Dear Parents! A month ago, a bundle of happiness appeared in your life, your treasure, your little blood. I am sure that you are worried whether the baby is growing and developing correctly. In this article I will tell you what a 1 month old baby should be able to do.

Development of the baby

From birth to the onset of the first month, the baby begins to develop its own immunity, the body systems develop and actively work, especially the digestive one. During this period, tummy problems may begin, colic, and refusal to eat are possible. This is due to the fact that the baby’s intestines are not yet strong enough and it is difficult for him to cope with his function independently.

At this age, the baby begins to actively wave his arms and knock his legs. But his movements are spontaneous, chaotic. He practically no longer lies down in the fetal position.

Some babies at this age are able to raise their head a little, but only from a position on their tummy.

During the first month of life, a child on average gains 600 grams in weight and 3 cm in height. At birth, my child weighed 3200 grams and was 53 cm tall, and when measured by a doctor at 1 month, he became 3800 grams and 56 cm, respectively.

What reflexes are typical for a child?

Here we will talk about innate reflexes. They are the key to the correct development of the child and a step for movement, crawling, and walking.

1. Sucking. This reflex appears from the first minute of a baby’s life. It is explained by the need to receive mother's milk. This reflex is inherent in all mammals.
2. Search. When the baby is hungry, he tries to find and smell his mother's breast or bottle.
3. Prehensile. The child tightly grasps what touched his palm. Also, if you take the baby by the arms, he will begin to rise, but will not be able to hold his head up.
4. Protective. The baby will not lie on his face if he is placed on his tummy. He will immediately turn his head.
5. Pushing away. When your baby is lying on his stomach, you can lightly touch his feet. You will see that the child pushes away like a frog.
6. Walking. If you lift the baby vertically and touch his feet to the surface, the child will make walking movements.
7. Babinski reflex. The baby's foot turns to the side, and the toes on the lower extremities spread out if the child strokes the foot from the outside.
8. Babkin reflex. The child opens his mouth and turns his head to the side if he presses on the pad under the thumb.
9. Moro reflex. The baby will sharply spread his arms in different directions, unclench his fingers, then also sharply clench them and lower his arms if you slap the surface 20 cm from him.

Baby's emotions and senses

1. The most joyful event will be when you see your baby's first smile.
2. The baby begins to try to speak, making isolated sounds.
3. The child picks up sounds.
4. The baby is already able to notice bright objects at arm's length, but only motionless ones.
5. At this age, you can already recognize his mood by crying, smiling or dissatisfied grimace.

Sleep period

At 1 month, a baby sleeps on average 18 hours a day.

In a baby, you can distinguish 3 sleep states:

1. Deep.
2. Shallow.
3. Nap.

During the day, the baby can sleep for 20 minutes or 3 hours. If the dreams are short, then frequent, and vice versa. So a child can fall asleep four to eight times during the day.

On average, a baby sleeps 9 hours a night. But at the same time, he will definitely wake up to eat or have his diaper changed.

Signs of a sleepy baby

1. The child begins to rub his eyes.
2. The baby yawns and begins to be capricious.
3. The baby looks tired, closes and opens his eyes.

The child does not sleep well, what to do?

1. Ventilate the room. Perhaps the child is stuffy and this prevents him from falling asleep.
2. Bright light may disturb the baby. Better use a lamp.
3. Make sure your child's bed is warm and dry.
4. You can turn on pleasant, soothing music.

I sang lullabies to my son.

1. Give your baby a bath before bed. His muscles will be relaxed, which will allow him to fall asleep faster.
2. Try to put your baby to bed at the same time every day so that he develops such a conditioned reflex.
3. Perhaps the baby is being prevented from sleeping by colic or flatulence. Analyze your diet. Your milk can introduce irritating factors into your baby’s body. Your baby gives signals
4. Crying, screaming. It can mean pain, hunger, cold, or a desire to attract your attention.
5. . This will indicate that he is uncomfortable, that something is causing him discomfort.
6. . Maybe he's just doing his exercises. But if there is loud crying at the same time, the baby most likely has a tummy ache.
7. It is worth remembering that a baby can quickly calm down and stop crying if he is picked up and held close.

