The baby clenches his fists. When the child opens his fists. Muscle tone - what is it

The sooner the baby opens his fists, the sooner he will start playing with his hands. If the child is still holding his fists clenched all the time, try to help him. Gently tap on the back of them to stimulate a reflex that causes the baby to open their fingers.

Entertaining handles

More recently, you have been playing with little hands, unclenching tightly clenched fingers and running the baby's palms over your cheeks. Now he has learned to play with his own hands.
This is the most remarkable feature of the 3rd month of development. The previously clenched fists are unclenched and the fingers remain half-open.
During this period, babies try to reach out with their hands to the most familiar and easily accessible toys and, more importantly, to themselves. See how the baby plays with his own hands. He can grab one pen with another and sometimes hold the entire fist in his palm, and sometimes 1-2 fingers. Of course, these curious little hands find their way to the mouth; thumb sucking is a favorite activity at this age.
Reach out and grab. Watches, hair, clothes - everything becomes a desirable goal for these little hands. A kid at this age loves to cling to his hair, grab his glasses, his father's tie, and most of all, his mother's blouse when she takes him in her arms. These first grasping movements are very strong and far from affectionate. If your hair is in a child's fist, it is not so easy to get it out.
These movements are not yet very definite. When a baby tries to reach out and grab a suspended toy, he often misses the mark. The movements of his hands are still shortened, similar to the sharp blows of a boxer or a karateka. But in a month things will get better, the blows will hit right on target.
Retention force. The baby's hand becomes stronger. Grabbing an object, he holds it, instead of immediately dropping it, as was the case before. The baby squeezes the rattle put into his hand with his fingers, holds and studies until he gets tired or gets tired of it. Which rattle to choose?
- The lighter the rattle and the easier it is to hold, the longer the child will use it.
- Black and white, as well as contrasting colors, attract the attention of the baby more.
- To plastic rattles, babies prefer soft, made of fabric.
- The safest rattle is the one that will not cause any harm - at least 1.5-2 inches (up to 5 cm), without sharp corners and protruding parts.

The best position for playing with your own hands

The position of the child significantly affects the development of motor skills of the hands. The horizontal position prevents the play with the handles, the vertical position encourages it. Lying on a flat smooth surface (for example, on the floor), the child makes movements in a free style - something like a "bicycle", performed simultaneously with both arms and legs; he can stretch his limbs in different directions. But when a baby at this age lies on its back, the resting neck reflex is still active (when the head is turned in the same direction, the handle reclines, and the fists remain clenched). It is much better if you hold the child in a semi-upright position on your lap or put in a special child seat. In this position, his head is turned forward and he looks straight ahead; at the same time, the fists are unclenched and he, as if for a hug, pulls his hands towards you. Thus, the semi-upright position encourages the child to start playing with the handles or to engage in some kind of toy, holding it in front of him.

vision development

Watch your baby when he is interested in the ornament on the wallpaper or carefully examines your face. Now he can do it for much longer and pays more attention to details instead of just glancing at them.
He follows you better with his eyes as you pass by, and at the same time, like a radar, he turns his head. If you leave the room, he may cry.
At this stage of development, children see not only better, but also further. Being in a state of concentrated calmness, the child can look at the ceiling and the fan on it, dark contrasting railings, shadows on the walls, plants located at a distance of 15-20 feet (5-6 m). The most attractive are dark contrasting objects on a light background.
From Martha's diary: "I manage to get Matthew's attention by using a black and white 6-sided cube, about 2 inches in size, which I place in front of his eyes. For a while he is simply riveted to these "moving pictures" and studies each side as he slow rotation of the cube. It even seems that he distinguishes the images on each side. Sometimes, if Matthew starts acting up, I pull out the cube, and the whims stop."

