The baby was born and from the first days surprises and pleases his parents. Mom and Dad are looking at the crumb with impatience - what new he can now, what changes have occurred in him. Babies of the first year of life change quite rapidly. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that parents are interested in whether the baby is developing in a timely manner, whether he is lagging behind his peers, whether his development (physical and emotional) fits into generally accepted norms. Many books and articles have been written about this. The authoritative children's doctor Evgeny Komarovsky tells a lot about the development of babies by months.
Newborn
Your baby is considered a newborn from the moment of birth until it reaches the age of 28 weeks. Four calendar weeks - this is exactly the time nature has allocated for the formation of basic skills. During this period, the little person improves the sense organs, with the help of which he will study the world around him. So far, he sees only blurry spots of different brightness, the newborn will learn to focus his vision later. Hearing at birth is somewhat reduced, but already by 3-4 days the baby begins to hear the world in the same way as adults do. He distinguishes well between tastes (bitter, sweet, sour), the sense of touch is quite developed, so tactile contact is a very important element of understanding the world in the first weeks of independent life.
The daily routine of the newborn in the first month plays an important role for further development. How the parents organize food, bathing, walking and sleeping depends on how healthy and strong the little one will grow. The baby just seems tiny and helpless. His skills are conditioned by nature itself, and he may not be as small as parents think. A newborn under 1 month old demonstrates reflexes that are characteristic only of him, as they grow older, they disappear as unnecessary. Parents can assess the basic reflexes on their own:
Grasp reflex. Bring your index finger close to the baby's palm, he will definitely grab it very tightly.
Hug reflex. Place the baby on a hard surface (for example, on a changing table), bang your palm sharply on the table surface. Loud sound and vibration will cause the baby to move similar to that of an adult when hugging - first, the baby will bend back and spread his arms wide, and then he will return them to the position of the chest.
Creeping reflex. From a prone position, the baby will reflexively make movements that are used when crawling.
Step reflex. Take your baby under the arms and hold it upright. If you lightly rest his legs on a hard surface, he will push off with them, spring back. If at the same time slightly tilt the child's body forward, he will make several "steps" with his legs.
Height and weight
During the first month of life, the average child, whether it be a boy or a girl, gains on average 450 to 700 grams in weight and 1.5-2 centimeters in height. These parameters are very individual, according to Komarovsky, and therefore you should not compare your child with others only according to these criteria.
Recommendations
In the first month, parents should pay special attention to the formation of crumbs reflexes, to establish a clear daily routine. Caring for a newborn should be based on the principles of creating optimal conditions for the development of his immunity (swimming in cool water according to the Komarovsky method, walking, the air temperature is not more than 20 degrees in the room, the humidity in the room is within 50-70%).
1 month
The neonatal period is over. In the baby, the muscle tone decreases slightly, the movements of the arms and legs become less constrained, but more chaotic. The umbilical wound has healed. The child still sleeps a lot - from 17 to 20 hours a day. At this age, the average child should be able to hold his head in the prone position for a short time. His vision is improving, the toddler can already fix his gaze for a few seconds on a motionless large and bright object.
The emotional sphere is developing - the baby already recognizes the mother, however, not yet visually, but by smell, touch and voice. But he already knows how to enjoy her, while bending his back and spreading his arms (hug reflex). The little one makes the first attempts to imitate sounds.
Height and weight
Girls (born with a weight of more than 3 kilograms) in 1 month weigh on average 4150-4400 grams, their height is 53-55 cm. Boys weigh 4400-4900 grams, their height is from 54-56 cm.
Recommendations
At this age, not only swimming in cool water is useful, but also swimming. Evgeny Komarovsky advises transferring the child to a large bath. If parents are afraid to let their month-old baby go swimming with a little support, you can buy a special bathing circle. It comfortably fixes the neck and gives the child the opportunity to swim, flip in the water.
2 months
There have been dramatic changes in the child's appearance: he no longer resembles an alien creature, his face has acquired cute features, in general, the baby has become much calmer, his movements are no longer so sharp and chaotic. The baby sleeps about 19 hours a day. Sleep becomes stronger. The kid knows how to focus his gaze not only on stationary objects, but also on the mother moving around the apartment.
When laid out on the tummy, the baby holds the head for about 15-20 seconds. If you put it on its side, it rolls over on its own. At 2 months old, many babies begin to smile consciously with the whole mouth to people whom they know well (mom, dad). The toddler hums funny, singing vowels. He learned to determine where the sound was coming from and to turn the head in that direction.
Height and weight
A two-month-old baby on average gains about 800 grams in weight and about 2 centimeters in height per month.
Recommendations
Closely monitor the development of skills at this age. If a two-month-old baby does not try to raise its head and hold it at all, does not react to sounds, does not show a reaction in response to the affectionate words of the mother, this is a reason for examination by specialist doctors (pediatrician, neurologist, ENT).