How to help your baby's development

1. A quiet and comfortable environment in the family is extremely important for a child. Under no circumstances should you swear or scream in front of your baby. This might scare him. On the contrary, give your child more positive emotions. Show your happiness.
2. Try to touch the child as often as possible, stroke him, cuddle him. This will ensure that his sensory and central nervous systems develop properly.
3. If you have a choice between breastfeeding or formula feeding, give preference to the first option. With mother's milk, the baby not only receives useful substances and strengthens the immune system, but also thus his sense of touch and smell quickly develops.
4. Bathe your baby every day. It is better to add herbs that will relax his muscle tone. "

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.

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In this article we will discuss what a child's development should be at 1 month. These are special thirty days in the life of the baby and his parents. The little man gets to know this world, learns to live in it, and actively adapts to it. A newborn endures stress that even the strongest adult could not imagine. In a short time, a helpless and defenseless baby must endure a very painful birth. The type of environment in which it is located, the type of blood circulation and nutrition changes. Therefore, parents in the first month of their child’s life should be extremely attentive and careful. Of course, it’s not easy for parents, especially mothers. She will have to go without sleep for many days, forget about herself and her needs, because her life will focus only on this little baby. In about a week, the swelling in the newborn's face will go away, and the baby will become more beautiful every day. Spends 1 month to finally adapt to the environment.

Reflexes of a newborn

Having understood the seriousness of the situation, parents will ask, what should a child’s development be like at 1 month so that everything is normal and does not cause concern? A child comes into this world with a sufficient set of reflexes that cannot but surprise. What can a 1 month old baby do? For example, if you touch his lips, he will stretch them out and be ready to suck. If you drop something sweet on your tongue, you will begin to smack your lips, as if from pleasure. It also actively reacts to stimuli. If you put something bitter or sour in his mouth, he will start to wince. If you knock sharply and loudly, the baby will turn in the direction from which he heard the sound, begin to actively listen and wrinkle his forehead. The newborn unmistakably recognizes his mother by the characteristic smell of milk and by the intonation of her voice. A healthy newborn should have developed grasping and To check the latter, you need to gently press on the ball of the baby's foot. After a short time, the fingers should clench.

What can a 1 month old baby do besides reflexes?

1. The child must be able to raise his head, albeit for a fairly short time.
2. Move your arms and legs freely, rotate your back.
3. Make sounds (walk).
4. Examine a stationary object, react with a conscious smile to what is pleasant for him.
5. Distinguish between sounds and the most basic colors of the spectrum.
6. Getting to know your mother is the main skill that a newborn baby should have, 1 month is more than enough time for this.

Newborn baby's daily routine

Regular nutrition, washing, communication, affection, sleep, walks. All this is the regime of a 1 month old baby. But should it be strictly followed? Pediatricians have recently been divided on this issue. And how can a confused mother deal with this situation, if even doctors cannot make a single decision? It all depends on how the child’s development proceeds at 1 month, and on the conditions around him. There are families in which grandmothers and other relatives help young parents. Then you can forget about the strict daily routine. But if the mother is alone in caring for and raising, then a strict daily routine will help her manage everything and not fall exhausted in the evening.

Examination of the child by medical workers

In the coming days after the mother and child arrive from the maternity hospital, the local doctor and the nurse on duty must come for a routine examination. You can and should ask them any questions without being embarrassed at all. Answering them is their immediate professional task. Most often, medical professionals are asked about physical and physiological indicators. The mother wants to know whether the child’s development is proceeding correctly at 1 month. The doctor will answer these questions and then begin examining the newborn. It is imperative to show what a baby is doing at 1 month, at least at the level of reflexes.

Indicators of physical development

What should be the normal indicators of physical development, what should an infant at the age of one month have? Head circumference - 34-35 centimeters. The average height of a child at 1 month is 49-50 centimeters. Chest circumference - 33-34 centimeters. in 1 month should be from 3,300 to 3,500 kilograms. These numbers are pretty average. It is far from a fact that every newborn child at 1 month should qualify for them. If parents are concerned about any discrepancies, they should consult with their nurse or doctor.

Need for attention

Proper care and normal development must first of all be accompanied by attention from the parent. You need to devote maximum time to the child, pick him up as often as possible and talk to him. And even if he doesn’t yet understand what you’re talking about, you can just say something in a calm, quiet voice. The baby will be calmer because of this, he will get used to his mother’s voice, which will further serve for his formation of correct speech and development of the speech apparatus.

