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What should a baby be able to do at 5 months?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
What should a child be able to do at 5 months? This is a question that parents often ask themselves, and there are many answers to it. At five months, a child has not only physiological needs - he can already distinguish strangers from his own, he needs more and more active movement and attention from adults. He experiences changes in the duration of sleep and the amount of food. More about this.
Weight and height of a child at 5 months
By the time the baby is five months old, its weight doubles compared to the day of birth. The height of the child increases by 14-15 cm compared to the height at birth. The parameters are as follows: the child gains up to 700 grams, and grows to about 67 cm. However, this growth and weight gain at this age is abrupt. In 21 days, the child may almost not gain in height and weight, and then in a week he can gain quite a lot - as much as 2 cm. The child's skin is still prone to allergic reactions and irritation. Therefore, you need to use baby oils and powders, do not forget to bathe the child.
Speech development at 5 months
At this age, a child expands the range of his syllables. He can pronounce the simplest syllables several times in a row. For example, "ma" or "pa". And then adults think that the baby says "mama" or "papa". It is good if adults praise the baby for "conversation" and actively participate in it. This way you will cultivate coherent speech and interest in it.
If parents have not yet visited an otolaryngologist with their child, they should definitely do so in order to recognize the current state of hearing or vision, as well as speech development, in a timely manner.
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Motor skills of a child at 5 months
A five-month-old baby can sit upright for long periods of time. The baby will probably still need to be propped up with a pillow, but he or she can sit upright for a few seconds without support.
Some babies at 5 months old can already roll over from their back to their stomach on their own. Once your baby rolls over, you may notice them kicking and wiggling. They are getting ready to crawl and will do so in just a couple of months! But remember, if your baby can roll over, you should not leave them on a bed or other high surfaces where they could accidentally fall and get hurt.
At five months, the baby already understands much more. He can pull objects closer to himself and take them in his palm, then skillfully transfer them from one hand to the other. The baby can even hold a bottle or cup on his own.
A 5-month-old baby can already entertain itself with bright toys for 15 minutes. Now it understands and chooses which objects it likes and which it does not. The baby's hand coordination is developing better and better, so it can grab and hold toys well.
At this age, the child's muscle hypertonicity has almost passed. Movements become more coordinated, and the child can be more independent. To qualitatively improve this process, you need to periodically give the baby a light health massage.
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Baby sleep at 5 months
Most babies sleep through the night at 5 months, but not all. Encourage your baby to get into a regular nighttime sleep rhythm. Start with a warm bath, then a few minutes of gentle rocking with songs and stories, and your baby's eyes will slowly close.
Make it a habit to put your baby down when he or she is drowsy, rather than fully asleep. This way, your baby will learn to self-soothe to fall asleep on their own, rather than relying on you.
During the day, a 5-month-old baby still needs two naps - once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Put your baby in the crib at the first sign of drowsiness, do not delay the moment of sleep.
Feeding at 5 months
By the fifth month of life, most babies have already received the necessary supply of iron, which was still in the mother's womb. If the baby is already on artificial milk formulas, it is necessary that they contain the necessary minerals and vitamins.
If the baby continues to suckle, he needs cereals with a sufficient level of iron. In the fifth month of life, the baby can eat more milk, because his stomach has increased in volume. As a rule, for such babies, eating 4-5 times a day is optimal, and the baby no longer eats at night. But if the baby is still suckling, he can still eat up to 8 times a day.
Baby's vision at 5 months
By this age, your baby's vision is becoming increasingly sharp. Even the squint that was clearly visible until 5 months disappears. At this stage, babies can see well at different distances, and their eyes can focus on an object. At five months, your baby's color perception is sharpened to the point where he can distinguish between two shades of the same color. But babies at this age still prefer primary colors, such as red, blue, and yellow.
Sound perception at 5 months
At five months, babies begin to understand the meaning of sounds they hear, such as a dog barking or a car starting. Although babies at this age cannot yet understand words, they can turn their heads when their name is called or respond to a simple command, "no."
A five-month-old child is a special world that requires careful treatment and attention.