Having a baby is a real miracle that brings young parents not only many minutes of joy and happiness, but also constant concern for the health of their offspring.
Young and inexperienced mothers often ask unnecessary questions, having seen enough of other children and heard the advice of “more experienced” acquaintances or friends.
For example, one of the most popular questions for mothers is “when does a newborn begin to hold his head?” do not worry so much about this, because a child up to a year learns how much is new and interesting for himself, that sometimes it’s hard to count and remember.
So here, the pean will begin to hold its head when the body and muscles get stronger, and until that moment you do not need to create panic and rush to the pediatricians if the baby does not cope with this task in a month.
At what age does this happen?
One of the first skills, in addition to sucking and swallowing, which the peanut takes on, is the ability to hold its head on its own with the help of a special muscle group. It is not necessary to assume that if you keep the child “columned” all the time, this will accelerate the process of muscle formation. Most likely, a special massage and training of parents will positively influence. For example, if a child confidently tears off his head and twirls it while lying on his stomach, then these are the first signs of success.
The average age when this happens is 3 months, but do not panic if it comes earlier or later. A child is an individual who is different from everyone else.
Features of development can occur in those children who were born prematurely and are just starting to catch up with their peers in a few months. Most often, such babies are late with a general development of 5-6 weeks.
To maximize the development of the baby’s muscles, you need to hold and look at him from different positions, distances and radii. This will allow the baby to catch your overall eye contact and let him train his neck and head.
During the period of growing up, when the child is already 1-2 months old, he can independently try to hold his head, tearing it off for several seconds. At these moments, it is important not to succumb to euphoria and forget about everything. It is important for parents not only to remember these moments, but also to try to insure as much as possible and fix the head in the right position, if the baby has lost strength, and he will sharply twitch on either side. The baby is holding her head for only a few moments, thus developing her abilities.
At the age of 3-4 months, the baby is already beginning to hold his head more confidently, turning it in the right direction, if something is carried away there. The child should confidently lie on his tummy and watch the world around him.
At 5-6 months, the baby holds its head without help for a long time. He is happy to examine everything around, makes sudden movements, turns his head in all directions in all positions.
Why does the child not hold his head?
If, despite all the talk that the child is an individual and cannot do everything according to the schedule, there are more objective reasons. The following may significantly affect this process:
- the child was rarely placed on the tummy for its further development;
- the child has a low muscle tone from birth;
- heavy or prolonged childbirth somehow affected him;
- the baby was born premature and fragile;
If the child does not show significant results and improvements for up to three months, you must definitely see a doctor – a neurologist. He can attribute to you certain procedures, a set of physical exercises, or massage services.
Mom can independently perform simple procedures at home that will help her baby grow stronger sooner. First of all, you need to interest the baby with something bright and new, that there was an incentive for him to turn his head. Often a new bright toy is triggered, which is put in front of the child when they put it on the tummy, this makes the baby look at it, thereby developing the desired muscle group.
When the baby begins to hold his head at the age of 5-6 weeks, you should not be too happy and reinforce this skill in the child. Perhaps this is not an early development, but muscle hypertonicity, which is also not entirely useful for children at this age. The baby must be shown to doctors who will help establish a diagnosis and help in treatment. The cause of this early activity may be increased cranial pressure.
If the child does not keep his head straight
If for some reason the peanut begins to hold its head, but does not do it right, pinches or looks only at a certain angle, it is worth worrying and going to the hospital with the baby. Only an experienced pediatrician after examination can indicate the true cause and indicate the diagnosis. Most likely, some muscles are clamped in the baby, which need to be developed and relaxed with a special course of massages. After a month of such exercises, you will see an amazing result – the child will not only begin to actively keep his head straight, but will also become physically stronger and more active.
The reason for this may be the incorrect position of the child in the arena or crib. Perhaps he always lay with his parents and the whole room with only one side, which violated his angle of view and the rotation of the head itself. Often change the position of the baby for his proper development. Sometimes doctors attribute to the crumbs special leveling pads that ensure the baby’s correct head position during sleep.
If you see that a child has certain difficulties or problems, you should not wait and naively believe that this will pass by itself. It is best to show the baby in time to an experienced specialist who will establish the root cause, instantly prompt and coordinate your further actions. Remember that your child’s health is completely in your hands. He needs your prudence, support and timely help.
