Self-holding the head is an important skill in the development of a small child. How should the baby develop and what norms exist? How to strengthen the neck muscles and after how much does the child begin to hold his head? And when to sound the alarm? This article will help to understand all this.
Development standards
At how many months the child begins to hold his head, many parents are interested. Most worry if the baby is behind the norm. From birth, the child does not know how to independently hold the head, since the neck muscles are quite weak, and the baby cannot control them. If you bathe, raise the baby by the handles or feed, be sure to support the baby’s head, if it is in a free position, this is fraught with damage to the cervical vertebrae.
Up to 6 weeks from birth, the baby can not independently keep his head upright. If the child can hold the head ahead of the deadlines established by the norms, then you should consult a doctor, since such a jump in development can be a symptom of increased intracranial pressure.
Skill building
Some mothers are very happy when the baby quickly outstrips the development of peers, relying on the fact that their baby is the best. Sometimes such a turn of events can become a cause for excitement. Early development of the skill indicates a problem of hypertonicity or increased intracranial pressure. And a consultation with a neurologist or pediatrician should be carried out in a short time.
If, until 3 months, the baby does not try to hold his head on his own, this is also an occasion to consult a doctor. All problems associated with the development of a child at a young age must be solved up to a year. During this period, they lend themselves well to correction.
When a child begins to hold his head on his own
The ability to hold the head depends on the strengthening of the cervical spine. After the birth, the baby follows reflex functions, so his head is most often thrown back if it is not held. What time do children begin to keep their heads on their own, we will consider further. It is important for parents to always hold the head of the crumbs, as a muscle strain can lead to damage to the cervical spine or.
When a child reaches 2 weeks of age, he begins to actively train, but he still does not succeed in holding his head, even for a couple of seconds.
After reaching 6 weeks of age, the neck muscles are sufficiently strengthened, and the baby can hold his head for several minutes. Moreover, consider objects that fall into his horizons and attract attention.
Most babies begin to confidently hold their heads at the age of 3 months. But your baby is still needed. And only by 4 months you can not worry, since the baby controls his muscles and no longer needs outside support.
Stages
Stages that the baby goes on the path to gaining the ability to hold his head on his own:
- At the age of about 6 weeks, the baby begins to strain the muscles of the neck when lying. And he tries to keep his head in a slightly elevated state for no more than 1 minute.
- By 7-8 weeks, parents can notice the first successful attempts of the crumbs to hold their heads.
- To the question of what time the children begin to hold their head, we can answer that by 3 months the baby is able to keep the head in the supine position and upright in the arms of the parent. But the crumbs muscles are still weakened, therefore, the child should not be left without additional control.
- By 4 months, a child can lift not only his head, but also his shoulders. And closer to the age of five months he is able to turn his head to the side, considering what is happening around.
These stages are approximately the same for all children, the difference in skill development is negligible. Do not rush the baby if you see that it develops normally.
How to understand that the baby confidently holds his head
By the age of 4 months, mom can notice the first results of the crumbs' efforts after long and hard training to raise the head. Parents immediately notice a new stage of development, especially if it is well completed:
- the baby lies on its tummy, raises its head and holds it confidently for some time;
- on the handles of the parent, the child does not throw the head back, but carefully holds it in an upright position;
- if the mother passes the crumbs to the hands of dad or grandmother, the baby controls the muscles of the neck and prevents the head from falling or leaning to one side;
- the baby confidently turns its head if it hears an extraneous sound or a colorful toy gets into its field of vision.
But if the parents are in doubt, then you should carefully watch the baby.
The baby stopped holding his head after the first month
If you notice that your baby has ceased to hold its head on its own, although before that everything was fine, most likely this situation is due to the fact that the baby passed temporary hypertonicity of the newborn. The crumbs muscles are no longer in a state of tension, and now the baby will have to train independently to regain his already familiar skill.
Torticollis
If parents notice that the baby tilts his head slightly in one direction, so to speak, familiar to him, perhaps there is hypertonicity or torticollis. To understand what exactly caused this problem, you need to contact a pediatrician or observe a child.
Most often, torticollis develops as a result of the fact that the baby sleeps in the crib always in one direction, and accordingly, watches what is happening, and does not look at the wall. To prevent this from happening, mom should regularly shift the baby.
What to do in case of lag
If the child does not develop in accordance with the standards, you should show it to a neurologist and pediatric doctor.
If the baby is made a frightening diagnosis and serious medications are prescribed, it is better to consult another specialist, and not immediately take the prescribed medications.
Moreover, choosing a good doctor in the future will serve you excellently in treating your child. If the baby does not have the skill of turning his head when he is lying on his stomach, then the reason lies in neurological problems, the treatment of which should be carried out comprehensively, with the help of medicines and massage.
What time do children begin to hold their heads themselves? If the baby at 3 months can not independently hold his head, then:
- There are neurological problems if the baby was born in complicated or pathological births. Do not try to solve the problem yourself, as the advice of an experienced specialist in such a matter is necessary.
- Weak muscle tone. Neurologist consultation and massage course are required at the clinic.
- Parents rarely laid out the child on the stomach, and the baby did not have time to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder frame and neck.
- What time do premature babies begin to hold their heads? Such children tend to develop longer. But if such a baby does not gain weight well, then the consultation of an experienced specialist is necessary. As soon as the baby gains optimal weight, it will begin to grow much faster.
- The child holds the head, but not in the upright position, but at an angle. In this case, a doctor’s consultation will also be required. A specialist can advise a pillow that aligns the position of the head, and also prescribe a massage course.
If you notice some abnormalities in the development of your child, then consult a doctor immediately. Timely measures taken will help to identify the problem at an early stage and deal with it in time. The older the baby becomes, the more difficult it is for the attending physician to work with him.
We help strengthen the cervical vertebrae
So that the baby can actively develop from a very young age, mother should pay attention to strengthening children's muscles:
- Spread the baby on the tummy as often as possible.
- Gymnastics with fitball helps to align the cervical vertebra.
- A foam roller will allow you to avoid torticollis.
- If the baby stopped holding his head, there may be a problem in hypotension and you should consult a doctor for recommendations.
- If the child has curvature, then this is also a reason for immediately contacting a specialist.
The timely help of an experienced doctor will help to avoid serious problems in the future.
Despite the norms established regarding how much the child begins to hold his head confidently, for you and the crumbs this will be an important moment on the path to great achievements.
The main thing is not to miss the moment and help the child, because it is your parental responsibility. Consult a doctor immediately if you notice a lag in the norms, even a consultation will not be superfluous. Correcting the violations that have arisen is much easier before reaching the age of one year than after.