The newborn does not clamp his fingers into fists. Muscle tone in newborns: what should parents expect? The best position for playing with your own hands

The sooner the baby opens his fists, the sooner he will begin to play with his hands. If the child, as before, keeps his fists clenched all the time, try to help him. Gently tap on the back of them in order to stimulate a reflex that makes the baby unclench his fingers.

Quite relatively not so long ago you played with small hands, unclenching tightly clenched fingers and running the baby's palms along 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.
At this time, babies try to reach out with their hands to the most familiar and easily accessible toys and, even more importantly, to themselves. See how the baby is played with his own hands. He can grab one handle with another and hold in his palm from time to time a whole fist, and from time to time 1-2 fingers. Needless to say, these interesting 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 desired goal for these little hands. A baby at this age loves to cling to hair, grab glasses, his father's tie, and most of all, his mother's blouse, while she takes him in her arms. These first grasping movements are quite strong and far from gentle. If your hair is in a child's fist, it is not so easy to get it out.
These movements are not yet quite definite. While the baby is trying to reach out and grab the hanging toy, he usually does not reach the goal. The movements of his hands are still shortened, similar to sharp blows from 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. Having seized some object, he holds it, instead of dropping it immediately, as was the case before. The baby squeezes the rattle placed in 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 be engaged in it.
- Dark and white, and contrasting colors attract the attention of the baby more.
- To plastic rattles, babies prefer soft, made of fabric.
- The most reliable 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 interferes with the game with the handles, the vertical position contributes to it. Lying on a flat smooth surface (for example, on the floor), the child creates movements in a free style - something like a bicycle, made simultaneously with arms and legs; he can stretch his limbs in different directions. But at a time when the baby at this age lies on its back, the still active reflex of the resting neck is triggered (when the head is turned in the same direction, the handle leans back, 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 watches straight ahead; along with this, the fists are unclenched and he, as if for hugs, pulls his hands towards you. So, the semi-vertical position encourages the child to start playing with pens or to take up some kind of toy, holding it in front of him.

Watch your baby as he or she becomes interested in the pattern on the wallpaper or intently studies your face. Now he can do it much longer and pays more attention to details instead of looking at them.
He follows you better with his eyes as you pass by, and along with that, like a radar, he turns his head. If you leave the room, he may start crying.
At this stage of development, children see not only better, but also further. Once in a state of concentrated self-control, the child can look at the ceiling and the fan on it, the black contrasting railings, the shadows on the walls, the plants that are 15-20 feet (5-6 m) from him. The most attractive are black contrasting objects on a bright background.
From Martha's diary: I manage to get Matthew's interest 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 chained to these moving pictures and studies each side as the cube slowly rotates. It is thought besides that he distinguishes images on each side. From time to time, in case Matthew starts to act up, I remove the die, and the moodiness stops.

Conversation with a 3-month-old baby

This is where the real conversations begin. This period seems to you easier than the past, because at the moment you have the opportunity to realize your baby. Watch his body movements and facial expressions, try to guess what he is thinking about while he behaves in one way or another. By understanding his body language and facial expressions, you can predict what will follow: is he planning to start crying or smiling? By timely intervention in the situation (Hey. (name)!) You can turn the impending cry into a smile. Your joyful face can make the baby forget that he wanted to start crying.
Various forms of crying. Now it is not only easier for you to read the body language of the baby, but the circumstance of his crying becomes more intelligible. Different crying reflects the different needs of the baby. Demanding crying and a face flushed with tension are a sign of an urgent thirst to be in your arms. With whimpering crying, it is possible to confine yourself to an answer from a long distance, moreover 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 without taking it, he continues to call you.
Vocabulary expansion. The child begins to say more - the sounds he makes become louder, longer. He begins to drag vowel sounds for a long time (aaah, eeeh, eeh, oooh). Listen to this long cooing, cooing, grunting, sniffling, squealing and sighing. It seems that the baby is trying what specific sounds it is possible to extract through his mouth and tongue. The child is interested in how loudly he can squeal, and especially how such screams affect you. And I think he soon begins to realize that in order to make the kind of sounds create a shock impression on his parents. All this does not mean that he does not like pleasant sounds. In addition, 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 in a low whisper, perhaps he will moderate his volume.

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 child can raise the 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 will not yet be able to 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 moment, whereas in the past weeks the movements of the head have lagged behind. In a sitting position, the baby's head does not sway, as before, but becomes stable. Needless to say, if he is not helped and supported by his head, she will quickly bow, but the child can 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 are within a few minutes. carry the load of the whole body 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 stronger his legs have become?
Floor game. The up and down game began. Most 3-month-olds love being in your arms the most, but they may enjoy lying on the floor and enjoying the freedom of movement. The limiting reflex of the resting neck slowly begins to weaken, allowing the baby to stretch its arms and legs in different directions and make movements like a bicycle (sometimes this is called flapping wings). 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.
Circumstance and consequence. At 3 months, the child discovers 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 effect and cause. This discovery is stored in his developing brain, and he begins to use it in order to get the desired result. For example, by this time, the baby is learning to suck more efficiently - so in order to get more milk at a lower cost.
From Martha's diary: I saw that Matthew catches my breast, makes a couple of 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 was the easiest method to start feeding.

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.

"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.

