Medical expert of the article
New publications
What should be able to child in 1 month
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
The first month of your child's life is an amazing time. In just 12 months, your child will travel from a newborn who is completely dependent on you to a baby who is already beginning to walk, talk and show the first signs of independence. What should a baby be able to do in the first month of life?
Height and weight
Do not be alarmed if your child loses weight during the first few days of life. Babies are born with excess fluid in the body and, as a rule, lose up to 10% of their body weight at birth, before their weight stabilizes and begins to increase. After two weeks, babies usually regain the weight that they had at birth, and they recover faster in the first month, somewhere between 15-30 grams per day. During the consultation, which moms travel with children once a month, your doctor will check the weight of your child by comparing it with the growth chart, and you will see that your child is growing normally.
Motor skills of a child in 1 month
The nervous system of the newborn during the first month of life is still immature, but children can do a lot in this short period. You will notice that your baby was born with several congenital reflexes, including sucking. Shortly after birth, your baby will be able (by receiving help from you) to find and suck the nipple of the mother. If you put your finger inside the palm of your child, you will notice that he will squeeze his fist tightly around him (so many fathers brag about the strength of their newborn).
A newborn can pull the handles to the sides and open their cams - this is called the Moro reflex. And up to 1 month, the child has an automatic gait reflex. If you put your newborn feet on a hard surface, while supporting his body, the baby can take a few steps. Even at 1 month, your child already has a Bauer reflex - it is called a crawling reflex. Up to two or three months, the child will have a so-called proboscis reflex. If you hit your finger on his lips, they stretch the tube.
The baby can also raise his head for a few minutes, lying on his tummy, and even be able to turn it from side to side. This reflex is expressed from the first minutes of a child’s life. True, the head cannot be raised for a long time - the neck muscles are still very weak. If the child has a central nervous system, the head may not turn to the side, and lying on the tummy, it may suffocate if the adult does not help him turn the head to the side.
[5],
Children sleep in 1 month
Birth is hard work. For the first few weeks, it seems that all the work of a newborn is a dream. In fact, newborns can sleep from 15 to 16 hours a day. True, the child is not yet accustomed to the normal cycle of day and night. You can help your child regulate sleep by limiting it during the daytime, and keep quiet and dark at night. In the end, your child will understand that the day is created for the game, and the night for sleeping.
In addition, the baby’s sleep cycles at 1 month are significantly different from yours. Unlike adults, newborns spend more time in the REM phase of sleep, that is, in the superficial phase than in the deeper phases of sleep. This means that during these first few weeks, children can wake up quite easily from the slightest noise.
[6]
Baby vision at 1 month
Children are born with very blurry vision. Newborns are extremely short-sighted. Your child can see objects and people most clearly when they are at a distance of 20 to 30, 5 centimeters. This means that the newborn can most clearly see the mother's face when she feeds him, and if people are farther away, the baby looks at them like stuffed animals, because all the attention of the monthly children is drawn to human faces. They also prefer the high contrast of the object, so it’s easier to see it.
You may notice that your look and the look of a 1-month-old baby intersect when he tries to concentrate. This is normal, because control of the newborn's gaze is not fully developed. However, if this condition remains in a child for up to three or four months, consult a pediatrician, because this may be a sign of strabismus.
Hearing baby in 1 month
Although the ear of the newborn is not yet fully developed, babies can recognize sounds — especially the voices of their parents, which they used to hear in the womb. They especially like high sounds.
If your child does not respond to loud and high sounds, do not forget to mention this to your pediatrician during the consultation.
Child's taste buds at 1 month
Like many older children (and adults), children in 1 month prefer a sweet taste. Their taste buds are not yet mature enough to distinguish between bitter and sour tastes. Children in 1 month have a well-developed sense of smell. A baby during the first few days of life can even distinguish the smell of its mother's nipple and breast milk.
How much and when does a baby eat at 1 month?
In one month, an infant can eat from eight to 12 times a day (approximately every two to three hours). Artificial feeding children eat less often - six to eight times. Some parents give their children milk when they are hungry, while others stick to the schedule. You will know when your child is hungry, because she will act up and cry (move her head back and forth, look for the mother's mammary gland) or try to bite your finger when you touch the child's cheek.
The baby, who ate, will be calm and may even fall asleep. Follow his diapers: 5-6 wet diapers per day is a sign that the baby is eating enough.
Communication with the parents of the child in 1 month
In a child in one month one way of communication prevails - crying. Your baby will cry up to three hours a day. Do not panic, the frequency of crying over time will decrease. Crying is your child's way of saying, "I am hungry, feed me." “I’ve wetted a diaper or I’m very tired.” Eventually, you will begin to translate these screams into your tongue and discover ways to calm your baby (for example, by shaking or swaddling). Some children cry too much - then they need to show a doctor, because they may have health problems.
Tips for your baby’s first month
- Kids love to be touched. Give the child a light massage, shake it, hug, just stroke. This will give your newborn the feeling that he is safe, loved and consoled in moments of anxiety.
- Turn on the child calm classical music. Studies show that a child, while listening to music in soothing colors, develops better and feels more confident.
- Put bright beautiful toys in front of your child so that he can reach for them and develop muscles in this way.
- Make your child a “bicycle” with its legs for a couple of minutes several times a day. This simple exercise will help to tone the muscles in order to prepare the child for crawling and walking. Now you have learned that a child should be able to be in one month, and you will not have to worry too much about its development.