When you can't hold a newborn's head. Deviations from norms. How to tell if your baby is holding his head well

The ability to raise your head is one of the first serious stages in a baby’s development, the first skills of body control. Healthy children try to lift their heads at about one month of age - but at first the strength is only enough for a few seconds. The neck muscles are still very weak; the head should not be allowed to dangle - there is a risk of damaging the cervical vertebrae. But if the baby is a month old, but he holds his head tightly, he should definitely be shown to the doctor - this is not a sign early development, as young, inexperienced parents sometimes believe, and one of the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure.

How to hold a baby's head

It is recommended to place babies on their tummy starting at two weeks or as soon as the umbilical wound. It is not very comfortable to lie with your nose in the pillow, and the child tries to turn his head to the side, lifting it slightly. In itself, laying on the stomach is very useful: it will help get rid of gases that can torment the baby in the first few weeks, and it will train the muscles of the back and neck well. The better the neck and back are strengthened, the rather a baby will start crawling.
How long will a child have to practice to hold his head up confidently? If the baby is healthy and developed in accordance with the norm, he will be able to master this skill by about 3 years of age. Until the child can do this well, the one who picks up the baby should lightly hold his back and the back of his head to prevent injury to the cervical vertebrae.
At an older age, the child can also hold his head up for a short time. vertical position. By 4 months he does this confidently. And at 5-6 months, babies are able to lift top part torso, lying on your stomach and placing your arms under you. Of course, all data regarding age relates only to children who grow and develop without any complications.

To stimulate the child's development, parents can attract his attention - for example, show bright or sounding toys that the child will pay attention to and try to turn his head in their direction.

When is it time to see a doctor?

What to do when the baby develops with some delay and at the age of 3 months cannot hold his head? To begin with, you need to contact good specialists– neurologist, pediatrician. If a child, lying on his stomach, does not want to move his head, this may mean serious neurological problems, which must be solved with the help of massage and complex drug therapy.
Neurological problems, difficult pregnancy with pathology, low muscle tone - any of these circumstances can cause developmental delays. It also happens that the child was simply rarely placed on his stomach, and he did not have time to build up the necessary muscles in the neck and shoulders. If he can only hold his head at an angle, a doctor’s consultation is necessary - most likely, he will be offered special massage. Sometimes the doctor suggests using a special pillow to align the position of the head.

Advice for young parents: if you think that your baby is behaving somehow incorrectly, first of all try to calm down. Most likely, the situation is not as dire as you think.

If any abnormalities are noticed, the child should be immediately shown to a specialist. The earlier a problem is detected, the easier it is to deal with it without consequences for the baby’s health.

The development of newborn children very often causes anxiety among young mothers, and in most cases they find no cause for concern. special reasons. Parents want their child to grow up faster, learn to sit, crawl, walk, and talk. However, there is no need to rush things. All changes in a child are associated with certain stages of his development. The first thing a baby learns to do is hold his head confidently.

When do children start holding their heads up?

Development can be divided into several stages. Experts recommend placing babies on their tummy after they reach two weeks of age. Active kids As a rule, they immediately try to raise their head to look in front of them. In most cases, once in this position, the child can only turn his head upside down. different sides. Such procedures should not exceed several minutes.

As children approach six, they become stronger. They try in every way to raise and hold their heads, but they only manage to do this for a few seconds.

At one and a half months of age, most children can hold their head in front of them while lying on their stomach. At the same time, kids can even turn their necks and examine their surroundings.

Children begin to fully hold their head only by three months. Please note that the concept of “head holding” does not only refer to the tummy time procedure, but also means that the baby should feel confident if you hold him in your arms in an upright position.

If the baby’s neck has become stronger before the age of three months, this indicates an earlier development. However, you should not specifically strain fragile vertebrae and neck muscles. At an early age, they can be easily damaged, which will harm the child’s health. If your baby is three months old but still hasn’t learned to hold his head up, be sure to seek advice from pediatrician.

