly and longer. Although there are exceptions.
Overweight and underweight
If the baby is significantly below normal, then most likely the doctor will prescribe supplemental feeding with formula, or an earlier introduction of high-calorie complementary foods (porridge).
It is also important to establish the true cause of the shortage , which may include:
- Lack of mother's milk. You can determine a child's hunger by strong crying, as well as by the child's wrinkled, seemingly dehydrated skin.
- Diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Often the shortage occurs due to regurgitation.
- Rickets. It is important to start giving vitamin D on time and carry out other treatment prescribed by the doctor.
- Heredity. Perhaps the baby's parents have a thin physique. In this case, underweight may be normal.
If the baby is seriously overweight, the doctor may recommend being examined by an endocrinologist to rule out thyroid pathologies and diabetes.
However, most often the reason for gaining weight is overeating or, oddly enough, strict feeding by the hour. In this case, the child manages to become too hungry and eats more than he should.
You should not torture your child if he wants to eat in order to wait the prescribed 4 hours. In the case of artificial feeding, you must follow the indicated dosages , without in any way reducing or increasing them. Such actions are fraught with serious health problems for the baby.
Height and weight indicators by month in children under 1 year of age
After the birth of a baby, the main indicators of proper development in the first months of life are the child’s weight and height.
Pediatricians use tables of these indicators, but small deviations are quite acceptable, because each organism is individual. The baby's height and weight are influenced by:
- breastfeeding or bottle feeding;
- is the baby active or calmer?
- the presence or absence of any congenital anomalies;
- gender of the baby;
- amount of food consumed;
- genetic predisposition to rejection of protein and certain microelements.
Important! If, when weighing, the indicators are below the “minimum” and above the “maximum” for 2 - 3 months, an examination by specialists is necessary.
Systematic anthropometric measurements make it possible to timely detect developmental abnormalities and prevent the occurrence of various diseases.
Important! The psycho-emotional state of the mother has a huge impact on the development of the baby. Mom should radiate happiness and calm. Hold your baby in your arms more often.
The monthly amount of weight and height gain by month is important in assessing the health and development of a child:
1st month
During the first 3 days after birth, a physiological weight loss of 7–10% occurs; after birth, the baby gets rid of excess water and feces.
Attention! The calculation of weight to assess gain begins from the value recorded at discharge from the hospital, and not from the figure recorded at birth.
Then the weight increases by 130 - 200 g per week, for 30 days on average 600 g. Small deviations are not critical if the child is calm and eats well.
The baby will grow by 2.5 - 3 cm in the first month.
Head circumference 1.5 cm.
Reference. The average baby gains 20 grams of weight per day in the first month of life.
2nd month
Weight will increase by 700 - 800 g, height by 3 cm, head circumference by 1.5 cm.
If you decide to wean your baby off night feedings, he will gain a little less.
3rd month
The baby will gain weight by 800 g and grow by 2.5 cm, with head volume by 1.5 cm.
Need to know! A child's cry does not always mean that something hurts. Often this is a way to communicate with the world and demand attention to yourself.
Increase the break between feedings by half an hour.
4th month
Weight will increase by 750 g, height by 2.5 cm.
From the fourth month, weight gain slows down.
Reference! The slowdown in weight gain is associated with the baby's increasing activity. The child moves more and explores the world around him.
5th month
The baby will gain 700 g and grow 2 cm.
After five months, the child's height and weight should double their values at birth.
6th month
During the sixth month, the child gains 650 g in weight and 2 cm in height. Head circumference is 41 - 46 cm.
Attention! Head circumference is an important anthropometric indicator that makes it possible to identify hydrocephalic syndrome and other abnormalities in brain development in the early stages, even before signs appear.
Complementary foods in the form of vegetable and fruit purees can be introduced into a child’s diet. The break between feedings should be 4 hours.
Start complementary feeding with half a teaspoon to avoid allergic reactions to unusual foods.
Attention! DO NOT introduce solid foods before 6 months. The consequence may be allergic reactions, intestinal damage, developmental delays
7th month
Body weight will increase by 600 g, height by 2 cm.
You can replace one feeding with complementary foods - gluten-free porridge or one-ingredient vegetable and fruit puree. The volume can be gradually increased to 180 g.
8th month
The baby will gain another 550 g and grow by 2 - 2.5 cm.
The diet needs to be varied. Introduce meat purees (turkey, rabbit) into the menu, try adding a crumb of egg yolk to the porridge.
Watch your child carefully, he is already moving in space and may be injured.
9th month
The increase will be 500 g, height 2 cm.
Multi-component purees, baby kefir and cottage cheese should be introduced into the diet.
The baby plays with toys and paper. Make sure you don't eat anything foreign.
10th month
By the end of the month, the increase was 450 g, growth by 1.5 - 2 cm.