A woman who has recently become a mother, very carefully and reverently monitors the health of her crumbs. But often the newborn does not behave as described in the books. There are signs that mommy should immediately sound the alarm. But there are also quite harmless physiological ones that disappear in the first year of life. Today we will talk about muscle tone in infants. Let's try to understand what it is and how to deal with the problem.

Muscle tone - what is it?

Muscle tone in newborns is a phenomenon that is becoming more and more common, but why does it occur?

The fact is that in the mother's stomach - the first house of the crumbs, the space is very limited. The kid grows, develops and becomes more and more crowded in his home, he can no longer move his arms and legs normally.

Remember the "fetal position": the baby's arms are crossed on the chest, the legs are bent at the knees.

A long stay in this state cannot but affect the muscles, which are very tense all the time. That is, such a phenomenon as tone arises due to increased muscle resistance, which appears during passive sprains in the process of movement in the joint.

Increased muscle tone in babies can persist for some time after birth, this phenomenon should completely disappear by 1 year. A decrease in tone occurs already by 3-4 months.

Diagnosing the problem

Immediately after birth, of course, not in the first minutes, but even in the maternity hospital, babies begin to be diagnosed for muscle tone.

After discharge, the baby will undergo a monthly examination, at the appointment the doctor will also pay attention to tone, especially the first three months. Babies who are born "on one's own", and during the period of gestation and labor, located in the tummy according to all physiological rules, the setting of the limbs and the resistance of the muscles, or rather, their individual groups, allows during the examination to determine whether the tone corresponds to the norm or not.

Babies born by caesarean section or who have been in the mother's abdomen for a long time in pelvic diligence may have a different body position after birth. That is why the pediatrician or neurologist conducting the examination will ask about the course of pregnancy and the birth itself.

If you saw in your baby's card the inscription "tone is dystonic", do not sound the alarm, just figure out what's what. So what is dystonic muscle tone? This is a syndrome in which the baby's motor activity is impaired and there is abnormal muscle development. Most often, such a problem is diagnosed in infancy and, by the way, the sooner this is detected, the easier and more effectively it can be dealt with.

We observe the baby: identify the problem

To notice the problem as early as possible, experts recommend that young mothers closely monitor their children and evaluate their motor activity depending on age.

From birth to the age of one month, your “sun” can maintain its usual fetal position. If the baby presses the handles to the chest, then this indicates the normal development of the muscles. Doctors advise to observe how the newborn clenches his fists. In normal development, the thumb should be inside when clenching the fist.

If the baby is placed on the tummy, then he should make bending movements with his legs, as if he wants to crawl. By the first "anniversary" of the baby - 1 month, he will already try to raise and hold his head, in time it will be only a couple of seconds, everything happens at a reflex level and is considered the norm for all children of this age.

The next period of muscle development will be 1-3 months of life. By this time, the tension in the muscles begins to subside, the baby has more conscious movements and reactions: he begins to reach for the toy, and by the end of the third month, hold light objects in the pen. There is a reaction (head rotation) to the source of light and sound. By the end of this period, the baby already knows how to hold its head. Putting the baby on his back and slightly pulling on the handles, you will see that he is trying to pull himself up at the expense of his own strength. Holding your child in an upright position, and putting it on its legs, the baby will try to walk. At the age of three months, the child should lean on a full foot.

From 3 to 6 months, the baby will improve his skills: he will begin to confidently hold the rattle in his hands, be interested not only in objects that are exactly in front of him, but also around him. During these months, your son or daughter will learn to roll over on their tummy and back, and will also try to get on all fours.

In the period from 6 months to 1 year, there will be two more major leaps in muscle development: at 6-9 months and at 9-12. During this period of time, the little one will learn to sit and stand up on his own, first with the help of a support, and only then without it. Many children begin to slowly walk by the age of one. Fine motor skills develop: new grasping movements appear. Now the child is increasingly taking objects, and at the same time uses the thumb and forefinger.

If you notice that your baby is developing somehow wrong and does not have certain skills that he should have, then you should consult a doctor. Unfortunately, in recent years, more and more newborns are born with impaired muscle tone. This problem can be triggered by a huge number of factors, for example, hereditary ailments of the mother, malnutrition during pregnancy, etc.

Boy 2 years 11 months. Approximately 4 weeks ago, he developed discomfort in his fingers. He often asked to wash them, lick them, he constantly kept his fingers in his mouth. These symptoms have subsided a little, but now he increasingly keeps his fists closed - while playing, communicating with adults, watching TV, sometimes wearing toys with his fingers clenched into fists. After falling asleep for about an hour, the cams are clamped, it is difficult to unclench them. At the request of an adult, a child can arbitrarily unclench his fingers, this does not cause pain. Neurological symptoms were not observed from birth, they were not registered with a neurologist. Development according to age.

ANSWERED: 02/26/2017

Hello Elya. At this age, it is difficult to carry out any diagnostics, but since a child under 7 years old is completely energy-informational dependent on his mother, you can understand what is happening with the child through his mother. I have such diagnostic approaches - read my post - http://centrzdorovia.ru/ mnogomernoe-zdorovie/ and if you are interested - call and sign up.

ANSWERED: 02/26/2017 Valeeva Elvira Raisovna Moscow 0.0 oncologist gynecologist

Hello, thank you for the question and the detailed description of the diagnosis at this age, a pediatric neurologist can handle it.

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