Exercises for infants

The main thing that every young mother should understand is that there is no need to rush things. Do not forget that there are certain development norms that should not be rushed or ignored under any circumstances.

A child should be accustomed to gymnastics from the very beginning. early age. From six weeks, it is recommended to do exercises with your baby that will help him strengthen his neck muscles. They are very simple to perform, but mothers need to be extremely careful.

Place your baby on his back and let him grab onto your thumbs on hands. As soon as you feel that the baby is confident in his abilities, lightly pull his arms. The child's torso should rise above the surface on which he lies by no more than 2-3 cm. At such moments, the child will try to strain his neck muscles to hold his head. At three months of age, babies confidently hold their heads at the same level as their bodies.

Please note that in no case should you lift the child by the arms with sudden movements during exercises, you should not try to sit him down, and when the slightest sign dissatisfaction, it is better to postpone training for a more successful period.

A child can learn to hold his head up on his own without your help. Infants, as a rule, they study their body and its abilities, turning over on their tummy, sides, trying to rise. Your task is to help your child and monitor his safety.

From the first days of his birth, the child still does not know how to control own body. He just has to master all the skills. One of important points For a newborn, muscle control becomes the ability to hold his head up.

When does a baby start holding his head up?

A normally developing healthy baby begins to fully hold his head up at three months. IN last years babies gradually reduce this age to two months. Despite the tendency to shorten the period, before six weeks the child is still unable to hold his head up due to very weak neck muscles.

After three weeks, when the baby is laid on his stomach, he reflexively tries to raise his head and lay it on his side. At six weeks, the newborn holds his head for one minute, independently lifting it from the surface. From the eighth week, the baby is already trying to keep his head straight, at that moment when the mother pulls him by the arms, bringing him into sitting position. At three months, while in an upright position, the child tries to hold his head longer, and the time when he performs this action while lying on his stomach also increases. The baby holds his head completely confidently by four months.

We teach the baby to hold his head

There is nothing difficult about teaching a baby to hold his head up. Mom should lay him on his stomach so that he tries to lift her on his own. The baby's attention can and should be attracted with toys and appeals to him. You can also use a gymnastic ball for additional activities with your child.

Baby can't hold his head up

If the baby does not hold his head up in the prescribed time frame for a child, he should be shown to a specialist. The reasons for this may be different. Premature babies later control their muscles due to their low body weight. Neurological problems or low muscle tone can affect the lag. In all cases, specialists prescribe a course of treatment, recommend massage sessions or change the child’s diet. The measures recommended by doctors should be strictly followed.

The fault that the child is slightly behind the norm in development may also lie with the mother if she did not place the baby on her tummy often enough.

Baby holds his head early

If at the end of the first month of life the child begins to hold his head confidently, he also needs to be shown to a specialist. Such signs are not evidence of early development. Most likely, the baby has increased intracranial pressure or muscle hypertonicity. Only a doctor can make a final diagnosis, and he also prescribes treatment.

And all this great job the child does this throughout the year. Head holding is a basic motor skill. All further motor activity of the child is interconnected with it. Therefore, it is so important to master this skill in a timely manner.

How and when a skill develops

The baby begins to hold his head up independently at about . For some it happens earlier, for others later. Motor skills develop individually. Usually, the baby's back, shoulder girdle and neck muscles are already well developed. By this time, the baby holds his head straight and confidently, turns it to the sides, tilts forward if he is lifted by the arms to sit him down.

Table - Development of the skill of holding your head

Age	Skill Description
Newborn	The muscles of the back and neck are weak. Cannot hold head up without support
1 month	Turns his head to the side, makes the first, short-term attempts to lift it, lying on his stomach. By the end of the month, he can already hold his head for 2-3 seconds while lying on his stomach. Lying on his back, he turns his head to the left or right, by the end of the month he can already hold it in the middle position for about 10 seconds
2 months	Turns his head towards the sound. On a short time holds her while lying on her stomach. At the end of the month, he holds the head for more than 10 seconds, while it still balances and sways
3 months	Confidently holds in an upright position. When lying on his stomach, raises his head high, leaning on his forearms, holds for several minutes

If your baby is about 3 months old and you have doubts whether everything is okay with the development of this skill, do a short home test.

