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Child 4 months

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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A child of 4 months is a kid who knows how to entertain himself on his own. He studies with ecstasy his hands and feet, he touches the nose and cheeks, plays with his fingers and even knows how to fold his hands. Emotions of a four-month-old baby are also intensively developing, he reacts to familiar faces not only with a blissful smile, but also with a giggling laugh.

It was during this period that a small person starts to make a chain of contacts with the outside world, any walks, whether in a park or a shop, are a lot of new impressions for the child. As before, the kid "guzzles", however, new intonations appear in his sound combinations. Speech apparatus of the child really develops quickly, he is able to pronounce syllables, similar to the syllable "ma". Sometimes it seems to the observant parents that the child is speaking articulate words. Of course, this is not so, but also to consider that at such an infant age the child understands little, it will be a mistake. Emotional sensitivity of the child at 4 months is very high, he perceives any family conflicts sharply and instantly absorbs negative information. Since the baby can not consciously analyze the cause of the parents quarrels, he reacts emotionally, and often somatically, to diseases and irritability, a bad dream. In addition to emotional intelligence, the baby actively develops cognitive functions, he begins to understand that objects can perform certain functions (cup, spoon). The child can visually track and show with the eyes the trajectory of the toy that mom moves. The kid is able to understand the relationship between what he sees and hears. Having seen his mother's breast, he can calm down, as he realizes that soon he will be given food.

At the age of 4 months the baby should be more active not only in the physical sense, but also in the psychoemotional as well.

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Child 4 months: physical and mental development

  • The kid can turn on the barrel from the position of "lying on his stomach." 
  • Being in the hands of the mother or father, the child confidently holds the head. 
  • The child of 4 months is an active attempt to sit down on his own, there should not be any attempts to suppress, but the early "sitting" should not be encouraged either - the spine is too weak. 
  • Developed quite meaningful grasping reflexes. Everything, to what it is possible to reach, the child to a beret in full sense of this word - "in own hands". Therefore, sharp and unsafe objects, including food, should not be in the foreseeable vicinity of the baby. 
  • In the supine position, the baby actively raises the chest and all the trunk, leaning on the hands, elbows. 
  • The child responds quickly to sounds, noises and even intonation of speech. 
  • The baby tries not only to "walk", but to pronounce syllables. 
  • A four-month-old child can enjoy new toys, books and new events. The kid is capable of showing curiosity and his facial expressions become extremely expressive.

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Child 4 months: growth and weight parameters

The kid continues to gain weight, but not so intensely as in the first three months of life. On average, the child recovers at 600-700 grams. These indicators should not be considered universal, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the child, hereditary factors, the form and the mode of feeding. If the baby is still breastfed, it is quite permissible increase in weight from 400 to 500 grams. The growth of the baby also continues to increase and is added to the average by 8-10 centimeters, if we compare the height at birth.

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Child 4 months: day and sleep

A child during this period should increase nighttime sleep to normal at 11-12 hours. If a child wakes up at night, it should be fed or changed diaper. Daytime sleep should be two times a day, less often it is allowed to lay the child three times. A common standard is a 16-hour day sleep of a toddler at this age, which includes both night hours of sleep and daytime sleep.

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Physiological changes in digestion

The kid at this age should be emptied daily, any delay in defecation or diarrhea can indicate an improper diet of feeding, or its insufficiency. Micturition remains within three-month norms - 9-10 times a day. Feeding the child is introduced gradually, starting with small portions. As soon as the child gets used to one product - mashed potatoes or curd, you can gradually introduce it to the following product. Any food that is included in the lure should be cooked (heat treated). Raw vegetables and fruits (grated apple and so on) should not be given, since the child's digestive tract has not yet formed to the end. Diathesis and colic are evidence of malnourishment of a small person, or signs of illiterate mother's diet, if the child is breastfed.

A child of 4 months is not only a joy for parents, but also a completely reasonable person, to which one must be treated carefully and carefully. Reading books, poems, listening to children's music, walking and talking - all this forms the psycho-emotional sphere of the baby, which is extremely susceptible in this period.

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