A child can drink 100 g of juice per day. At this age, children digest bananas, plums, and peaches well. You can add 5 g of butter to the porridge.
11th month
Weight will increase by 400 g, height by 1.5 cm.
It is necessary to introduce white, low-fat fish into the diet.
The child becomes independent: he eats with a spoon and drinks from a mug.
12th month
At one year, the baby should weigh three times more than at birth, and height increases by 25 cm from the moment of birth.
The menu includes meat, fish, grains, and vegetables.
Important! Proper and nutritious nutrition plays a decisive role in the development of a child from the first days of life.
How to feed a four month old baby?
For babies at 4 months old, the main diet is still breast milk or an adapted formula.
In some cases, the introduction of complementary foods is recommended. As a rule, if the baby is not gaining weight, then you can start complementary feeding with porridge. Only cereals must be strictly gluten-free.
You can give milk formulas that already contain buckwheat, oatmeal or rice flour. Feeding other foods at 4 months is not advisable. It is better to postpone the introduction of complementary foods to a later period - closer to 6 months, when the baby’s body is adapted to it.
Developmental delay or special needs of the child?
Quite often, parents are worried about the situation when their children’s peers are already walking independently and repeating words, but their baby is not going to learn this. Let's look together at the symptoms that will help adults recognize that a child is developmentally delayed. You should sound the alarm if by the age of one year your baby:
- does not respond to his name;
- does not pay any attention to musical toys;
- does not want to make contact with other children;
- does not try to stand independently near a support;
- does not attempt to repeat words after adults (“na”, “give”, “mom”, “dad”);
- exhibits frequent, causeless attacks of aggression.
In this situation, the best adviser will be a competent neurologist, whom you should contact if you have the above symptoms. Only a doctor, having assessed information about the course of pregnancy, the period of childbirth, the presence of congenital and acquired diseases, will be able to give an adequate conclusion about the development of the child and, if necessary, prescribe a course of treatment. A specialist will help you with advice on the nuances of raising a child and dispel any doubts that may arise. There is no need to be afraid of this, since lost time at such an early age will make itself felt with serious problems in a few years.
General development of the baby at 4 months
This age period is a turning point in development. The baby acquires such an important skill as turning from back to stomach and back. It is worth saying that this skill brings a lot of worries to parents. After all, it happens that the baby cannot learn to roll over.
The reason for this may be the nose, underdeveloped neck muscles. But more often than not, you just need to give the child a little more time and help him with simple exercises - stimulate him to turn over.
At 4 months, the child likes to communicate with adults - actively babble in response to the words of mom or dad, smile and even laugh. The kids skillfully hold the rattle in their hands and try to reach the toys hanging from above.
This period is preparation for such important skills as sitting and crawling .
Generally accepted weight standards for a 4-month-old baby
It is believed that boys are always slightly larger than girls, so the weight norm for them is different. How much should girls weigh at 4 months? The following table will help you understand this.
| Body weight, kg | 4,4 | 5,0 | 5,7 | 6,4 | 7,3 | 8,2 | 9,3 |
| Grade | Very low | Short | Below the average | Average | Above average | High | Very tall |
Another table will tell you how much boys should weigh at the age of 4 months.
| Body weight, kg | 4,9 | 5,6 | 6,2 | 7,0 | 7,8 | 8,7 | 9,7 |
| Grade | Very low | Short | Below the average | Average | Above average | High | Very tall |
As you can see, girls at 4 months can weigh significantly less. But that’s not all; in premature babies, the body weight norm is considered somewhat differently. Doctors are based not on specific indicators, but on monthly weight gain. Depending on the degree of prematurity, the baby should gain from 600 to 900 grams from 3 to 4 months. If we talk about how much weight such a child should gain from the moment of birth, then a baby with stage 4 prematurity should gain an average of 1.78 kg, stage 3 – 2.14 kg, degree 2 – 2.49 kg, and 1st degree – by 3.6 kg. For a child born at term, the increase from 3 to 4 months should be approximately 750 grams, or 3.5 kg from the day of birth.
Games and massage
The main elements in the development of the baby are massage, gymnastics and games. You can now add light rubbing . Gymnastics can be more active - bending and straightening the legs, arms, and lifting the body are useful. The following exercises are very useful:
- crossing arms;
- boxing movements;
- spreading the legs;
- "bike".
It is useful to combine gymnastics and massage with bathing. If the baby can stand for some time without food after bathing, then it is better to do exercises at this time. If the baby develops a voracious appetite, then it is better to have a massage before water procedures .
Is it possible to switch to a common table?
It is possible, but very carefully and gradually. Many parents are in a hurry to switch their one-year-old toddler to food from the common table. Perhaps such a translation will make cooking easier for you, but the presence of several teeth and the ability to chew solid food does not mean that the child is ready to eat adult dishes.