Make your baby sit on his back by pulling him by the arms.. Do it carefully.
He must keep his head straight for 30 seconds. This is an indicator of normal development of the skill. If the baby's head wobbles, there is nothing to worry about.
Place your baby on his back again. Then gently pull it again by the handles, lifting it slightly so that it hangs.
Within 2 seconds, his head should remain in line with the spine. Only after this does it tip over backwards.

It is also necessary to remember precautions: the head of a baby under 3 months should not hang or dangle. This can damage the cervical vertebrae. You need to carefully support it and avoid any sudden movements.

Why can't my baby hold his head up on his own?

The reasons are usually related to individual development. If the baby is healthy, actively exploring the world, if there were no pathologies during pregnancy and childbirth, then most likely there is no reason to worry.

It's just not his time. You should worry when the baby is already 3 months old, but he has not developed independent skills.
Wrong actions of parents. When children begin to hold their heads up, they need to create conditions for the further development of this skill. Some people do not place babies on their tummy because babies immediately begin to be capricious. However, over time, mothers regret this, because the muscles of the baby’s back, shoulder girdle and neck develop poorly. What is important to know? If a child constantly experiences discomfort while lying on his stomach, this may be due to more than just his mood. Perhaps something is bothering the baby in this particular position. It's better to discuss this with your doctor.
. There are many examples where premature babies are even ahead of full-term babies in development. But still, an underweight baby has a more difficult time mastering motor skills. For this he will need more time and effort.
Neurological causes. They cannot always be identified in the first months of a baby’s life. Only additional examinations and consultation with a doctor will help to do this.

It happens that a newborn begins to hold his head up too early - already in the first month. This may be a sign of hypertonicity - excessive muscle tension. Muscles are toned - normal phenomenon for babies. However, only a neuropathologist can determine how safe it is and whether it is a symptom of a serious disease. Usually, for muscle tone, massage, swimming, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, less often - drug treatment.

Keep your head up: five effective ways

It is impossible to teach a child to hold his head up. You can only help him develop this skill, stimulate the little couch potato to do more motor activity. How?

. To strengthen the muscles of the back and neck, the baby needs to be trained regularly, that is, placed on his stomach several times every day. This must be done on time - from the first weeks of life.
Massage . Entrust this matter to a professional massage therapist. Its task is to relax some muscles and tone others. And to do this on the neck and back of a tiny baby is a piece of jewelry. A properly performed massage will definitely not make your baby feel any worse. After it he will sleep well, eat, and enjoy tactile contact. Can a mother learn how to massage her baby on her own? Yes maybe. But at the same time, we must remember that an incorrectly performed massage can cause harm: it can tone spasmodic muscles and further relax hypotonic muscles. In the first weeks of life, only a gentle, relaxing massage is usually given. Later, if muscle tone is reduced, a more intense massage is prescribed.
Gymnastics. Before performing exercises on your own, consult your pediatrician and orthopedist. If a child has increased or, conversely, decreased muscle tone, it is necessary to take into account some nuances, as with massage.
. Water is a good training environment for the muscles of the baby’s entire body. In addition to the benefits, the baby will enjoy it. It is advisable to transfer it to “big water” as soon as possible after healing. Many parents, from the first days of life, bathe their baby in a large bathtub, after it has been thoroughly disinfected. Effective methods also include aqua gymnastics for infants, warm baths with the addition of pine needles and valerian.
Playing with sound. The baby responds well to sounds. Try to attract his attention as often as possible with a rattle, bell, or music from a distance. He will turn the head towards the sound and at the same time train the neck muscles. This exercise is also a good prevention of torticollis - when the baby turns his head to one side or holds it at an angle. You need to interest the baby and approach him from the side opposite to the one in which his head is always turned.