Conversation with a 3-month-old baby

This is where the real conversations begin. This period seems easier to you than the previous ones, because now you can understand your baby. Watch his body movements and facial expressions, try to guess what he thinks about when he behaves in one way or another. By understanding his body language and facial expressions, you can anticipate what will follow: is he going to cry or smile? By timely intervention in the situation ("Hey, .... (name)!"), You can turn the impending cry into a smile. Your happy face can make your baby forget that he wanted to cry.
different forms of crying. Now it is not only easier for you to read the body language of the baby, but the reason for his crying becomes more intelligible. Different crying reflects the different needs of the baby. Demanding crying and a face reddened from tension are a clear sign of an urgent desire to be in your arms. With whining crying, you can limit yourself to answering from a long distance, even from another room. Pay attention to the pauses that intersperse with the crying of the baby. It is he who, as it were, informs you that he is waiting for an answer, and not having received it, he continues to call you.
Expansion of the "vocabulary". The child begins to "talk" more - the sounds he makes become louder, longer. He begins to draw vowel sounds for a long time ("aaah", "eeeh", "uh", "oooh"). Listen to this long cooing, cooing, grunting, sniffling, squealing and sighing. It seems that the baby is trying what other sounds can be made with his mouth and tongue. The child is interested in how loud he can squeal, and especially how such screams affect you. And it seems that he soon begins to realize that such sounds produce a shock impression on parents. All this does not mean that he does not like pleasant sounds. Even at this early stage of development, the child tries to adapt the sound of his own "speech" to yours. If you meet your child's ear-piercing cry with a low whisper, he may moderate his "loudness".

Movements of a 3 month old baby

Lay the baby on a soft bed on the table. Arrange so that your head is at the same level. Try to make eye contact and start talking. The baby can raise his head 45 degrees or more and continue this head-to-head conversation. Now his head does not sink helplessly down, as before; he can hold her in that position for a while. Turning his head from side to side, he begins to explore the world around him.
A new game. Turn the child on his back (most children at this age cannot yet roll over on their own), holding him with both hands, slowly transfer him to a sitting position. The head and torso will rise at the same time, while in the previous weeks the movements of the head were lagging behind. In a sitting position, the baby's head does not sway, as before, but becomes stable. Of course, if you do not help him and do not support his head, she will quickly bow, but the child can again return her to a controlled upright position.
Rack and support. Take the baby under the armpits and hold in a standing position. A month ago, his legs immediately buckled. Now they carry the load of the whole body for several minutes and your support is needed only to maintain balance. Now put the baby in your arms, leaning him against your chest. Do you notice how much stronger his legs have become?
Floor game. The up and down game has begun. Most 3-month-olds love to be held in your arms, but they may like to lie on the floor and enjoy the freedom of movement. The limiting reflex of the resting neck gradually begins to weaken, allowing the baby to stretch his arms and legs in different directions and make movements like a "bike" (sometimes called "wing flapping"). Naturally, such exercises are encouraged by admiring spectators from above. But it would be better if you sit down next to the baby on the floor and keep him company.
Cause and investigation. At 3 months, the child discovers for himself that he can somehow influence the world around him. "I pull a suspended toy - it moves", "I shake a rattle - it rattles." Thus he discovers the connection between cause and effect. This discovery is stored in his developing brain, and he begins to use it to get the desired result. For example, by this time the baby learns to suckle more efficiently - so that he gets more milk at a lower cost.
From Martha's diary: "I noticed that Matthew catches my breast, makes several sucking movements, and then waits for the milk eruption reflex to work and it will flow into his mouth in a full stream. Only then does he begin to actively suck and swallow. He realized that this is the easiest way to start feeding."

"My three-month-old baby is so friendly," exclaims one mother. "She seems so responsive to me," says another.

The third month is an entertaining period for both the baby and the parents. Your child becomes more animated, active, organized and responsive. Communication with him takes place at a qualitatively new level, because by the 3rd month, both the child and the parents begin to understand each other's signals. It is these reasons that allow parents to characterize the third month as the easiest.

Open your baby's fists

Entertaining handles

More recently, you have been playing with little hands, unclenching tightly clenched fingers and running the baby's palms over your cheeks. Now he has learned to play with his own hands.

This is the most remarkable feature of the 3rd month of development. The previously clenched fists are unclenched and the fingers remain half-open.
During this period, babies try to reach out with their hands to the most familiar and easily accessible toys and, more importantly, to themselves. See how the baby plays with his own hands. He can grab one pen with another and sometimes hold the entire fist in his palm, and sometimes 1-2 fingers. Of course, these curious little hands find their way to the mouth; thumb sucking is a favorite activity at this age.

Reach out and grab. Watches, hair, clothes - everything becomes a desirable goal for these little hands. A kid at this age loves to cling to his hair, grab his glasses, his father's tie, and most of all, his mother's blouse when she takes him in her arms. These first grasping movements are very strong and far from affectionate. If your hair is in a child's fist, it is not so easy to get it out.