For information on whether it is worth taking your baby to swim in the pool, see Dr. Komarovsky's program.
3 months
A three-month-old baby is already a real handsome man, due to the growth of fatty subcutaneous tissue, his body becomes more plump, dimples appear on the cheeks (not everyone has). The kid has already, with a high degree of probability, learned to roll over from his back to his tummy and lean on his forearms, lying on his stomach, he rises with his whole body, leaning on the arms. The child reaches out for objects that are of interest to him, and if he manages to grab them, he immediately pulls into his mouth.
He distinguishes between all the main colors, he likes toys and pieces of fabric that are different to the touch, as tactile perception is improved.
Height and weight
The average weight gain per month is about 800 grams, in height - 2.5-3 centimeters.
Recommendations
Developing games will already be perceived by the child as games, that is, the process of the game itself becomes interesting to him, and therefore it's time to experiment with rattles, rattles and squeaks.
Gymnastics for physical development should be daily and obligatory; massage can be added to it, aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back, neck, abdomen.
4 months
Unconditioned reflexes fade away, some have already disappeared completely, for example, the Moro reflex, which is popularly called the hug reflex. The arm muscles are no longer in good shape, but the legs may still be tense, and this should not frighten the parents. The digestive system is developing rapidly, due to which many children at this age disappear such an unpleasant and painful physiological phenomenon as infant colic.
The kid is already in dire need of emotional communication, he actively walks, deaf consonants are added to vowel sounds, he willingly smiles deliberately, some even begin to laugh, the child listens with interest to music.
The baby sleeps about 15 hours a day, the periods of wakefulness can already be about 2 hours, and this time must be used to the maximum - massage the baby twice a day, walk with him at least twice a day, conduct developmental activities.
Weight and height
In the fourth month of independent life, the baby should gain about 700 grams in weight, and about 2.5 centimeters in height.
Recommendations
It is necessary to trim the nails of the baby more often to avoid injury, because in four-month-old crumbs, nails and hair begin to grow at an unprecedented rate.
In addition, parents should more often encourage the individuality of the crumbs, according to Komarovsky, at this age he already perfectly distinguishes himself from the environment and begins to realize himself as a person.
5 months
Emotional communication comes first. The child babbles very expressively, hums, sings. Laughter and smile are already 100% conscious. Some babies (but not all of them) can sit with back support by the end of the fifth month. Almost all babies at this age are mastering a new interesting type of leisure - lying on their backs, they pull their legs up and easily take the heel into their mouth.
The baby perfectly recognizes faces, already divides people into acquaintances and strangers, looks at himself with pleasure in the mirror, shows strong conscious anxiety when his mother leaves the house for a short time. The coordination of movements is already almost perfect - the baby, without taking his eyes off the object, can reach it with his hand, grab it and immediately send it into his mouth. Now the kid can already play for 5-15 minutes on his own.
Height and weight
To understand whether everything is in order with these indicators, a simple way will help: the weight of the baby's birth should be multiplied by 2. You get an average weight of five months. The increase for the fifth month is about 700 grams. In growth, the baby adds 3 centimeters.
Recommendations
At this age, Komarovsky does not recommend changing anything in the baby's diet.
The reasons for the introduction of the first complementary foods can be very good reasons, since there is a lack of breast milk, small weight gain (it should be noted by a pediatrician, not a caring grandmother), frequent stomach problems and profuse regurgitation.
6 months
Muscles develop at a rapid pace, so many children at six months can sit without support, some begin to make their first attempts to crawl. The child generally becomes incredibly mobile, you need an eye and an eye for him. The secretion of saliva increases, and many babies have their first teeth crawling out (usually the lower incisors).
The coordination of movements is being improved, now the baby does not just reach for an interesting toy and grabs it, but can quite easily pick up an object that has fallen out of his hands. The toddler is advancing with leaps and bounds in mental development, he already perfectly builds causal relationships: if you shake the rattle, it will rattle, if you throw it, it will fall, if you scream, mom will come, if you scream loudly, mom will come running, and with her dad and grandmother ...
The child reacts to his own name, smiles in response, he listens attentively to speech, and with familiar words he noticeably perks up, splashes with his arms and legs. The baby tries to bind different sounds into syllables. While there is no special sense in them, he just tries to publish new sound effects, and the process gives the child real pleasure. If the baby is spoon-fed, the six-month-old baby understands perfectly well that you need to open your mouth wide during feeding.
Height and weight
For the sixth month, the baby on average gains more than 600 grams in weight and grows by 2 centimeters.
Recommendations
If the child has not sat down in six months, parents do not need to force him to sit down by force. Komarovsky urges in this case to encourage crawling in every possible way. There are children who learn to crawl earlier than sit, and there are no deviations in this.
For information on what to consider when crawling a baby, see the program.