By three months healthy child tries to keep his head upright at all times when his body position changes. Also at this age he likes to lie on his stomach because this position gives him a wide view of the world around him.

The child begins to hold his head up independently when he matures physiologically. If this does not happen by 3 months, do not panic. But there is no need to take risks. Therefore, it is imperative to consult a specialist. The earlier neurological disorders are identified, the faster and more effectively they can be dealt with.

In the first months of a baby's life important role plays his psycho physical development. It should be monitored in the newborn both by doctors during a monthly examination, and by parents, so that if something happens, they can take timely measures. As the baby matures and grows, he acquires skills that indicate normal development baby. One of these skills is the ability to lift and hold the head.

The ability to hold your head up is directly related to the strengthening and tone of your neck muscles. To rise up and look around, the baby must learn to overcome the weight own head. The muscles of the back of the neck in a baby develop gradually; this is not a matter of one day. Success in development and the answer to the question at what age a child begins to hold his head up independently largely depend on what parameters of height and weight he had. baby is born what was it like physical state at birth.

Head holding and prematurity

Early at birth due date The baby learns the skill of holding his head depending on the degree of prematurity. Children of the 1st and 2nd degree of prematurity on average begin to hold their head from 2.5-3 months.

You can teach your baby to hold his head with the help of simple exercises. Absolutely any mother can use them; moreover, these are completely simple everyday manipulations with the baby. If you don’t know what to do to help your baby start holding his head, then these tips are for you.

Exercise No. 1. Laying on the tummy.

Is your baby already 3-4 weeks old? Its time to begin. After waiting half an hour after the last feeding, place the baby in a horizontal position on his tummy. For convenience, you can place folded arms or your own palm under the baby’s chest. Now you need to attract the child’s attention, tell him a nursery rhyme or talk to him. How do you know if an exercise is working? The baby will try to raise his head for 1-2 seconds. This is already a small step towards developing a skill. Repeat the lesson 1-3 times a day, and you will see the result - the child begins to hold his head while lying on his stomach at about 2 months.

Exercise No. 2. In mom's arms.

The skill of holding the head develops well in an upright position. Take your baby in your arms, supporting him under the chest and buttocks. Address the baby, sing a song or say his name affectionately. It is necessary for the child to focus his gaze on the mother's face, so he will develop the skill of holding his head. And turning your head left/right and looking at objects in an adult’s arms will strengthen your neck muscles.

Early is not good

“And our baby has been holding his head since he was a month old!” - such a proud statement from my mother is not a reason to rejoice at all good development baby. If a baby is able to lift and hold his head at one month of age without the help of adults, this is serious reason to contact a neurologist. This symptom occurs with increased intracranial pressure.

Important! The cause of high blood pressure it could be anything: fetal hypoxia, entanglement in the umbilical cord, long labor for the mother, various diseases. That is why parents should keep control over the development of this skill and know at how many months babies can hold their heads on their own.

Among the laggards - when to see a doctor

The alarm should be sounded if at 3 months the baby cannot and does not try to hold his head. You shouldn’t even try to cope with such a problem yourself; the ways to identify a hitch in development and cope with it are very individual. Only a competent specialist can advise them.

Possible reasons why a child does not hold his head up at three months of age or the skill appeared too late:

difficult/pathological childbirth;
low muscle tone;
prematurity;
underweight.

For proper physical development of the baby, you need to work with him, devoting time daily for gymnastics and light massage. Even if the baby protests against manipulation, parents need to be patient and persistent. Carry the baby in an upright position, place it on the tummy more often, exercise – and young researcher You will be able to raise your head better and better.

The newborn seems so fragile, the cervical vertebrae and muscles are weak. Any careless movement can result in serious consequences. It is no coincidence that in the first months of life it is important to support the head and avoid excessive stress on the cervical spine.