You need to approach your child at his first call. There is no need to listen to grandmothers and neighbors who say that you cannot pick up a child in your arms and thereby make him an egoist. This opinion is completely wrong! The less attention you pay to a child, the more nervous he will be, the more he will scream and demand attention. And if the child is sure that his mother will come to him right away, then he himself will be calmer. Don't be afraid if your child screams. The young mother immediately begins to think that he is ill or something hurts. But in most cases, the child is simply wet, he needs to be changed - and the screams will subside. Or feeding time approaches, and the baby screams for food. Or maybe he just misses his mother and wants to see her.

Nutrition for a 1 month old baby

Often the question arises about feeding, what to feed and how to do it correctly. Of course, no one will argue that breastfeeding is optimal for the baby and the best for his health. The modern market now offers a large number of artificial formulas for feeding almost from the first day of life. Manufacturers claim that they are enriched with vitamins, minerals and other incredibly useful additives. But this mixture is only suitable for nutrition, that’s where its function ends. Mother's milk has no competition here, since it also contains antibodies that prevent the occurrence of diseases and infections in the baby. No mixture can artificially reproduce this. Breastfeeding is incredibly important psychologically and helps bring mother and baby closer together.

Difficulty breastfeeding

But some children refuse to breastfeed right from birth. In such a situation, you again need to consult a specialist. Perhaps it is the wrong shape of the nipples or they are too tight. There are times when a mother does not hold her breast correctly during feeding. Rarely does the problem lie in the fact that the child is simply phlegmatic and lazy. He falls asleep and does not make active sucking movements. Such a child needs to be constantly stimulated and encouraged to feed.

Also, do not exclude such a specific situation as smell. The child may simply not like the smell of milk. Perhaps the mother ate something odorous. Onions, garlic, herbs or some kind of seasoning. If such a problem occurs, then these products should be consumed with great caution. At least for the first time, it is worth excluding from the mother’s diet those foods that can trigger allergies. These are chocolate, red berries, citrus fruits. Feeding itself usually takes 15-20 minutes. In the first days, until this process is debugged, it may drag on for a longer time. On average, a child needs to be fed 7 times a day. If the child weighs little, then meals should be provided more often.

Doctors unanimously recommend feeding the baby as needed. But this does not mean that feedings should be erratic. On the contrary, you need to create a clear schedule for them, this will help improve digestion and simply make the baby feel good. But if the child wants to eat before the allotted time, you should not listen to his howls, you need to feed the baby as soon as possible.

What is the optimal amount of food for a newborn?

Parents are often concerned about the question, how much does a child eat at 1 month? Some parents complain that the baby cannot tear himself away from the breast or bottle, others believe that the baby eats too little. The best thing to do in such a situation is to look at the well-being and condition of the child. If he is healthy and happy, then everything is fine, no matter how much he eats. After feeding, the baby should not be placed on his back; he may choke when regurgitating. When asked how much a baby eats at 1 month, doctors do not give a definite answer.

Toys

The baby spends a lot of time in the crib. Lazy children in the first months of life can sleep about 20 hours a day! As soon as parents bring their child from the maternity hospital, the question arises of which toys to choose for a newborn crib. Usually, grandparents, friends of parents, and other relatives have already donated a lot of rattles. However, a child does not need such abundance at all, especially a small one. What are the main criteria for choosing a toy for a newborn’s crib? They should not be very heavy, made from environmentally friendly materials. As for the color scheme, it is better to choose a calm range of shades, but quite saturated.

Hanging rattles are very popular among toys for newborns. The child will not play with them yet, but will learn to distinguish colors and hone his grasping skills. Recently, they began to make such toys with musical accompaniment. If you give a child such a toy, the melody should be very soothing, calm and in no case loud - this can scare the baby. Of course, it is worth remembering that toys must be thoroughly washed and disinfected before giving them to the baby.

How does a child develop by month up to 1 year?

In the first year of life, a doctor and a nurse will visit the child as planned. This is done in order to track the child’s development month by month up to 1 year and make sure that it is progressing correctly. If necessary, the doctor gives a referral for examination and consultation with specialists. By the age of 1 year, a child should be able to:

• squat;
• get up from them to walk independently;
• walk, step over obstacles on your way;
• squat to pick up an object that has fallen on the floor.

