At what time the child begins to hold the head of the norm. This situation may be due to. When a child begins to hold his head before the age of three months

06.07.2019

He learns the skills and abilities that are vital for the baby gradually, in the process of development. When a newborn gradually strengthens the muscles of the back and neck, he learns to hold the head. Sometimes children lag behind in the norm of development from their peers, in this case, a specialist consultation is necessary. So let's look at two questions, when does a child start holding his head? And how can parents independently stimulate the strengthening of the cervical muscles if it is weakened in a small toddler?

At what age does the baby independently hold his head

For the first few weeks, the baby only eats and sleeps. As he grows up, the baby begins to see the silhouettes of objects, so he tries to raise his head while lying on his stomach. Until the cervical muscles are developed, the child cannot hold the head in this position for a long time. His body needs adaptation in order to learn to control its body movements.

All children are different and develop individually. Each has its own character, temperament. And even to such a simple question, when the newborn himself holds the head, there is no definite answer. Pediatricians, including doctor Komarovsky, answer that if the baby is physically healthy and full-term, then such an event will occur no earlier than 1.5-2 months (six to seven weeks).

Note to mom! You should not make sudden and rash movements during feeding, bathing in the bathroom, always try to support the baby's head so that he does not develop torticollis or other pathology.

When the child begins to hold his head upright on his own early, consult a pediatrician. It is possible that he has problems with increased intracranial pressure. In such cases, therapeutic exercises and massage will be required.

With normal development, the child is able to raise his head no earlier than 3 months. How do you know if your neck muscles are strong enough and meet medical standards? This is easy to verify. When the baby is upright, show him the toy. Seeing a familiar object, the baby will reach out with its arms and raise its head. The first attempts will be awkward and short-lived, only a few seconds, but closer to six months - he will succeed in this skill.

At 6 months, the child holds his head confidently in any position. It is no longer difficult for him to raise and lower his head in the position: sitting, lying, leaning on his elbows, crawling on all fours. You should know if the little one has previously suffered any disease, then mastering the skill may come a little later - from 7 to 8 months.

How to understand if a child holds his head well?

When the baby reaches the age of 3 months, you can conduct a test that will indicate whether the baby is holding his head normally, and whether he has any deviations from the norm of physical development. But for the test result to be reliable, the little one must be in high spirits, fed and not sick. The actions of mom and dad boil down to the following:

The child lies in a supine position. Pull both handles in a smooth motion so that he sits on his butt. Count down for about 30 seconds, the head should wiggle slightly, which is considered normal, and then release it to the starting position.
After 1-2 minutes, try again, just do not reach the baby up to a sitting position. It should hang in your arms, as it were. During the first fixation, and this is a few seconds, the child must hold the head, after which he can tilt it back. You should not panic, so the baby trains the system of the cervical vertebrae.

Doctors strongly recommend to monitor the baby's head for up to three months, because by this time the muscle muscles are very weak. When holding on handles, be sure to support it under the neck so that there is no curvature of the cervical vertebrae.

The baby does not hold his head: reasons

Why does a baby at 5 months hold her head poorly? Children's pediatricians identify several main reasons, of which the most likely are:

Violated diet. The basis of the newborn's routine is feeding on demand. He should eat as many times a day as he needs. From a lack of nutrients, its weight, height, as well as the nervous and musculoskeletal systems suffer.
The baby was born prematurely. As a rule, premature babies lag behind in psychomotor development than their peers who were born healthy. However, closer to the year, these indicators level out.
Birth injury. There are few options to take action. A baby who cannot hold her head well needs constant consultation from the attending physician, and in case of complications - narrowly specialized specialists (surgeon, neurologist, orthopedist).
Muscular hypotension and hypertonicity. To reduce muscle tone, several courses of special massage are enough.
Neurological diseases. Most often, such violations appear after two to three months from the date of birth of the baby. In order to detect pathologies of the central nervous system (CNS) in time, it is necessary to attend routine examinations with a pediatrician.
Torticollis. Curvature of the neck is observed in those babies who are very rarely laid out on the tummy. Experts recommend that as soon as the navel heals, the baby should be laid on the tummy. These daily exercises improve your digestive tract and develop your neck muscles.

A lot depends on the actions of mom and dad on how quickly the child learns to hold his head. To strengthen the spine and muscles of the cervical regions, the famous doctor Yevgeny Komarovsky recommends putting the baby to sleep on his tummy as often as possible.