These movements are not yet very definite. When a baby tries to reach out and grab a suspended toy, he often misses the mark. The movements of his hands are still shortened, similar to the sharp blows of a boxer or a karateka. But in a month things will get better, the blows will hit right on target.

Retention force. The baby's hand becomes stronger. Grabbing an object, he holds it, instead of immediately dropping it, as was the case before. The baby squeezes the rattle put into his hand with his fingers, holds and studies until he gets tired or gets tired of it.

Which rattle to choose?

The lighter the rattle and the easier it is to hold, the longer the child will use it.
Black and white, as well as contrasting colors, attract the attention of the baby more.
To plastic rattles, babies prefer soft, made of fabric.
The safest rattle is the one that will not cause any harm - at least 1.5-2 inches (up to 5 cm), without sharp corners and protruding parts.

The best position for playing with your own hands

26-02-2007, 13:15

My child is a month and a week old, a pediatrician examined a few days ago and said, “everything is fine, but I shouldn’t clench my hands into fists anymore, maybe there are small neurological problems, show yourself to a neurologist”: 005:
It always seemed to me that babies up to 2-3 months old squeeze their fists, is that not so?

26-02-2007, 13:28

26-02-2007, 13:33

Your baby does not owe anything to anyone, especially to the pediatrician :)
flexor tone is normal. I still sometimes squeeze, although they did massage. if this bothers you, try the following: just gently take his hands and stroke your face or hand with them, put a soft toy in his hand - for example, a bear's paw, etc. just stroke the handle gently inside and out, lightly shake the brush. you can relax your muscles.
pet him more often and don't listen to the pediatrician.

SAND BOA

26-02-2007, 13:53

In general, the neurologist told us that clenching the fists in a child is a natural phenomenon for up to 6 months. That is, there is no need to worry.
And one more thing: I also listened to my local pediatrician for the first month, so she gave us so many diagnoses, both neurological and orthopedic. And none of them were confirmed!
When Dashik needs it, she opens her fists and grabs everything that lies nearby with her hands :)

26-02-2007, 14:07

Mashok, (http://www..php?u=18417)
leriy (http://www..php?u=28486)
Thank you!

The fact is that in this situation I am not so much worried about the child, but about the right choice of a pediatrician. We do not have a district doctor, we invite you on the recommendation, but something confused me about this statement of hers. We will see a neurologist only in a week, so I decided to find out on the forum.

26-02-2007, 14:29

The pediatrician is right..
But you have to see the baby. If the handles are not in good shape all the time, then everything is ok.
Show to the neurologist necessarily. After a month, a lot can be seen ...
Do a massage, relax your hands, put objects in your palm more often.

27-02-2007, 10:20

It is permissible for a child to clench his fists up to 4 months .. After the massage, the picture has changed for us, but he still sometimes clenches his fists. When he needs to take something, and this is just in 3-4 months, he will unclench them!

I did not have such difficulties with my first child, and she was born 7 years ago. We were not sent to physiotherapists, we were not given hernias - which are not there, we were not given stupid neurological diagnoses. I myself examined the child for all kinds of pathologies at the age of 3, nothing was revealed. But now I noticed a trend that doctors once again play it safe and send for further examination. M.b. it's not bad, but:
- we feed the children and it’s bad for us to be nervous again
- it is desirable to know the doctors you are going to, because not everyone, even paid ones, are competent!
- my personal opinion is that if the child behaves normally, nothing bothers him, then there is no need to be nervous, children do not owe anything to anyone! Everyone has a different development. If one is already crawling, the other does not HAVE to. My daughter didn’t crawl at all, she just stood up, now they say that this is a pathology ... but everything is ok with us! She goes to school, studies well and has no health problems.

My advice is to listen to doctors less, and give the baby a massage, it helps a lot.

All parents are concerned about the health of their child. They look especially carefully at the child in the first weeks and months after his birth: is everything all right? If the child is the first, then mothers and fathers may not know about some of the features of his development, and sometimes they are surprised or even frightened by the most ordinary phenomena. What most often worries the parents of a newborn?

The child's arms and legs are tense all the time. Maybe it's hypertension and you need to start some kind of treatment?

Yes, this is hypertonicity - an increased tone of the flexor muscles, but this is a completely normal phenomenon that all babies have up to a certain age.