He actively participates in what directly concerns him (personal hygiene, dressing). Drinks from a mug, holds a spoon, chews solid food. By this age, food preferences are already formed. The baby doesn't eat what he doesn't like. Needs the presence of parents, can express his desire with the most primitive words “give”, “go”, “no” and so on, understands what is being said to him, can call an adult, mom, dad and others. The development of a child month by month up to 1 year is a purely individual process. It is impossible to fit all children into the same norms and standards. Your baby may not reach the age of one year, but his vocabulary will have more words than it should. In any case, there is no need to panic. Moreover, the pediatrician will always tell you what to do. All you have to do is follow all the instructions and rejoice at every achievement of your child, and most importantly, love him.

In this article:

Four weeks have already passed since the birth of your child - a whole month of a new life filled with care and love. You have already become accustomed to sleepless nights, have studied the character of your baby, and have become very attached to him. Time passes, the child is growing, he has already adapted to extrauterine life, and his body has become accustomed to the new “role”.

And now you are not worried about the course of pregnancy and the upcoming birth, but about how a newborn should develop at 1 month, what is considered normal and what is not.

Physiology

The moment a child is born, his body undergoes enormous changes - the lungs open and begin to independently supply the body with oxygen. The circulatory system also begins independent “work” on blood circulation, in which, by the way, changes have also occurred - red blood cells belonging to the fruit type of hemoglobin are destroyed, the blood is completely renewed.

And the digestive and endocrine systems began to master a new “duty” for themselves - now they must protect the body from bacteria that they did not have to encounter in uterine life.

All these postpartum processes lead to great stress on the body, as a result of which a child can lose up to 15% of weight in the first week of his life - this phenomenon is considered natural. After a week, the situation should normalize and the baby will begin to actively gain weight - a newborn baby should gain approximately 800 - 1000 g in 1 month. And his height will increase by 4 - 7 cm.

As soon as the baby is one month old, it is necessary to visit a local pediatrician, who will comprehensively examine the child - measure weight and height, and prescribe tests. Every month, the newborn receives vaccinations + ultrasound of internal organs. It is also recommended to see a surgeon and a neurologist, who will identify pathologies (if any) and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Dream

Sleeping in the life of a newborn takes a lot of time - almost 20 hours a day. During this time, his body does a lot of work - it adapts to extrauterine life.

There are two phases of newborn sleep:

1. Deep sleep phase;
2. Light sleep phase.

In the first case, the child is completely relaxed, his breathing is calm and uniform. In the second case, the baby experiences uneven breathing, and he may jerk his arms and legs.

The position in which babies sleep during this period is as follows: lying on their backs, they bend their arms at the elbows and press their chests. The legs also involuntarily bend at the knees and move apart.

The baby's waking time takes approximately 4 to 5 hours. But even at this time he can doze, for example, during feeding.

Food

Feeding is one of the important processes in the life of a newborn. His digestive system begins to adjust to a new way, as a result of which young mothers are faced with such problems as the appearance of colic in the baby, cramps and bloating. Therefore, if a 1-month-old baby is bottle-fed, you should be more careful in choosing formula milk. Expensiveness does not always mean quality. Sometimes cheap milk formulas are much better suited for a child than expensive ones - they do not cause discomfort in the stomach and do not disrupt intestinal function.

However, it is worth noting that there is nothing better than breast milk for a newborn. No milk formula can replace it. Mother's milk contains a huge amount of substances and microelements that not only help normalize the digestive system, but also increase immunity, which will subsequently have a beneficial effect on the baby's health.

According to doctors' recommendations, the number of feedings per day should not exceed 6 - 7 times. That is, a newborn baby needs to be fed every 3 – 3.5 hours, while the night break between meals should be 5 – 6 hours. Thus, the young mother will form a daily routine for her baby, which in the future will affect the psychological and physiological development of the baby.