Moms and dads often ask the pediatrician: “When should a baby hold his head up on his own?” The question is far from idle: if a baby at a certain stage of development does not hold his head well, it is important to pay attention to this deficiency in time and visit a pediatrician. Modern methods therapy will prevent complications. The information will be useful to all young parents.

When should a baby hold his head up on his own?

The answer is simple: only when the neck muscles are strong enough. Don’t forget that a newborn’s head seems large compared to other areas, and the body is not proportional enough. Weak vertebrae and muscles cannot hold such a “load” in the first weeks of life.

A newborn, who is 2-3 weeks old, in the “lying on his tummy” position, tries to lift and hold his head, but attempts are still unsuccessful. He will not be able to cope with this task for up to a month and a half.

Some mothers are happy that month old baby holds the head independently. You should not brag to your friends and acquaintances about the “achievements” of your newborn, you need to contact your pediatrician as soon as possible and pediatric neurologist. The cause of deviation from the norm is often high performance intracranial pressure, which is very dangerous for the development of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Peculiarities:

Most babies begin to hold their heads upright at about 3 months. Some babies cope with this task a little earlier, others by four months;
by five to six months, the baby confidently holds his head, turns it from any position when he hears a sound or wants to see his toy;
another skill - by six months the baby calmly tilts his head to the left - right, looking at it with interest the world, bright toys, turns his head after his parents.

Important! For the first 3-4 months, be sure to support the head when carrying the baby in your arms in any position. Make sure your head doesn't lean back. Sudden movements can damage weak cervical vertebrae and disrupt the condition of muscle tissue.

Factors affecting the condition of the neck muscles:

Availability birth injuries. Some injuries received during childbirth slow down the physical development of the newborn;
the position taken by a child who is carried in arms or while sleeping;
quality of mother's diet (with breastfeeding). Lack of vitamins and calcium affects the formation of the musculoskeletal system.

How to check the level of neck muscle development

It is important to determine at an early age whether the baby is developing correctly. One of the tests is the ability to hold your head up.

There is no need to go to the hospital to examine a newborn: each parent can handle it on their own.

What to do:

wait until the baby is one month old;
put the baby on his tummy, take a rattle, rattle it above his head;
with a sufficient level of development of the nervous system, the baby will slightly raise his head and try to look at the toy;
if there are deviations in nervous regulation, the baby will not be able to raise its head. The parents’ task is to visit a pediatric neurologist to find out the cause of the problem.

Exercises to strengthen the neck muscles

Often, after an examination, the doctor says that with nervous system order, there were no birth injuries, you just need to pay attention to the physical development of the baby. Perhaps the parents did not do much with the newborn and did not lay him on his tummy. Pediatricians recommend a simple complex that should be performed daily.

How to teach a child to hold his head up? Exercises and useful tips to strengthen your neck muscles:

The main thing: By the age of three weeks, place the baby on his stomach more often. During the waking period, between feedings, be sure to do this manipulation. The baby obeys innate reflex, slightly raises his shoulders, tries to turn his head to the side. Regular muscle tension strengthens them;
massage for a newborn - simple, effective method, giving muscles strength. Look at pictures and videos of how to carry out the procedure at such an early age. Gently stroke the body with rubbing movements, carefully moving towards the heart area;
check how the baby sleeps. Every 6-7 days, change the position of the baby in the crib. Place the baby's head in different directions. This way you will prevent excessive tone neck muscles on the one hand, the “favorite” side;
Another one helpful advice: make sure that the baby does not fall asleep in one position;
Pediatricians recommend that parents teach their babies to swim from an early age. As soon as the umbilical wound has healed, begin classes. Special inflatable ring keeps the baby's head above the water, while swimming develops motor skills. Provide in the bathroom comfortable conditions, and the baby will swim with pleasure;
watch your mother's diet. Breast milk must be high-calorie, nutritious, otherwise the newborn will lack useful substances. Insufficient weight gain negatively affects the condition of the baby. Gradually accustom your newborn to a daily routine: this way, babies gain weight better, sleep better, and grow up calmer;
Is your baby 7-8 weeks old? Do it with him useful exercise: Carry the baby in a horizontal position (keep the body tummy down). One hand must hold the tender neck so that a straight line is obtained, the second hand lies under the tummy;
Start another exercise when you reach two months. Holding the back of the head, lift the baby upright. Carry the baby in this position for several minutes. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times a day;
after six months, when the child holds his head well and turns it in different directions, offer an interesting one, useful game. Take your favorite toy, first place it to the left of the baby, then to the right. Task: make you turn your head, trying to see an object. The toy should be bright, “sounding” ( a good option– rattle);
buy a fitball. Joint activities with the baby they strengthen muscles, provide emotional contact mothers and babies. Consult your pediatrician and choose age-appropriate exercises.