If you look at a newborn, you can see that his arms are bent at all joints, brought to the body and pressed to the chest, the hands are clenched into fists, the thumbs of the hands lie under the other four. The legs of the baby are also bent at the joints and abducted at the hips, dorsiflexion predominates in the feet. Muscle tone in the arms is usually higher than in the legs.

Attentive parents will see that muscle tone can change, for example, when turning the head to the side, it is higher on the side opposite to the turning of the head. Changing tone in the same muscle group is called muscular dystonia - this name is often heard by mom and dad at a neurologist's appointment, but you should not be afraid of this, this is also a completely common occurrence in infants.

By 3.5-4 months, physiological hypertonicity in children weakens, movements become more coordinated, the hand opens, so-called locomotions develop - body movements, in which almost all muscle groups are involved. There is no need to treat physiological hypertension, but you can do a general strengthening massage, it will contribute to the development of the muscular system and coordination of movements.

The baby constantly makes some movements, they are very chaotic. Why is this happening?

In a newborn child, the nervous system is still immature, which is why he cannot make coordinated movements. The nerve fibers of the baby are just beginning to be covered with a special myelin sheath, which is responsible for the speed of transmission of the nerve impulse to the muscles. The faster the transfer occurs, the smoother the movements of the crumbs become. In the meantime, the nervous system has not matured, a small child can be in constant motion, which sometimes persists even in a dream.

As a rule, chaotic twitches disappear in the second month of life. Then the movements of the arms and legs gradually become more even and orderly.

The child's arms, legs, chin are trembling - maybe he is cold or has some kind of neurological disease?

Trembling, or tremor, is a physiological phenomenon that occurs in most children in the first 3 months of life.

Tremor appears again due to the immaturity of the nervous system. Shivering usually occurs during crying or after some kind of exertion (for example, after bathing), but sometimes it starts quite suddenly, maybe even at rest. When a child has a tremor, the chin and lower lip usually tremble, and the arms and legs may still tremble.

The tremor can be symmetrical (both arms tremble) and asymmetrical, when different parts of the body tremble separately (for example, the chin and arms tremble at the same time, or one arm and one leg tremble).

As soon as parents notice that the baby has a tremor (and it may not appear immediately after birth, but even a month later), they are very worried. However, as we have already said, this is a normal phenomenon in young children. Nevertheless, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points: physiological tremor does not last long - only a few seconds; if the tremor increases, the episodes become more frequent and longer, it is necessary to show the baby to a neurologist.

The kid often shudders and spreads his arms to the sides. Is this normal or should I take my child to the doctor?

This is a manifestation of one of the innate reflexes - the so-called Moro reflex (arm extension with subsequent reduction). It lasts up to 4-5 months and usually occurs in response to sharp sounds or a change in body position. Parents call this reflex the startle.

Moms and dads notice that if you change the position of the baby in space (for example, lift him out of bed and then put him back), the child will throw up the arms slightly bent at the elbows. The same thing can happen with any sharp sound (clapping hands, knocking on the door). Sometimes the Moro reflex occurs spontaneously, that is, the baby throws up his arms without any stimuli. All these phenomena are completely normal for young children and do not require any treatment.. The only thing to watch out for: the Moro reflex should not become more pronounced; after 4-5 months it should disappear.

The child constantly wants to suck (pacifier, breast, finger). Maybe he's hungry and doesn't have enough milk?

In children under 1 year old, the sucking reflex is pronounced: any irritation of the lips, tongue, the child makes sucking movements. This is the very first and most important unconditioned reflex: it is the ability to suck (and hence the satisfaction of hunger) that ensures the survival of the baby. The suckling reflex completely disappears only by 3-4 years.

Even in infants, you can notice a search reflex (it lasts up to 2-4 months): when the corner of the mouth is irritated, the baby turns its head in the direction of irritation; proboscis reflex (it can be observed up to 2-3 months): when tapping on the lips, the child stretches his lips with a tube. Before eating, these reflexes appear brighter and are more easily evoked, but in themselves they are not an indicator that the baby is hungry.

The baby spit up a lot, I heard that this could be due to neurological disorders. Is it so?

- a very common complaint in the first months of life. Most healthy children spit up to 3-5 times a day. For babies, regurgitation is more the norm than a pathology., since the structure and functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in them predispose to regurgitation.

The stomach of newborns is located horizontally, has a rounded shape and a small volume - only 5-10 ml: that's why a few drops are enough for a newly born baby to eat. The entrance to the baby's stomach is relatively wide, and the sphincter (the muscle that closes the entrance to the stomach) is underdeveloped. Therefore, the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract is somewhat slow.