Forbidden foods for babies remain:
- mushrooms;
- canned food;
- smoked meats
If possible, it is better not to rush into fried foods, citrus fruits, nuts and chocolate. Experts do not recommend loading the child’s enzymatic system with such products so early.
For a 12-month-old baby, it is worth continuing to prepare food by boiling, baking or steaming. As before, to feed your little one you need to choose only fresh food and clean boiled water.
The main part of the diet, as before, consists of dairy dishes. Now is the right time to offer your baby pasta with milk, full-fledged milk porridges and puddings. You can make casseroles and soufflés from cottage cheese.
Lean meat and fish should be given in the form of meatballs, steamed cutlets or baked soufflé. You need to wait a while with a variety of sausages, wieners and sausages!
Provided there are no allergies, a one-year-old child can be treated to a fruit salad with low-fat cream or yogurt.
Don't forget about drinking regime! Give your child as much water as he requires. In addition to clean boiled or baby water, you can offer your baby:
- fruit juices (apple, carrot, peach, apricot);
- not strong herbal teas (chamomile, mint, lemon balm, fennel);
- compotes of dried fruits and fresh berries;
- rosehip infusion.
The baby’s mother still needs to carefully monitor the little body’s reaction to each new product!
An example of an approximate diet for a 12-month toddler:
| Time | Product |
| 8.30 | Milk porridge - 180 - 200 ml (buckwheat, rice, semolina, pearl barley, barley, corn, multi-grain are suitable) Yolk (half) Fruit puree - 40 ml-50 ml Fruit juice - 50 ml |
| 12.30 | Broth 20 - 30 ml Vegetable puree 180-200 g Wheat bread 10 g Meat or fish dish 70 g Fruit juice 50 ml |
| 16.00 | Cottage cheese 70 g Fruit puree 50 ml |
| 19.00 | Vegetable puree 200 g (or milk porridge 200 ml) Yogurt (or kefir) 100 ml |
In between meals, the child can be offered biscuits, corn sticks without additives, an apple or a banana. Excessive abuse of “snacks” between main meals threatens the baby with a lack of hunger and poor appetite during lunch or dinner.
Breastfeeding still remains relevant. In addition to a certain nutritional value, it now carries more of a psychological meaning. The baby knows that his dearest person is nearby, under the breast he quickly calms down and falls asleep. Therefore, there is no need to rush to wean your child. There is no specific date for stopping breastfeeding. The baby himself will tell you when he is ready for this.
General recommendations
Despite the fact that the baby is already quite strong at 4 months, he still cannot be seated, even if he himself makes active attempts to do so. The baby's spine is not yet ready for such a load. Let him sit down on his own - there is no need to force things.
Increased activity of the child is associated with increased danger. Do not leave your child alone on any high surface. Even if he does not know how to roll over, he may well roll and fall.
And who knows, maybe just when the parents turn away or leave, the baby will want to make his first coup.
Tips for organizing your regime
What is the right thing for parents to do if there is not even a hint of a certain daily routine for the baby? First of all, it’s worth objectively assessing your own “family regime.” If you have not been able to develop a specific schedule that makes your family’s workday easier every day, then you need to start addressing this issue today. Children love order and a certain certainty of actions. Psychologists say that the daily routine is an integral part of the harmonious development of a child (both physiological and psychological).
Therefore, first, start with yourself - develop a time that suits your family for getting up in the morning and going to bed, for eating (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and for educational games. Taking into account your baby's biorhythms, choose the moment when it is easiest to put him to sleep during the day and in the evening. Now all you have to do is strictly observe the chosen time and not change it under any pretext. Even if the child (for certain reasons) did not sleep well during the day and wants to sleep by six o’clock in the evening, then try to distract him with his favorite games or books in order to delay the time a little and put him to bed as usual. Time and habit will do the rest. After a week or two, the baby himself will tell you what it is time to do at a certain time of day.
How to overcome a whim?
One fine day, parents notice that their docile and obedient child has begun to show character and disobey. Undoubtedly, this worries mothers, grandmothers, and strangers on the street who strive to give you a lecture on the proper upbringing of children. Our dears, be patient! You are raising your baby well, it’s just that at this age his desire for independence manifests itself through whims!
How to help your child cope with tantrums and disobedience? Here are some tips:
- Talk to your baby!
- Each prohibition must be supported by explanations.
- Teach your child to find a compromise and exchange toys with other children.
- Distract your child! Switch his attention to something else, more interesting at the moment.
From this age, the foundation of the child’s future character begins to be laid. Teach him to be kind and responsive, thank him for any attempt to help you and praise him for his successes and achievements! Give your child as much attention and time as possible!