7 months
The kid changes every day. He no longer looks like a helpless creature, most of the crumbs at this age sit perfectly, many crawl, some try to stand up, holding onto the support. Interestingly, the right hemisphere of the brain develops at a faster pace, and therefore more often the child will use the left hand, but this does not mean that he is left-handed. The baby's vision is developed at a high level, he not only monitors moving objects, but is also able to distinguish them at different distances.
The crumb actively learns the world, and he does it through objects - shakes, turns them over, tastes them to the teeth, tastes them, throws them and moves them. A seven-month-old baby eats well from a spoon, is already mastering a mug, he himself holds a bottle of drink.
Weight and height
During the seventh month, the child's height increases by 2 centimeters, weight by an average of 600 grams.
Recommendations
Particular attention should be paid to the development of speech at this age. The kid is already able not only to put sounds into syllables, but also to use certain syllables in specific situations.
On a walk, while playing, it is advisable to clearly tell the child everything that he sees, to pronounce the names by syllables. So he will be able to call things by their proper names faster. Introduce complementary foods - according to the schedule. A child of this age no longer needs night feeding.
8 months
From a prone position, the baby can sit down and lie back down. Toddlers can turn over at this age in general in very different directions. Some kids already know how to play "okay", and almost all have learned to pick up small objects with their fingers (fine motor skills develop). With special delight, children at 8 months recognize themselves in the mirror and in photographs. They have already learned how to remove socks from their feet.
Babies of this age begin to be afraid of loud noises, and therefore they may cry if they turn on a vacuum cleaner or blender. The kid understands the praise. He strives for socialization, reacting animatedly to other children, trying to establish contact with them.
Height and weight
The growth rates are slowing down somewhat. For the eighth month, the baby gains an average of 500 grams, and his height increases by 1.5 centimeters.
Recommendations
If an eight-month-old baby has no teeth yet, you should not panic, everything has its time. At this age, in general, the gap in the development of different children increases. Some already know how to stand with support, others are just trying to sit down.
If the child is healthy, gains weight well, Komarovsky advises not to compare his development with statistical norms, but to take into account his individuality.
The doctor's opinion on whether to use a walker can be found in his transmission.
9 months
The child is already crawling confidently. And it doesn't really matter in what way he does it - on all fours or on his bellies, both options are the norm. The kid knows how to sit, and some are quite good at standing in the arena, holding onto the sides. In the game, the toddler already expresses his preferences - he chooses a certain toy, and not the one that has turned up under his arm, tries to use two toys, knocking them against each other and looking for other uses for them.
You can teach your baby the names of body parts. He will gladly show them with his finger. At this age, children are very fond of watching their elders, trying to copy their actions.
Height and weight
For a month, a child on average adds about 500 grams and grows by 1.5 centimeters.
Recommendations
The child has become very curious and agile, he can begin to explore pieces of furniture, drawers and dressers.This is the time when the risk of getting them a variety of injuries increases - bruises, bruises, burns, cuts. Parents should be more careful, and also remove all potentially dangerous objects from the child's reach.
10-11 months
During this period, the baby can begin to walk. The first timid steps, of course, can happen later, and there is no deviation from the norm. The child perfectly understands how to address himself, he can fulfill simple requests of his parents - to submit a ball, take a spoon. He perfectly feels and copies the mood and behavior of others. Physical development fades into the background, mental and emotional ones come to the fore.
Speech is developing especially actively. The more the child is read, the more often they talk to him, the more chances he will delight his loved ones every day with some new word or its likeness.
Height and weight
For the tenth and eleventh months, children on average add 400-450 grams. Growth increases by 1.5 centimeters per month.
Recommendations
The older the baby becomes, the more lags and advances parents will discover, referring to the development calendar.
The doctor urges you to remain calm and not rush the child if he has not yet begun to walk or speak in whole words. And even more so this is not a reason to start dragging him around to doctors.
1 year
This is an important period, which sums up a kind of result of everything that a baby has learned under 1 year old. He has perfectly developed all muscle groups, many children have up to 8 teeth by the year, although some have only 1-2. The kid can already independently squat down and get up from this position without the help of adults, he overcomes small heights - he can, for example, climb onto a chair or sofa himself. The average vocabulary is about 15 simple words. Many yearlings are great at assembling and disassembling a pyramid or a tower of colored cubes.
Long-term memory improves - the baby remembers what happened yesterday and even the day before yesterday... By the age of one, the child can be good at using cutlery and drinking from a cup, as well as carry out simple assignments of the parents (to serve something, put something somewhere).
Height and weight
The baby's weight has tripled since birth, and its height has increased by 1.5 centimeters on average over the past month. From this age, the baby will begin to grow and gain kilograms much slower.
Recommendations
In the year of the baby, a large planned medical examination awaits. Be sure to share with the doctor all the concerns that parents have accumulated. Usually, the results and examinations of specialists can allay all the fears of moms and dads. Children who are slightly behind in development, after a year, as a rule, quickly “catch up” with their peers.
For more details see below in the program of Dr. Komarovsky.