However, there are often children who cannot withstand the break between feedings - they feel a strong feeling of hunger, which they report by crying and movements (a hungry child opens his mouth and tries to grab his mother’s nipple with it). In this case, it is necessary to feed the newborn as needed, so feeding will occur approximately 10 - 12 times per day. But there's nothing wrong with that. In the future, when complementary foods begin to be introduced, the number of feedings will decrease and it will be possible to normalize the baby’s daily routine.
After feeding, you do not need to immediately put your baby to bed. It is necessary to carry him in a “column” so that he burps and releases all the air that entered his body along with the milk.

Psychology

The level of psychological development of a newborn at 1 month of life is measured by reflex movements, some of which will remain with him forever, and some will disappear as he grows up.

Basic reflexes of the first month of life, which indicate the normal psychological development of the child:

• sucking reflex;
• proboscis reflex;
• grasp reflex;
• support reflex;
• Bauer reflex (crawling);
• Babkin reflex;
• protective reflex.

The sucking reflex is the most important reflex for life support. Its presence can be easily detected - the baby needs to be attached to the breast or given a pacifier. If he begins rhythmic sucking movements, then everything is in order.

The proboscis reflex, like the sucking reflex, is the most important reflex for full life support. Disappears in about 2–3 months. It is checked by lightly and abruptly touching the baby’s lips with a finger. If the reflex is present, the newborn will extend his lips like a “proboscis”.

The grasping reflex is detected when you press your finger on the baby’s palm. If it is present, the baby tightly squeezes the adult’s finger. The grasping reflex disappears at about 5–6 months and is replaced by a conscious grasping movement.

Support reflex - this reflex is very important, since its presence shows the normal formation of the musculoskeletal system. It is also very easy to check - you need to take the baby and “put” him in an upright position on a hard surface so that his feet touch it. When the baby feels support, his natural reaction will be to straighten his legs. If you slightly change the center of gravity, that is, slightly tilt the child forward or backward, he will imitate walking.

The Bauer reflex is also one of the main indicators of normal child development. It is checked as follows:

• the newborn is placed on his tummy;
• lightly press on his feet;
• in the presence of a reflex, as a rule, infants at 1 month should make movements similar to movements when crawling.

Babkin's reflex - also called the palm-oral reflex. It is checked by pressing the fingertips on the baby’s palm. The child should turn his head towards the stimulus.

Protective reflex - its presence is also very important for a newborn in the first month of his life. It is checked by shifting the baby from his back to his stomach. The child must independently turn his head so that nothing interferes with his breathing.

When examining a child, doctors also check other vital reflexes, most of which disappear before one year of age. Others transform from reflexes into conscious movements.

Motor development

At one month old, newborn babies already begin to actively twitch their legs and arms. If you put them on their tummy, they begin to turn their head. And some even manage to pick it up and look around.

During this period of time, it is very important that new parents help the baby’s muscles develop. To do this, while the child is awake, it is necessary to shift him from his back to his side, place him on his tummy, and lightly stroke his back, legs and arms. Stroking will help not only develop muscles, but also help the baby feel his body.

It is worth noting that babies who have not been swaddled tightly with diapers from birth begin to walk and talk faster and have an increased appetite. Also, these babies have increased activity. The constraining movements of the diaper prevent the baby from fully developing.

Games

Even at the age of one month, babies are already actively starting to play. They listen to sounds and look at their hands.

Rattles and bells that make different sounds can be used as toys for the baby. The main thing is that these sounds are not too loud, as the baby may be frightened by them and will not like playing with such objects.

Since a month-old baby begins to actively twitch his arms and legs, you can tie small bells to them during wakefulness or wear jingling bracelets. Thus, the baby will learn not only to respond to sounds, but also to distinguish their character.

Also during this period of life you can begin to develop finger motor skills. To do this, you need to give the child a small object, preferably one with an uneven surface. So he will learn to recognize the shape of objects and their texture. Naturally, at this moment there should be an adult next to him, since the child can reach the mouth with the handle that contains the object and swallow it.

What does the baby feel, hear and understand?

By the end of the first month, the child’s “revival” reflex begins to work, that is, every time an adult approaches him, he begins to twitch his arms and legs, smile, snort, or try to babble.

The child already clearly hears all the sounds, but he is still unable to match them with faces. He can distinguish his mother by smell, and also react to her mood - frown or smile in response.

