According to medical standards, a child should learn to sit from six months. Days go by, now the baby is seven months, eight months, and he is in no hurry to master such a skill, which is convenient for him and important for the peace of his mother. What you need to know and how to act if a child of 8 months does not sit down on his own?
The baby does not sit on its own
Why doesn't the baby sit
Emotionally, mom and baby are strongly connected. Therefore, it is important not to panic, especially since in 97% of cases there is no reason for this. According to Dr. Komarovsky, all children are different, and everyone has their own pace of development. Up to a year you can not worry, especially if the baby crawls and stands at the support.
Possible reasons:
- Weak muscles. Usually the child begins to crawl first, pumps up the muscles, then gradually learns to sit. This is not a symptom of lag, but an individual characteristic.
- Emotional development. Sitting is the next step in a series of achievements. For mastering new things, not only physical development matters, but, above all, the readiness of the brain.
- Excess weight. In this case, the baby needs to put much more effort in order to move, and have stronger muscles to stay in the sitting position.
- Family atmosphere. If the relationship is very tense at home, the mother is often upset or scared, then the baby will not develop. All of his energy will go into dealing with emotions.
- Physical health (complications after vaccination, hypoxia, increased intracranial pressure). When a baby is often sick, he cannot develop at the same pace as his peers.
- Features of pregnancy, such as oligohydramnios, threatened termination, cord entanglement, anemia, prematurity, Rh-conflict.
- Complicated childbirth and congenital defects (cerebral palsy).
Note! If the child has not learned to sit down, does not crawl and does not get up, but the pediatrician does not speak of any obvious violations, then you just need to wait.
When to sound the alarm
If a child does not sit at 8 months, but does not lag behind in other parameters, then this is just a feature of his development. When there are serious deviations, they are expressed in a complex.
Better to consult a neurologist
It is necessary to consult a neurologist if:
- there is a lack of weight and poor appetite;
- the baby bulges or rolls his eyes;
- muscle strain or decreased tone;
- anxiety for no apparent reason;
- fontanelle overgrows slowly;
- strabismus;
- the crumb cannot cope with many basic tasks that 4-5 month old babies easily perform.
Symptoms of delayed motor development
By the eighth month of life, the baby had not mastered the coups from the back to the stomach and vice versa. When you put on the table, supporting your armpits, you do not jump or try to push off with your legs. Does not walk, does not distinguish close from strangers, does not smile, does not reach for toys. Lying on his stomach, he cannot straighten his hand in order to take the second object. In this case, you need to consult with specialists.
How to evaluate a child's development
To make sure that, despite the fact that the child does not sit down by itself at 8 months, he does not have any abnormalities, you can monitor whether he copes with other basic age tasks.
Physical activity
From a position, lying on his stomach, crawls on all fours, on bellies, or simply actively moves, trying to move forward. Leans on the hand, the second plays. It easily turns wherever it wants, can stand on all fours for a few seconds.
In the position, lying on his back, he can take a cube in each hand and hold it for a short time. If you put your fingers in the baby's palms, he will pull himself up and sit upright. At the same time, he keeps his head confidently.
Can sit for 5 seconds, resting on hands, easily turns over. If you sit on your knees and interest the subject, then he will try to bend over and reach.
Kid sitting, leaning on hands
If you put it on your legs, supporting your armpits, then it stands on both feet.
Fine motor skills and communication
A child is able to grasp with the fingers of both hands an object resembling a five-ruble coin in size and shape. He recognizes relatives and friends, laughs with them, is afraid of strangers.
Doctor Komarovsky's advice
If the baby is already crawling, then very soon he will sit down. Although some children learn to sit from a standing position. Most likely, the undeveloped muscles of the crumbs cannot yet keep the body weight in the sitting position. You shouldn't worry, but you shouldn't let everything go by itself. Dr. EO Komarovsky recommends that you do gymnastics with your child in the morning, bathe, temper, massage in the evening, provide full walks and healthy sleep. Moreover, it is advisable to start classes from birth, it is better not to buy walkers, carts and jumpers.
Note! When a child, for some reason, does not sit at 8 months, neither a boy nor a girl can be specially seated. Otherwise, there may subsequently be problems with the spine. The back of a child seat or stroller must be at a 45 degree angle. You can not use a highchair, support to sit, wear outdoors and at home in a sitting position.
How to teach a child to sit
Mother's desire to help and anxiety are understandable, but here it is important not to overdo it, not to torment the child, but to try to make him perceive the classes as a fun game.
Activity as a fun game
Back Charger
Exercise helps to strengthen undeveloped back and abdominal muscles:
- The crumb lies on its back. An adult stretches out his thumbs and holds the pulled baby in weight at an angle of 45 degrees. Then he lets go softly.
- In the same position, the adult pulls the left leg to the right handle and vice versa. Lateral muscles swing.
- Take the baby in your arms with your back to you, supporting the lower abdomen, and bend over 6 times. The muscles of the back and abs work.
- Put your stomach on the gymnastic ball and, holding it behind your back, tilt it in different directions. If the baby copes with the task easily, hold him by the hips.
- "Aircraft". The baby lies on his stomach on the palms of an adult, and presses his legs to his chest. An adult lifts the baby over the bed, he strains his back and tries to stay on weight.
Back massage
Why an 8 month old baby is not sitting on its own is not so important. Parents should try to help him learn a new skill. Massage will help to do this gently and unobtrusively. The course, conducted by a professional massage therapist, brings good results. Mom's daily massage is no less useful.
It is better to find time for a massage in the morning, a prerequisite is a good mood of the baby.
Massage can be done when the baby is in a good mood
You can start by stroking up and down with your palms, without touching the spine, then with the pads of your fingers to the right and to the left. Then rub in spiral movements in different directions, "saw" with the edge of the palm, in conclusion, you can gently stroke so that the baby relaxes.
Note! Only a professional massage therapist or chiropractor can touch the spine during massage.
If the child does not sit down at all at 8 months, but crawls well and already gets up at the support, then there is no reason for concern. Most likely, he will sit down very soon. Massages, gymnastics to make his back muscles stronger, swimming, as well as the love and support of parents will help him in this.