How can I help my child?

There are various scientific methods to speed up the baby's motor activity and teach the skill of holding the head. Some procedures are tiring for the crumbs, although they are very useful for the development of muscle activity. Below is a set of simple recommendations on how to teach a child to raise his head and turn independently in different directions. The scheme of actions is as follows:

When the baby is 21 days old, try to spread it on your stomach at least 2-3 times a day. Your child will rest on his elbows to hold his head, but due to the weakness of the neck, he will lay on his side. This should be done after each feeding, preferably 20-30 minutes after a meal. This exercise is beneficial for the neck muscles from the age of three weeks.
To avoid the development of torticollis, the baby should sleep on both the left and right side. Mom chooses the alternation of such a dream on her own.
The baby's body should receive healthy and high-quality food. To do this, a nursing mother must make up the correct diet for her diet. It is advisable for children "artificial" to select adapted mixtures according to age and needs.
Massage and gymnastics will help normalize muscle tone and overall well-being of the baby. You can take a few recommendations on the technique of carrying out the procedure at home from a professional massage therapist or watch a training video on the Internet.
Regular swimming in the bath is also useful. The high density of water is able to keep the baby's head higher in relation to his body, thus, the muscles do not lend themselves to unnecessary stress.
At 2 months of age, the baby should be worn more often in a "column", holding the back of the head with one hand. Some parents try to carry their baby in an "airplane" - a baby on the stomach with mother's or father's support under the neck.
Children's toys can also be used as exercises to develop the skills to turn the head to the sides ("left - right"). They are alternately placed on the sides so that the baby develops the motor functions of the cervical spine.

Babies 3 months old are useful exercises on fitball ("big ball"). After gymnastics, all muscle groups develop on the ball, and children not only begin to hold their heads well, but also learn other skills. The main requirement is the systematic nature of the above activities.

How to teach a baby to hold the head without assistance?

Dr. E. Komarovsky claims that it is impossible to predict in how many months the baby will learn to hold his head, roll over, walk with his legs, run, jump, etc. In all children, this physiological process occurs at different times. And dads and moms don't need to rush things. It is better to tell a pediatrician about the problem at a routine examination.

When young parents are left alone with their newborn for the first time, many questions immediately arise.

One of them is when does a newborn start to hold his head?

This is no coincidence, since the mother has to constantly take the baby in her arms in order to feed, calm, and bathe.

Weak neck muscles are not able to hold the head, and mom needs to be very careful.

Why do moms worry about when a newborn starts holding his head?

The excitement of young parents is understandable. Yes, right after birth, the baby's head resembles a bud on a weak stem: without support, it tilts in all directions. But this is completely normal, and there is no need to worry.

At first, the mother's nervousness is instantly transmitted to the baby, and he turns from an angel into a capricious.

Secondly, every human baby has a certain schedule of growing up: physical, nervous, psychomotor, emotional. Therefore, you will have to wait before proudly showing the world the ruddy toddler confidently holding his head.

But taking the baby in your arms in the first days and weeks of life should be really very careful. The delicate head must be held with the palm of your hand to protect it from injury. Before a defenseless baby learns to hold his head on his own, adults are responsible for his health.

The fact is that with a sharp deviation of the head to one side or the other, the cervical vertebrae can be seriously damaged. The child cannot control the muscles, and therefore does not have the ability to hold the head due to their strength. Therefore, the "looseness" of the head is unacceptable. While rocking the baby or carrying out hygiene procedures, feeding or laying in the crib, the mother should gently support the head. Sharp deviations, jerks are unacceptable.

But not everything is so scary: the instincts of babies are very strong, and any adult in his prime can envy the "margin of safety". And this is another reason not to worry especially about when the newborn starts to hold the head. Everything has its time. The adaptive mechanisms have already been launched, otherwise the baby would simply not be able to overcome the difficult road from the mother's tummy to the light of day.

Note: if a newborn is laid out on his stomach a few days after delivery, he will reflexively turn his head to the side. This is a wonderful instinct of self-preservation, thanks to which the intelligent organism of the crumbs itself knows what to do in order to avoid mechanical suffocation. So you do not need to worry, but happily follow the wonderful daily change of the baby.

By the way, if the baby "pleases" the mother too early by holding the head upright on her own, this is actually a reason to urgently consult a pediatric neurologist. Thus, increased intracranial pressure can manifest itself, causing the infant severe discomfort and requiring neurological treatment.

What happens in the first two months of a newborn's life

In the first days of life, the movements of a newborn are built on reflexes. All mothers know: if you touch a baby's cheek, he will immediately turn his head in this direction, and if you put a finger in a tiny palm, he will immediately grab him with all his fingers. An attempt to raise a newborn for the first days of life from a prone position, holding by the arms, will end with a throwing back of the head. In the first days, the child does not know how to hold his head or turn over. He sleeps almost all the time (up to 20 hours a day), waking up from time to time to eat. When does a newborn start to hold his head?

It will take some time to make conscious movements or learn to control muscles. The psychophysical development of each child is individual, but in general, by the age of three weeks of life, the baby who was laid on his tummy will make more and more confident attempts to raise his head. He will be able to do it for just a few seconds.

In a month, the newborn is gaining weight well and already knows how to keep his head upright for some time. The hold lasts literally 5-10 seconds, but this is already a serious progress.

By one and a half months, the baby will be able to hold his head stubbornly, lying on his tummy and looking up at an angle of 45 degrees. The baby will be able to hold out in such a difficult position for about a minute. It is too early to wait for the newborn to start holding the head more freely and for a longer time.

From the second month of life, the muscles of the newborn become so strong that they are already able to hold the head without throwing it back for a minute. If you put a two-month-old baby on his stomach, he will easily turn his head to the voice of an adult, rise on the arms, holding both his head and chest. During this period, the newborn can already distinguish loved ones by their voices, reacts with pleasure to bright objects, trying to grab and hold them.

From the age of nine weeks, the question of when the newborn will begin to hold his head no longer worries parents so much. Most babies who have crossed the two-month milestone already know how to keep their head at the same level with the body without throwing it back. True, the muscles of the neck and back are still very weak and tire quickly. An adult's safety net after a minute of "free swimming" is obligatory.

When will a newborn start to hold his head confidently?

At three months of age, the baby is already quite good at controlling its arms, legs, body and head. Prepared kids, with whom mothers are engaged in physical education, have already learned to roll over on their side from a prone position. They watch with interest what is happening around them, pull their fingers into their mouths and all the objects that they managed to grab. A child needs communication, and he is happy to "talk" with his parents, and he walks around.

At the age of three months, a newborn in the arms of an adult is able to keep his head upright for quite a long time, for five minutes. You can make a real trip with him, which will cause a storm of delight. It is important not to forget about the safety net.

If you put the baby on the tummy, it will try to lift itself up on its hands. And if you pull it by the handles from a supine position, the head will not be thrown back, but will remain on the same axis with the body. It's hard for a baby to stay in this position for a long time, but for daily workouts, such lifts will be just right.

When does a newborn start to hold the head confidently? From four months on, the duration of head retention becomes longer and longer. The kid easily raises his head, even while lying on his back. By the fifth month, the mother's fears are completely dissipated, and she supports the baby more out of habit than seriously fearing injury.

At six months, you can absolutely not be afraid for the condition of the cervical vertebrae and stretched muscles. Physically, a child by this age becomes strong and already looks like a textbook toddler. A six-month-old child not only confidently holds his head, but also twirls it around with interest. The kid turns and tilts his head in different directions, looks around when he hears a sound that interests him or looks for a toy.

When should you worry that a newborn is not holding his head?

A newborn baby is examined by a pediatrician while still in the maternity hospital. An experienced doctor will immediately notice all the features of the development of the baby. If the mother is worried about something, then after being discharged from the hospital, she can turn to the local pediatrician. Including about when the newborn begins to hold his head.

If by four to five months the child is not able to hold the head, then it must be urgently shown to a neurologist. The reasons may be as follows:

The baby was born prematurely and simply lags behind in development. The body will recover over time, nothing terrible happens;

The baby lacks nutrients and is therefore seriously lagging behind in development. It is necessary to revise the diet of the newborn, taking into account the possible permanent malnutrition;

At birth, the baby received a birth injury;

A newborn is diagnosed with muscular paresis of the neck, weak muscle tone or torticollis;

The child suffers from neurological pathology;

Mom does not engage in infant gymnastics with the baby, does not spread it on the tummy.

After examination, the neurologist will prescribe therapy. Usually this is a combination of therapeutic massage, medication and special exercises. Massage for a child can be a real salvation from many neurological problems. But you can only trust experienced masseurs who work with babies. It may take 2-3 courses to completely get rid of the pathology.

Do not be afraid of drugs. The doctor prescribes them not to "heal" the child, but to help his body adapt, to alleviate the symptoms of discomfort and restore muscle activity.

As for remedial gymnastics, her mother can do it herself. The doctor will give you a lesson plan, and then everything is in loving motherly hands.

How to teach a newborn to hold his head?

To help a newborn develop correctly from the first days of life, parents must master a few simple rules of daily care for a baby. A prepared mother will not have to puzzle over when the newborn starts to hold his head, because all the processes of physical development will be age-appropriate.

It is imperative to lay out the newborn on the stomach between feedings from the third week of life. Not only is this very beneficial for normal bowel function, it also makes the baby strain the back and neck in an attempt to reflexively lift up. A trained child will hold his head perfectly by two or three months.

The baby needs a daily massage, and in no case should it be neglected. Gentle strokes soothe, rubbing the muscles makes them more elastic and strong. Massage develops strength, strengthens health in general and the nervous system in particular. The massage schedule can be found in any newborn care book.

Bathing perfectly strengthens the muscle frame. For a newborn, you can buy a special circle that will hold the little head above the water. Swimming, the baby will not only get tremendous pleasure, but also strengthen the muscles. In addition, swimming guarantees the baby (and therefore the nursing mother) a long night's rest.

From two months it is very useful to carry the baby in your arms in an upright position. Of course, be sure to hold the head with your hands. This is also an excellent and safe neck muscle workout.

Another very useful position is the horizontal position of the body on the mother's arm with the tummy down. With the other hand, you need to support your neck and head to avoid jerking and maintain a straight position.

Remember the main thing: the child will definitely start to hold his head, and you should not worry about this. All babies develop differently. But if by six months the neck muscles remain weak, you should definitely consult a doctor.

The timeliness of a baby's development is a painful topic for his parents. Every mother wants the baby to learn to hold his head in time, smile, roll over, and then sit and walk. But in practice, everything is so that, as many children, there are so many terms. Is it possible to teach a baby to hold his head and how to do it, we will tell you in this article.

What time frame should you focus on?

In anticipation of the first physical skill, and the ability to keep the head in an upright position is considered just that, parents forget that the child has to go a rather long way - his neck muscles must get stronger in order to withstand the weight of the head, the vertebrae must become stronger. It takes time.

Healthy babies usually demonstrate their first attempts to raise their head as early as one and a half months. They cannot hold their heads for a long time, they get tired quickly. But already at 2 months, children hold their head for about a minute. By the age of 3 months, they not only hold it, but can also begin to turn right and left, following an interesting toy or the movement of their mother with their eyes. Only at 5 months old babies begin to raise their head from a supine position - this type of skill is the most difficult.

These terms are rather arbitrary. The child can begin to comprehend a new movement a little earlier or a little later. But holding the head too early (at 1 month or so) is not a reason for pride, but a reason for contacting a neurologist, since increased intracranial pressure often manifests itself this way.

Reasons for lack of skill

Before sounding the alarm and running with the baby to the doctors, parents need to take into account all his individual characteristics, according to which he can later begin to hold his head. Premature babies take longer to adapt to the new environment, their muscles are weaker, and it takes much more time to strengthen them. It is not surprising that the toddler begins to hold his head only by 3 months.

If the baby is often sick, eats poorly, if he has suffered a birth injury, he has congenital defects, then he can master the skill with a significant delay.

Too large a child's body weight or underweight are additional reasons why the baby begins to raise the baby's head a little later.

The character of the child cannot be ignored either. If he prefers to sleep and eat deeply, then you should not expect early development from him. Another thing is inquisitive and mobile choleric and sanguine people. The older they get, the more difficult it is to keep them in one place.

Lack of parental attention may also be the reason for the lack of skill in the above timeframes. Communication, tactile and emotional contact, strengthening muscles, gymnastics, bathing and walking create the most suitable conditions for mastering new movements. The lack of such activities slows down the development of the baby.

Sometimes parents notice that the child is trying to hold his head, but it turns out crooked - the head is beveled to one side. In this case, torticollis is not excluded, which requires examination by a pediatric orthopedist and the appointment of special therapeutic exercises and massage, and in some cases - wearing a Shants collar. Torticollis will not go away by itself; you cannot do without proper treatment.

What to do?

Whether it is possible to teach a child to hold his head is a difficult question. In fact, no, because he will definitely start holding it, but only when the neck muscles are strong enough. But their parents can help them get stronger. To do this, in the daily morning exercises that mom does to her little one, from about 3 weeks of age, you need to add exercises aimed at strengthening the back and lateral cervical muscles.

The task of parents is not only to teach the child to raise his head, but also to hold it correctly, evenly. It is impossible to quickly teach this, the process of developing a skill will still be phased.

Laying the baby out on the stomach. Start doing this as soon as the umbilical wound heals - in 2.5-3 weeks. Firstly, such an exercise relieves the crumbs of painful infant colic, promotes the release of gases. Secondly, large muscle groups develop - the abdomen, neck, back. At first, the baby will reflexively raise the head and put it on the cheek so that nasal breathing is not disturbed. Then he will definitely begin to be interested in nearby toys, especially those that sound, and raise his head to look at them. Make sure that the baby puts the head on different cheeks - on the right, and on the next lesson - on the left.
Lay the bed on separate sides. Sleeping on your side is considered the safest. But if the child lies only on one side, his neck muscles will not be able to develop symmetrically, which will create the preconditions for the development of torticollis. Alternate right and left as you put your baby to bed.
Teach him to swim. From 1 month old, a mother can use a special circle, which can be bought in an orthopedic salon or a children's store. It is attached to the neck while holding the head. In it, the baby will be able, like a big one, to swim in an adult bath. During such exercises, all muscle groups develop, but the most noticeable result will be in relation to the muscles of the neck and back.
Carry your baby correctly. The vertical position of the body from one and a half months is permissible, but only on condition that the mother will hold the baby's head and back. The head should not be thrown back, then the load falls on the spine.
Exercise on the ball. Fitball will help to quickly strengthen the back muscles of the neck, and after a couple of weeks, the baby will begin to hold his head.

You will learn more about how to teach a child to hold his head in the following video.

The correct mental and physical development of your growing child requires careful daily monitoring.

If you notice any, even the smallest deviations, you should immediately consult a doctor, and not rely on the advice of relatives or friends.

The ability to independently hold the head is the first sign that your baby is beginning to acquire the first skills of owning his own body.

At what age should this significant event occur?

There is no definite answer to this question. Even in children who are completely healthy, the timing of the onset of self-retention of the head can vary significantly; what can we say about babies who had to go through a birth trauma or when they have any health problems.

It is considered normal if a child at the age of 3 months, being in an upright position, holds the head at the level of the body, and also raises and holds it for up to one minute, lying on the tummy. But such a pattern is not always traced - there are cases when children begin to hold their head a little earlier.

If your baby is already three months old, and he has not yet mastered this skill, then you should consult a neuropathologist to identify possible neurological abnormalities.

If the child starts to hold the head too early

Unfortunately, this phenomenon cannot be regarded as a positive moment in the development of the baby, especially if it happens in the first month of life. Most often, such an early retention of the head can be a signal of high intracranial pressure or increased tone of the cervical muscles, which requires immediate consultation with a neurologist and appropriate therapy.

A child aged one to one and a half months should not normally be able to hold his head without the help of his mother. When you pick it up, feed or bathe, you should definitely support the back and buttocks with one hand, and the head and shoulders of your baby with the other. If you do not do this, you can damage his delicate cervical vertebrae, which can lead to serious consequences.

How can you help your baby to learn to hold the head?

By the age of three weeks, when the umbilical wound has already healed, it is necessary to start gradually spreading the baby on the tummy. This is done just before feeding in order to relieve gas and prevent intestinal colic. And this posture also contributes to the training of the child's neck muscles - the instinct of self-preservation forces him to raise his head and turn it on its side, because only in this way the little one can breathe normally.

This is not to say that all three-week-old babies like these exercises. Very often they show their dissatisfaction, cry and be capricious. At the same time, mothers and fathers feel sorry for them and try to put them on their tummies as rarely as possible. This is the gross mistake of loving parents, which can subsequently lead to muscle hypotonia and lag in the physical development of their children.

In what sequence does this process take place?

By 1–1.5 months, your baby will begin to try to lift the head from a prone position on the tummy, and at 2 months, try to hold it in an upright position on your hands. At this age, you can try to pull the child by the handles from a horizontal position on the back - he will already try to keep his head even, and not limply throw it back, as before.

Further, your baby will hold his head more and more confidently every day. But this does not mean at all that now you should not hold it when you take the child in your arms - after all, his neck muscles are still very weak. And only by 4 months the need for such care completely disappears.

Well, at the age of five months, your baby is already confidently and with interest looking at the world with its head held high, turns it left and right, satisfying its curiosity and without feeling the slightest difficulty.

What problems can arise and how to help the baby?

If it so happens that your child has not learned to hold his head by three months, then neurological problems, most likely, could not be avoided. Very often this can be a consequence of difficult or premature birth. The neurologist will help you find out the cause of this phenomenon and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

If the reason for this phenomenon is weak muscle tone, then the doctor will prescribe you a special massage that eliminates this problem. If your baby was born a little earlier than the time appointed by nature, then there is no need to worry at all - another month or less will pass, and he will catch up with his peers in physical development, gain the prescribed weight, his cervical vertebrae will also strengthen.

There are times when the child begins to hold his head not evenly, but with a slight deviation to the right or left. To eliminate this deficiency, the neurologist will suggest that you use a special pad. You will put the baby in the crib one by one, then the other, placing the pillow in a certain way and encouraging him to turn his head in different directions.

It's important not to miss the moment

In any case, the ability to keep the head will become a very important moment in your child's life - this will be his first achievement, the first stage of the little man's long journey.

It is your parental duty to help him in this, not to waste precious time and identify problems in time, if any.

It is actually not difficult to correct such violations, but only in the case of timely referral to a specialist neurologist.

In this article, we will talk about when the baby starts to hold his head on his own and whether it is worth worrying if the baby does not hold his head at three months.

In newborns, the muscular system is poorly developed. The most developed muscles during this period are:

muscles of the tongue and lips that provide sucking;
the muscles of the diaphragm, which are responsible for breathing;
muscles of the back and neck.

Until the child learns to hold his head firmly and confidently, you need to be extremely careful not to damage the neck when performing various manipulations. During water procedures, dressing, feeding and moving in space, it is imperative to support the back of the head. In the spinal column are blood vessels through which the brain receives nutrition. Excessive flexion and extension of the neck can harm the blood vessels, and therefore the brain.

You need to take care of the neck until three to four months of age, after which the muscles will get stronger, and the baby can easily hold his head on his own.

At how many months does the child begin to hold his head?

Standard terms:

The first three weeks. For the first twenty days, the child's head seems to hang on the body. This is a very crucial period when you need to be extremely careful when handling a newborn so as not to damage the cervical vertebrae.
Three to six weeks. From the third week, a newborn baby begins to gradually master the movements of his body. While laying the baby on his tummy, he will try to raise his head. Many mothers think that the child can suffocate in this position, but following the instinct of self-preservation, the baby puts his head on his side. For the development of muscle tone in the neck, it is useful to carry the child in your arms, in the position on the tummy, laying him on your hand. Laying the newborn on the tummy should be from the moment when the umbilical wound finally heals
Sixth week. Closer to the second month, being on the tummy, the baby manages to raise his head for just a few seconds, after which he gets tired and lowers it. And the older the child gets, the longer he manages to hold his head. So that the baby is not bored of lying on his tummy, lay out bright toys in front of him, shifting them in different directions, so that he tries to see them. Recall that a child lying on his stomach cannot be left unattended!
Third month. Having reached three months, lying on his back, clutching his mother's fingers, the child pulls himself up and holds his head in line with his back. But, despite this, you need to continue to insure your head. When doing pull-ups, recite rhymes that will simultaneously develop the child's sense of rhythm and hearing.
Fourth month. In the fourth month, thanks to the finally strengthened neck muscles, the baby not only independently holds his head, but also turns it in all directions. At this age, having laid the child on his stomach, parents will be happy to find that the child confidently lifts his head up, and with it a part of the body.

The listed terms give a general idea of the child's development. They may vary slightly depending on the individual characteristics of the baby. Do not panic if, at exactly three months, the child does not hold his head confidently.

How to teach a child to hold his head. 8 easy exercises

It is very important for parents of a newborn to help their baby perform such difficult actions. Only thanks to them will the child be able to make confident movements:

After the umbilical wound has healed, the next exercise can be performed. Before feeding, put the baby on the changing table on the tummy. The kid begins to intuitively tilt his head to the side to get acquainted with the situation. To pique your child's curiosity, place bright and shiny objects near him: the child will be happy to examine them. Naturally, for this purpose, the crumb will have to make efforts and raise the head. This exercise will give good results in the near future.
To strengthen and help the muscles to form properly, it is important to do a full body massage daily. The whole procedure is based on methodical movements performed with light movements and strokes. The more often and more correctly the massage is performed, the faster the baby will be able to raise the head. It is better to entrust the first massage sessions to a specialist, and after that you will be able to carry out the procedure yourself.
When the baby is lying on its tummy, it should be gently rocked in different directions. This method helps to strengthen the muscles and develop coordination. When the baby focuses in one position, he has muscle tension, raising his head, holds it in one position. You can quickly see the effectiveness of this exercise.
When putting the baby to sleep, it is advisable to turn it over to the right and then to the left. If you always lay in the same position, then the habit of keeping your head in only one position develops. During the daytime, it is very important to change the place and direct the head in different directions, so that it is easier for the baby to see the environment.
Fitball allows you to strengthen muscles and develop coordination. The baby, lying on his tummy, on the ball, when an adult holds him by the armpits, turns his head in different directions, trying to hold it for a short while. This perfectly strengthens the muscles of the child and stimulates his physical development.
When the child was in the mother's tummy, he was constantly in contact with water, this atmosphere is familiar to him. Exercising in the bathroom is a great way to strengthen your muscles and have fun. To do this, it is advisable to purchase a special circle around the neck and put the baby on the tummy, holding it. In the water, he will freely move his legs and arms, which will certainly please your baby. In addition, the technique of swimming with a circle will give an impetus, and the child will eventually automatically hold the head without the use of certain devices.
Put a special mattress in the bathtub for gymnastic exercises. Place the child on the back. Lift the arms and legs alternately, turn the baby in different directions. This has a positive effect on muscle strengthening.
Put the child on his back, gently lift him by the arms and shoulders. Without noticing it, the child begins to hold his head. Manipulations should be calm and smooth.

Take your time: the child begins to hold his head at a time when his body is ready for such stresses. Naturally, a lot depends on the state of health and well-being, so watch the baby. In addition, heavy loads can only harm, creating serious problems with the spine or neck.

The structure of the baby's skeleton is fragile, so all movements are performed without sudden movements and in a calm environment.

Remember that only regular exercise will allow you to achieve the desired result in a short period. Work with your baby daily so that the effectiveness of the exercises does not keep you waiting.

When a child begins to hold his head before the age of three months

Many parents are proud to report that their baby is able to hold its head as early as the third or sixth week. But, unfortunately, this phenomenon indicates hypertonicity of the muscles of the body. This is also called muscle overstrain.

The newborn's arms, legs and chin are constantly tense, which he firmly presses against the body. Such a child is in a restless state all the time, as a result of which he sleeps in fits and starts, and constantly wakes up. With hypertonia, it is required to undergo a course of therapeutic massage, which should be prescribed by a neurologist, after examining the baby. Usually this phenomenon goes away on its own by three months, but if the timeline is delayed, the child must be shown to the doctor.

If you do not pay attention to the hypertonicity of the muscles in the newborn in time, then in the future the child will walk on tiptoes, his arms and legs will tremble while crying, and in general, the baby will be extremely irritable and restless.

The child does not hold his head well at three months

If the baby begins to hold his head after three months of age or keeps the head tilted, then this should cause concern for the parents. The reasons can be hidden in the following:

neurological problems associated with difficult labor;
underdevelopment of muscles, due to the fact that the child was little laid out on his stomach;
underweight, developmental delay;
curvature of the muscles of the neck - paresis.

Parents should help the child develop, since he is born absolutely not adapted to the outside world. Thanks to adults, the child develops physically and learns the world around him.

Well strengthens the muscles of the neck - swimming on the stomach. For this purpose, you need to purchase a special circle. With its help, the baby will keep his head above the water, developing motor skills, and at the same time the back muscles. While the child is small, a regular bath is enough for him to swim.