All parents care about the proper development of their child. Therefore, many questions often arise, especially if the child is the first in the family, of course, there is not enough knowledge and experience. The first year of the baby's life is the most active in its development. During this period, he learns the basic skills of controlling his own body. Let's take a closer look, for example, at what age does the child begin to hold his head? And when is it worth starting to worry and see a doctor? Indeed, in fact, not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance, and parents should contribute to the proper development of their beloved baby.
At what age can this event occur?
It is important to remember that all children are individual, so there is no clear deadline calculated by the day. Firstly, some babies get birth injuries at birth, or they have health problems and this, of course, affects the development of babies. Secondly, even completely healthy babies also have completely different development. Many mothers who gave birth at the same time are interested in the progress of each other's babies, and at the sight of the difference, they begin to sound the alarm, although this is not an indicator that is worth worrying about.
It is considered to be the norm if a baby at the age of 3 months can already raise its head and hold it for a minute lying on its tummy. Or being in an upright position, independently hold the head at the level of your torso. But there are times when a child begins to hold his head before three months.
If the baby is already more than three months old and they are hardly given these skills, you should consult a specialist neuropathologist to determine the cause (possible neurological abnormalities).
If the baby begins to keep his head under two months old
If this event occurred in the first month of the baby's life, do not regard it on the positive side. Often, such an early retention of the head is a signal of increased tone of the cervical muscles and high intracranial pressure. Contact a neurologist immediately to prescribe therapy. A newborn under the age of 1.5 months should not yet be able to keep his head on his own.
When parents are engaged with the baby - feed him or bathe - it is important to hold the buttocks and back with one hand, and the shoulders and head of the child with the other. At this age, the baby has very delicate cervical vertebrae, so without support you can seriously injure them.
How to help a newborn keep his head on his own
By about 3 weeks of age, you can already begin the procedure of putting the baby on the tummy, for a short period of time. Around this age, the umbilical wound is already dragging on. Spread on the tummy is best before feeding, as this helps to prevent intestinal colic and facilitate the discharge of gases. In addition, it is this position that contributes to the training of the neck muscles of the baby. The self-preservation instinct makes him raise and turn his head to one side in order to facilitate his breathing. For most newborns, this procedure does not bring pleasure, and they begin to be capricious. Parents at the same time begin to worry that the child is nervous, and minimize the implementation of training.
This is the mistake of such dubious parents. It is important to remember here that this exercise allows the child to develop correctly, and its absence can lead to muscle hypotension and adversely affect the overall development of the baby. It is important here not only to be interested in the question “what time does the child begin to keep his head?”, But also to help his proper development.
Stages of the process of self-holding the baby’s head
As mentioned above, in any newborn, the skill of holding the head does not come immediately. The kid goes through a series of stages as a result of which he learns this both in horizontal and vertical position. Let's look in more detail when the child begins to hold his head on his own, without the support of loving parents.
First month of life
Do not get carried away in the first month of the baby’s life with a lot of training for its development. Pay attention, when parents put the baby in an upright position on their shoulder, he independently tries to raise his head for a split second. This is a very important process in its development, while parents do not make any efforts for these actions. As mentioned above, laying on the tummy is also an important process in this period of time for the newborn, but it is necessary to do this exercise gradually, using short-term training. Often parents resort to another exercise - swimming the baby with a circle in the bath.
But, I want to note that not every child takes this training for an interesting lesson, and may begin to be capricious, which will make swimming a very nervous process. It is important to remember that when holding the baby in her arms, the head must be insured so that it does not tilt back. About 1.5 months is the age when a child begins to hold his head for a short time lying on his stomach.
Second month of life
By about two months, the child is already trying to independently keep his head in an upright position, being in his parents' arms. It is important here to continue to insure the baby, because his attempts may not always be successful. Parents already have confidence in the actions of the child, and the fear that the baby can hurt himself with certain movements disappears. The baby will try to keep his head more confident every day.
In a horizontal position, the newborn for a longer time tries to hold the head or raises it and turns it to the side.
Third month of life
It is important to remember that the muscles of the cervical spine are not yet fully strengthened, so do not let the baby throw the head back, but you should not constantly secure it. After all, the child should be able to develop and train. By about four months of the life of the newborn, the support of his head will completely disappear, and the moment comes when the child begins to hold his head on his own, without safety net both in vertical and horizontal position. During this period, one can observe how easily the child is given these actions, which cause joy, from the opportunity to see much more.
What problems may appear and how to help the baby
If your baby hasn’t learned to hold his head by the age of three months, it’s best to immediately contact a neurologist to find out if this is a feature of the child’s development or if there are any neurological problems. Often, moms have a premature or difficult birth, which affects the development of the baby. You should not make a diagnosis on your own, or after reading a number of "scientific" articles.
Only a doctor will be able to identify the problem and prescribe appropriate treatment. For example, if the cause is a weak muscle tone, then the child will be prescribed special massage procedures. If the baby was born a little earlier than the deadline, then there is no particular reason to worry, and after a month or two, he will catch up with his peers in the right development. There are cases when a child begins to hold his head with a slight deviation to the side. In this situation, the doctor may suggest massage or the use of a special pillow. In addition to these violations, there are a number of others that can only be determined by a specialist when examining a child, so if in doubt, immediately go for a consultation.
Important not to miss the moment
The moment when the child began to hold his head will become very important in his life, or rather, this is his first major achievement. This first stage is the most difficult, because the baby has just been born, and has no idea what else he needs to learn. Remember that only parents can help in the development of their crumbs, and it is their responsibility to identify problems if they suddenly arise.
Correction of the violation is not really an extremely complicated process, but only if the specialist was contacted in a timely manner. After all, the older the child becomes, the more difficult it is to treat any deviations, including neurological ones.
Remember: when asking the question “what time did the child begin to hold his head?”, It’s important not to start from the available literature, but to monitor your baby yourself, observing its development, and consult a doctor at the first signs of a violation. Take care of your kids, surround them with care and love.