Doctors recommend playing calm classical music for your child for about ten minutes. But some children get very tired of it and begin to be capricious. Therefore, if you have any instrument and you know how to play it, play something for your child. If your baby doesn’t like this, try singing him a lullaby or reading fairy tales. The main thing is that the song or stories are calm and have a beneficial effect on the child’s psychological development.

During this period, it is very important to communicate more with the baby. Talk to him as an adult who currently has a need for new experiences, touch his legs and arms, stroke his back and tummy. All this will help you establish contact with your baby - he will feel protected with you.

Useful video about what a 1 month old baby can do

What should a newborn baby be able to do at 1 month? Did conditioned reflexes appear in time? The answers to these questions will help young parents understand whether the baby is developing correctly and whether everything is in order with his health.

Focus on the data of pediatricians, compare the indicators, but do not panic if, in some respects, the newborn is slightly behind the norm. Contact your pediatrician in a timely manner to adjust your diet and daily routine.

general information

The first month is the period when the child adapts to the environment. The baby is recovering from the birth process and gradually forgets about the stress he suffered.

At first, do not demand a response from the baby to your actions; do not be upset if the newborn reacts poorly to your smile. Soft, pleasant intonations and a gentle voice are no less important than a mother’s sufficient amount of milk.

Indifference and reluctance to talk to the child (“he doesn’t understand much anyway”) increases anxiety and reduces the newborn’s sense of security. The first month is not only endless feedings and persistent fatigue, but also a period of establishing contact between mom, dad and baby, a gradual awareness of a new state - “parents”.

Level of child development in the first month

What can a 1 month old baby do? Pediatricians use several criteria for assessment. It is important for parents to know whether the baby is developing correctly, If there are noticeable deviations, seek help in time.

Vision

Peculiarities:

• the eyes are still developing, it is difficult for the baby to concentrate his gaze, his vision is still unclear;
• by the end of the first month, the baby can clearly see objects 20–30 cm away from him. That is why a bright rotating toy above the crib is a good training for the optic nerve;
• after 3–4 weeks, the newborn distinguishes the faces of adults during close communication: during feeding, baby care procedures;
• at 1 month the child can follow a toy moving in front of his eyes. One condition is to move the object (preferably a rattle) slowly.

Hearing

Peculiarities:

• the baby hears much better than he sees;
• the baby easily understands where the sound is coming from, reacts, turns its head;
• After 2–3 weeks, the newborn can distinguish voices. High-pitched sounds are especially pleasant for the baby. That's why mom's voice attracts more attention than dad's;
• The speech apparatus develops; by the end of the fourth week, the newborn pronounces the first “words.” The sounds do not at all resemble the speech of adults; they resemble the cooing of pigeons. They say that the child is “booming.”

Advice! Be sure to communicate with your baby, sing lullabies, and turn on quiet, calm music. Screams, sharp sounds, loud, aggressive music frighten the baby and often cause crying.

Height and weight

These important indicators indicate the correct development of the newborn. The development of each baby has its own characteristics, but be sure to take into account general trends.

The pediatrician will tell you whether the newborn has gained enough grams in the first month of life or whether he is lagging behind in weight. Heredity also influences the indicators: with large parents, the child is unlikely to suffer from excessive thinness.

Optimal indicators:

• sufficient body weight gain - from 400 to 900 g. By the end of the 4th week, girls should weigh from 3.5 to 4.8 kg, boys - from 3.7 to 5.2 kg;
• active growth is a sign of normal development of the baby. Height increases from 2 to 4 cm, reaching from 52 to 57 cm in boys, from 50 to 56 cm in girls;
• a couple of centimeters should also be added to the volume of the head and chest.

In the first 2–4 days after birth, the baby loses excess fluid, and its weight decreases by almost 10%. If the mother has enough milk, in a few weeks the baby will regain weight and gain the required grams. Weight loss for two weeks may indicate severe pathologies of the digestive system. Consultation with a pediatrician and gastroenterologist is required.

Reaction to the world around you

Peculiarities:

• by one month, the baby notices when a familiar person approaches the crib: moves his legs, arms, hums slightly “in his own way”;
• facial expressions gradually develop, the baby wrinkles his face if he doesn’t like something or makes funny faces, trying to show emotions;
• sometimes it seems to close people that the baby is smiling, but more often than not, this happens by accident, unconsciously. The child will begin to express his joy and satisfaction more fully a little later.