What to do if the child does not keep his head on his stomach

At 5-6 months old, this state of affairs indicates problems with the tiny body. Parents are often to blame for not following pediatricians' recommendations. Sometimes the doctor reveals a congenital/acquired pathology or a lack of nutrients due to an incorrect diet.

Pay attention to the main causes of the problem:

weak tone of the neck muscles, torticollis;
trauma during childbirth;
premature baby;
parents rarely place the baby on their tummy;
flaw nutrients, malnutrition;
neurological pathology.

Signs of torticollis development

Sometimes mothers notice that the baby often turns his head to one side and looks at the toy on the left or right. Some children constantly put their head on only one side, resist, and become capricious when trying to change position.

Why is this happening? How to proceed? When identifying similar signs, pediatricians recommend seeking advice from a pediatric neurologist as early as possible. After the examination, the doctor will tell you what to do.

The baby may have torticollis. Often the problem is caused by a violation muscle tone. In a baby, one part of the neck is more tense than the other. The child simply cannot turn his head in the “inconvenient” direction. Sometimes the problem goes so far that the baby’s facial muscle symmetry is disturbed.

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Main reasons:

congenital pathologies;
birth injury;
sleep on one side only;
constant attachment to one breast;
the development of a neurological disease in the first weeks of life against the background of other pathologies, for example, with cephalohematoma.

How to fix the situation:

contact your pediatrician and pediatric neurologist. After the examination, doctors will refer you to an experienced massage therapist. The sooner you start working with the neck muscles, the faster the results will appear. Sometimes the procedures take two to three weeks, some children have to take longer sessions;
effective physiotherapy: paraffin therapy, electrophoresis;
Ultrasound of the cervical spine will help rule out torticollis. If a pathology is detected, the pediatric neurologist will prescribe treatment;
sleep with orthopedic pillow, limiting the rotation of the head in a certain direction;
If special pillow difficult to find, make a cushion out of a diaper and place it around the head so that the baby looks in front of him. For comfort, put cotton wool inside: this will make the device softer and more comfortable for the baby;
hang above the crib a bright toy, definitely, in the center. This way the baby will not look only left or right;
Put your child to bed differently every week. A simple trick: changing the position of the head and legs will prevent torticollis;
Doctors pay attention to two points: from which side you approach the baby, and where the light is coming from. If the position is the same, there is a high probability that on one side the muscles will be more tense and on the other - relaxed;
early swimming - great way take off increased tone neck muscles. Select exercises together with your pediatrician. The doctor will suggest a complex for correcting muscle tension on one side.

Tune in positive result, do not panic. Do a set of exercises with your child, follow the recommendations for care, nutrition, and development of physical activity. Doctors strongly advise correcting the tone of the neck muscles by early stage development while the musculoskeletal system is actively forming. The later you contact a specialist, the longer it will take to treat torticollis or hypertonicity of the cervical muscles.

Now you know what time your baby should hold his head confidently. If you are behind the norm, be sure to show the baby to a pediatrician or pediatric neurologist. Perform a set of simple exercises to actively strengthen the neck muscles, go swimming and exercise with your baby. Simple tricks maintain health, improve physical and emotional development baby on the right path.

Video on how to help your child learn to hold his head up: