What time does a baby start holding his head on his own?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Holding your head by yourself is one of the important skills in the development of a small child. How should a baby develop and what are the rules? How to strengthen the muscles of the neck and after how long 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 what months the child begins to hold his head, many parents are interested. Most are worried if the baby falls behind the norm. A child from birth does not know how to hold his head on his own, since the muscles of the neck are rather weak, and the baby cannot control them. If you are bathing, picking up your baby, or feeding, be sure to support the baby's head, if it is in a free position, this is fraught with damage to the cervical vertebrae.

Until 6 weeks from birth, the baby cannot independently hold his head upright. If the child can hold the head ahead of the deadlines established by the norms, thenyou should consult a doctor, as such a jump in development may be a symptom of increased intracranial pressure.

Skill Building

Some mothers are very happy when the baby is rapidly ahead of their peers in development, relying on the fact that their baby is the best. Sometimes this turn of events can be cause for concern. The development of the skill ahead of time indicates a problem of hypertonicity or increased intracranial pressure. And a consultation with a neurologist or pediatrician should be done as soon as possible.

If up to 3 months the baby does not try to hold his head on his own - this is also a reason to see a doctor. All problems associated with the development of a child at a young age must be addressed before the year. During this period, they lend themselves well to correction.

When the baby starts holding his head on his own

The ability to hold the head directly depends on the strengthening of the cervical spine. After birth, the baby follows reflex functions, so his head is most often thrown back if not held. At what time do children begin to hold their heads on their own, we will consider further. It is important for parents to always hold the head of the crumbs, as muscle strain can lead to damage to the cervical region or spine.

When a baby reaches 2 weeks of age, he begins to actively train, but he still cannot hold his head, even for a couple of seconds.

After reaching 6 weeksage, the neck muscles are sufficiently strengthened, and the baby can hold his head for several minutes. Moreover, to consider objects that fell into his horizons and attract attention.

Most babies begin to confidently hold their head at the age of 3 months. But the baby still needs your help. And only by 4 months you can not worry, because the baby controls his muscles and no longer needs outside support.

Steps

The stages that the baby goes through on the way to gaining the skill to hold his head on his own:

1. At about 6 weeks of age, the baby begins to tighten the muscles of the neck when lying down. And he tries to keep his head in a slightly elevated state for no more than 1 minute.
2. By 7-8 weeks, parents may notice the first successful attempts to hold the head.
3. To the question of what time children begin to hold their heads, one can answer that by 3 months the baby is able to hold the head in the prone position and vertical in the hands of the parent. But the baby's muscles are still weakened, so the child should not be left without additional control.
4. By 4 months, the baby can raise not only the head, but also the shoulders. And closer to the age of five months, he can turn his head to the sides, considering what is happening around.

These stages are approximately the same for all children, the difference in the development of the skill is insignificant. Do not rush the baby if you see that he is developing normally.

How to understand that the baby holds his head confidently

Already by 4 months, mommy can notice the first results of the baby's efforts after long and hard training to raise the head. Parents immediately notice a new stage of development, especially if it is well passed:

• the baby lies on his tummy, raises his head and confidently holds it for some time;
• on the handles of the parent, the child does not tilt the head back, but diligently keeps it in a vertical position;
• if mom hands baby to dad or grandma, baby controls neck muscles and doesn't let head fall or lean to one side;
• The baby confidently turns its head if it hears an extraneous sound or a colorful toy comes into its field of vision.

But if the parents are in doubt, then you should carefully observe the baby.

The baby stopped holding his head after the first month

If you notice that your baby has stopped holding his head on his own, although before that everything was fine, most likely, this situation is due to the fact that the crumbs have passed the temporary hypertonicity of the newborn. The muscles of the crumbs are no longer in a state of tension, and now the baby will have to train on his own to regain his already familiar skill.

Wryneck

If parents notice that the baby tilts his head a little to one side, so to speak, familiar to him, there may be hypertonicity or torticollis. To understand what exactly caused this problem, you need to contact a pediatrician or watch the child.

Most often, torticollis develops as a result of the fact that the baby always sleeps in the crib in one direction, and accordingly, watches what is happening, and does not look at the wall. To prevent this from happening, the mother should regularly shift the baby.

What to do in case of backlog

If the child does not develop in accordance with the norms, it should be shown to a neurologist and pediatrician.

If your baby is given a frightening diagnosis and prescribed serious medication, it is better to consult another specialist, and not immediately take the prescribed medications.

Moreover, choosing a good doctor will serve you well in the future in the treatment of the child. If the baby does not have the skill of turning his head when he lies on his tummy, 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 babies start holding their heads by themselves? If a baby at 3 months cannot hold his head on his own, then:

1. There are neurological problems if the baby was born with complicated or pathological births. Do not try to solve the problem yourself, as the advice of an experienced specialist in this matter is necessary.
2. Weak muscle tone. A consultation with a neurologist and a course of massage in a polyclinic are necessary.
3. Parents rarely laid the baby on their stomach, and the baby did not have time to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder frame and neck.
4. What timepremature babies start holding their heads? These babies tend to take longer to develop. But if such a baby is not gaining weight well, then the consultation of an experienced specialist is necessary. As soon as the baby gains optimal weight, it will begin to develop much faster.
5. The child holds the head, but not in a straight position, but at an angle. In this case, a doctor's consultation is also required. A specialist can recommend a pillow that aligns the position of the head, as well as prescribe a massage course.

If you notice some deviations from the norm in the development of your child, then immediately consult a doctor. Timely action 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.

Help strengthen the cervical vertebrae

In order for the baby to actively develop from a very young age, mom should pay attention to strengthening children's muscles:

1. Put the baby on the tummy as often as possible.
2. Fitball gymnastics helps align the cervical vertebra.
3. A foam roller will help you avoid torticollis.
4. If the baby stopped holding his head, perhaps the problem is hypotension and you should consult a doctor for recommendations.
5. If a child has curvature, then this is also a reason to immediately contact a specialist.

Timely help from an experienced doctor will help avoid serious problems in the future.

Despite the norms set about what time a childbegins to hold his head confidently, for you and the crumbs this will be an important moment on the way to great achievements.

The main thing is not to miss the moment and help the child, because this is your parental duty. Consult a doctor immediately if you notice a lag behind the norms, even a consultation will not be superfluous. It is much easier to correct the violations that have arisen before reaching one year of age than after.