Physical activity

Peculiarities:

• after birth, muscle tone is increased, movements are poorly coordinated. For this reason, the baby twitches his arms and legs and cannot completely relax;
• Most of the time the baby sleeps. Many children prefer the “frog pose”: lying on their back, the child bends and raises his arms, clenches his fists. The legs are also bent, but slightly apart. When muscles are tense, this position does not cause discomfort to the newborn;
• Turn the baby over on his tummy. The baby will raise his head a little, hold it suspended for 4–5 seconds, and slightly turn it to the sides.

Important! If a child at 3–4 weeks, lying on his tummy, does not even try to raise his head, be sure to consult a pediatrician to find out the causes of muscle weakness.

Features of the nervous system

Parents should know what unconditioned (acquired) reflexes should appear in the baby at 1 month. The correct set of reflexes helps a newborn quickly get used to the new world.

If you notice that one or more reflexes are weak, visit a pediatric neurologist to find out the cause of the deviations. There is no need to panic; perhaps you need to communicate more actively with the baby and pay more attention to the baby’s development.

A set of reflexes indicating the health of the nervous system:

• sucking. The reflex is established from birth. The child rhythmically sucks any object (finger, nipple, pacifier) ​​that gets into his tiny mouth;
• search. Touch your cheek or corners of your lips. The baby will turn his head, open his mouth slightly in search of food;
• prehensile. Touch your palm, stroke it lightly: the baby will tenaciously clench its fist and try to hold a finger or object;
• automatic walking. Support the baby and place it on a hard surface. Even at one month old, the child will move and twitch his legs as if he is “walking”;
• protective. The reflex prevents the baby from choking if the newborn is placed on his tummy. The baby will immediately turn his head to the side and breathe calmly;
• Moro reflex. Tap the bed on which the baby is lying, about 25 cm from the baby. With proper development, the child will spread his arms (fingers straightened), then return to his original position;
• crawling. Place the newborn on his tummy and touch his feet. The reaction will be immediate: the baby will slightly push away from your hands;
• Babinski reflex. Try stroking the outer edge of your tiny foot. The correct nervous regulation is indicated by the reaction: the foot will turn to the side, the toes will spread out.

The degree of development of a child aged 4 weeks should be assessed by a doctor, but parents will find useful information to understand whether all reflexes are present. Carry out the suggested tests and observe the baby’s reaction. You will not only evaluate the condition of the newborn, but also learn more about the tiny creature.

Caring for a 1 month old baby

The health visitor and pediatrician will tell you how to properly bathe and feed the baby, and how many grams a newborn should gain over the course of a month. Follow certain rules, handle the baby carefully: the child is quite weak.

Remember: not all actions that are permissible in six months are permitted in 1 month. For example, do not lift a tiny body only by the arms; be sure to support your head. Avoid throwing your head back.

For proper development and health promotion, follow the following rules:

• hold the newborn correctly: place the body on one hand, gently hold the legs with the other hand. The head in no case hangs down, but lies on the bent elbow;
• Gently massage the back and chest of the newborn. Using circular massage movements, knead each finger, then the legs and arms. Do not press too hard, proceed carefully. Massage every other day for a few minutes;
• carefully treat skin folds. At 1 month, the baby moves his arms and legs weakly, does not fully straighten them, and sweat accumulates in the folds. With insufficient care, prickly heat and a more severe form, diaper rash in newborns, can develop. Frequent urination and bowel movements often cause irritation of the delicate skin on the buttocks and groin folds. Treat folds with boiled water, wipe dry, lightly powder;
• In the morning, be sure to clean your eyes, nose, and the area between your toes. Regular hygiene is an essential element in the prevention of skin diseases. Remember: a sick baby develops worse, suffers from intestinal problems due to the imperfections of many systems at the initial stage of life.

At 1 month, the baby has adapted a little to the new world, but many body functions have not yet manifested themselves in full force. Communicate with the baby, show bright pictures, sing songs, give a light massage.

Now you know how to ensure the full development of a newborn baby. Proper care and a calm, friendly environment in the family are important. Remember: The further development of the little man, his health and activity largely depend on the first month of life.

Learn more about the development of a one-month-old baby in the following video: