A 4-month-old baby holds his head poorly: reasons and what to do? When a child begins to hold his head on his own

There are many reasons why a child at 4 months of age does not hold his head well. What massage, gymnastics and exercises to choose in order to stimulate the development of the skill, as well as what causes delay and when to consult a doctor, we will consider in the article.

Why is it important to hold the head of a newborn?

The crotch neck muscles in the early stages of life are very weak, and the size of the head is much larger in comparison with the body. The head can not yet hold on to itself, it can sharply lean to the side or back. Such movements will not cause serious harm to the child, but they are accompanied by discomfort and, possibly, pain, if the head of the crumbs sharply changed direction.

Therefore, it is very important to hold the head and neck of the newborn when:

1. You carry it on your hands both in horizontal and vertical position.
2. Carry out turns and small inclinations with the baby in her arms.
3. During feeding, it is also very important to hold the head of the baby, since he cannot do this on his own yet.

There are a lot of scary stories about when mom did not hold the newborn’s head and a “fatal nod” occurred. In fact, the movement of the car, accompanied by sharp braking, can lead to this. That is why it is very important to place infant carriers against the direction of travel. And in the conditions of the house it is almost impossible to make such a sharp movement.

When a child begins to hold his head on his own

The first achievements in the physical development of crumbs occur in 2-3 weeks of life. It is at this age that the baby tries to raise his head while lying on his stomach.

When does a child begin to hold his head on his own? In the future, the development of cervical muscles occurs in stages:

1. Upon reaching the age of two months, babies can already raise their heads at an acute angle. But only in the supine position. Typically, babies can delay this movement for thirty to sixty seconds.
2. At 3 months, babies begin to keep their heads upright on their own. But, despite this, parents must insure, that is, hold the baby’s head. Lying on his tummy, the baby can already lift not only his head, but also his shoulders. In this position, the arms, body and neck form a single line.
3. At four months, a period begins when the baby is able to independently and confidently hold his head. Moreover, he makes turns to the sides, examining the surrounding objects. And lying on his stomach, the child can already raise his upper body.

Of course, these figures are averaged. Each baby develops individually. Therefore, do not panic if the child is uncertainly holding his head at 12 weeks.

Skill Test

How to find out if the baby has mastered the skill?

1. Put the baby on your back. Then hold hands and pull gently towards you. If the head is held in this position for at least 30 seconds, then the skill is mastered. There may be slight head swings to the sides, but this is also a variant of the norm.
2. Put the baby on the back and again lift it by the handles. Stop your baby in a half-sitting position. If within a couple of seconds he was able to hold his head, then everything is fine, the skill is mastered. But if by 12 weeks this skill is not available, then this is a serious reason for contacting a pediatrician.

Early Skill Acquisition

If a child at 4 months old does not hold his head upright, this is an occasion to reflect on a solution to the problem. But what if the baby at 8 weeks of age confidently holds his head in the same position? Most parents can enjoy such a rapid development of the baby. Unfortunately, mastering a skill at such an early age is not the norm. And also requires contacting a specialist. After the examination, the pediatrician or neurologist will offer to undergo a massage course and, possibly, some procedures.

Sometimes this feature of early development is associated with increased intracranial pressure. Therefore, if you notice even slight deviations in the development of the baby, it is always better to consult with an experienced doctor once again.

Possible reasons

If the child does not hold his head at 4 months, almost all parents are worried and worried. Most often, such a delay in acquiring a skill is not associated with psychological or physiological abnormalities.

If the baby at 12 weeks hesitantly holds his head, then it is possible:

1. The neck muscles are poorly developed.
2. Birth injuries affect.
3. Significant underweight.
4. The birth of the baby occurred much earlier than the expected date.

It is important to note that poor development of the neck muscles can be observed in children, who are rarely laid out on the stomach. Therefore, it is very important to do this from the second week after the birth of the baby.

If a 12-week-old child throws his head back, this may be due to birth injury. Therefore, it is necessary to consult with a neurologist about further observation.

Gymnastics for strengthening neck muscles

If the child is 4 months old does not hold his head well, then the problem should be solved. Staying on the tummy stimulates the baby to raise his head. Especially good is a bright toy in sight. An effective method of strengthening the muscles of the neck of the baby is massage. Of course, it can be mastered independently, but it is better to contact a trusted specialist. And already take lessons from him.

Gymnastics aimed at strengthening the neck muscles:

1. Place the baby on your hands face down. One arm is on the ribcage of the baby, and the other is on the thigh. Slowly lower and raise the baby.
2. Fitball exercise. Do not try to exercise on your own. Need help from another family member. Cover the ball with a diaper. Put your baby on the fitball. Both parents, holding the child with both hands in the pelvis and hands, should slowly swing it in one direction or the other.
3. In the position lying on the hands of the parent, the baby needs to alternately raise the pelvis and head.

Solution

If a child at 4 months of age does not hold his head well, what should I do? It is very important not to rely on possible individual characteristics of development, but to begin to act. Neck muscles can be stimulated. It is important not to limit the baby to one bed. There is a mass of developing rugs with rattles on which the baby can spend time. And interesting and colorful animals only motivate the child to make head turns to the sides. Thanks to this, the neck muscles are actively developing.

Bathing in water, massages, outdoor games and gymnastics have an excellent effect on the development of this skill.

Remember that you should not rush the crumbs. While you are not sure of the perfect mastery of the skill, constantly insure the baby's head, holding it if necessary.

Important! If you notice that there are no improvements, then the problem will have to be solved exclusively with a doctor.