The immaturity of some enzymes and the lack of coordination in the processes of breathing, sucking and swallowing, which are more characteristic of premature and low birth weight babies, also predispose to regurgitation. Still regurgitation can be associated with overeating, frequent feeding, aerophagy (swallowing air). Yes, they can be a manifestation of some kind of neurological pathology, but this is very rare, especially if there are no other symptoms of the disease.

The baby often "goggles". The doctor said that this is a symptom of Grefe and does not need to be treated. What is this symptom, and why does it appear in young children?

Graefe's symptom in infants is a white strip that remains between the iris and the upper eyelid when the child lowers his eyes down. By itself, Graefe's symptom does not indicate the presence of any health problems in children. It is often observed in healthy children with a change in lighting or body position, and even Grefe's symptom can simply be an individual feature of the structure of the baby's eyes (it is often found in children with large eyes).

Sometimes this symptom occurs due to the immaturity of the child's nervous system. In these cases, Graefe's symptom does not need to be treated, it usually disappears during the first 6 months of the baby's life. But if, in addition to the Graefe symptom, a child has increased excitability, tremor, developmental delay, if he often throws his head back, this already indicates that he has neurological problems. For an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a number of additional studies: neurosonography, electroencephalography.

A tiny man, having barely been born, knows practically nothing, his movements are erratic, his hands cannot grab and hold an object, and it seems that the only thing the baby does is eat, sleep and cry. But after a couple of months, he confidently fixes his gaze on the objects and faces around him, can smile back, and also holds his head well. With each month of life, the child comprehends more and more new horizons in his development - it remains only to patiently wait for this time.

"So, I'm a mom. And now what? .. ”- many women face this feeling of confusion when they have their first child. “I look at my baby and understand that I have no idea what to do now, from which side to approach her,” the mothers’ stories are like a carbon copy. Then it becomes relatively clear what to do: feed, bathe, change the diaper. But here's what the child wants at this particular moment - this usually remains a secret with seven seals until he learns to speak or at least gesticulate. We have seven key points by which you can understand what your baby is trying to say with body language.

1. Jumping legs

If a baby kicks space, that's great. In his body language, this means that he is happy and having a great time. Pinky is your baby's way of expressing pleasure. Please note that often children begin to jerk their legs when you play with him or during water procedures. And if at this time you take the baby in your arms and sing a song to him, he will become even happier.

Photo by GettyImages

2. Arches the back

This is usually a reaction to pain or discomfort. Children often arch their backs when they have colic or heartburn. If your baby arches while you feed, it could be a sign of reflux. Try to avoid stress while breastfeeding - mom's worries affect the baby.

3. Head shake

Sometimes babies can jerk their heads sharply, hitting the bottom of the crib or its sides. This is again a sign of discomfort or pain. Motion sickness usually helps, but if the child continues to shake his head, this is an occasion to show the baby to the pediatrician.

4. Grabs himself by the ears

Do not immediately panic if the baby pulls his ears. He has fun and learns in this way - the surrounding sounds become quieter, then louder again. In addition, babies often grab their ears when they are teething. But if the child is crying at the same time, you need to run to the doctor and check if the baby has caught an ear infection.

5. Clenches her fists

In general, this is one of the first meaningful body movements that a newborn masters. In addition, a clenched fist can be a sign of hunger or stress - both of which cause the baby's muscles to tense up. If the habit of tightly clenching fists persists in a child when he is already more than three months old, it is better to show the baby to a doctor. This may be a sign of a neurological disorder.

Photo by GettyImages

6. Twisted, pressing the knees to the chest

Such movement is most often a sign of digestive problems. Maybe it's colic, maybe constipation or gas. If you are breastfeeding, watch your diet: something in your diet is causing your baby to produce gas. And do not forget to hold the baby in a column after feeding so that he burps the air. In case of constipation, consult your doctor.

7. Throws up pens

This is the first reaction of the child to the environment, a sign of alertness. As a rule, the baby throws up his arms when he hears a sudden sound or when a bright light turns on. Sometimes babies do this when you put them in the crib: they feel the loss of support. This reflex usually disappears four months after birth. Until then, it is worth remembering that the movement is unconscious, and the child may inadvertently scratch himself. Therefore, children are advised to swaddle or put special mittens on their hands during sleep.