In a newborn baby, all skills develop in stages, a baby can learn some skills faster, others more slowly. Usually, at three months old, an infant can freely lie in the "on the tummy" position and begin his training in mastering the coups from the back to the stomach. How to teach a child to hold his head if this did not happen either in the third or fourth month? There are many ways to teach your baby the necessary skill.
The kid starts to hold his head
When the child starts to hold his head
This is a serious skill for the baby, the baby simultaneously controls his body. Such a skill, of course, will not come overnight.
How the process goes:
- At 2-3 weeks, the baby tries to raise his head when he lies on his tummy. Just a few seconds, but already at these moments the formation of the skill starts.
Note! Izabella Voskresenskaya, doctor and obstetrician-gynecologist, author of her own course "Childbirth without fear", notes that during natural childbirth, which went well, the child can hold his head right after birth. Many pediatricians consider this early development of the skill to be a deviation from the norm, linking the pathology with high intracranial pressure.
- Up to three months, the baby can already hold the head for 30-60 seconds.
- At three months, he already independently holds his head in an upright position. At the end of the third month, babies can, while lying on their stomachs, stand up on their elbows.
Important! Some children hold their heads even at 2 months in the "column" position, this is normal.
- At 4 months, it is not difficult for a baby, sitting in the arms of an adult, turning her face in different directions, examining everything, lying on her stomach for a long time and playing with rattles.
How to help your child learn a skill
If you regularly do exercises for holding the head in babies, then the skill will master faster, and the baby's cervical and dorsal regions will strengthen.
Laying out on the tummy
It is recommended to accustom to this even in the maternity hospital, this position contributes to better digestion, especially if the baby is tormented by colic. Wait for the navel to heal. Usually, the baby lies on its tummy, but in order to breathe with its nose, it turns its head in one direction and the other. This is how muscles train.
Additional Information. The process itself can be turned into a game: sing a song, play with a rattle, or gently, gently rub the crumbs on the back.
Benefits of Exercise:
- Develops motor skills;
- Trains the muscles of the back and neck;
- Forms the skill of crawling on all fours;
- Promotes emotional development;
- Helps to better perceive the world, cognize and consider.
Important! It is recommended to lay out only on a hard surface of the baby, just before feeding.
Massage
It can be performed from the first month, it relieves muscle hypertonicity, normalizes hypotonia. For many babies, it is massage that gives impetus to rapid development.
The massage consists of:
- Kneading;
- Stroking;
- Rubbing;
- Vibration.
Do not press too hard or too hard.
Swimming
It helps to quickly learn the skill of holding the head and has a beneficial effect on psycho-emotional development. You can start as early as two weeks, you can ask for advice from a specialist in infant swimming.
Breast swimming
What the lesson looks like:
- The baby lies on his back, his body is kept on the water;
- The position changes, while the chin and chest are supported;
- Swimming in a circle.
Classes should not exceed 10-15 minutes. If the baby is trembling, crying, do not torture him.
Take on handles
In the arms of the mother, each baby feels safe. At the same time, he can consider everything around him, turning his face in different directions.
Mom holds the baby in her arms
Note! On walks, you should briefly take the baby in your arms and show him the trees, the sky, the sun, everything around.
Games and rattles
Children love bright, clear toys. One of the methods of how to quickly teach a child to hold his head is to play with him and pick up a rattle. This will allow the baby to try to climb behind the squeaker while exercising the neck and back.
Gymnastics
If the pediatrician has allowed to carry out gymnastics, then it will well complement the massage session.
Exercises:
- From a prone position, pull the baby towards you by the handles, if necessary, hold the shoulders and the back of the head;
- Swing on the fitball;
- Lay the baby on your hands, face down, and slowly wiggle.
What to do if the baby does not hold the head well
Why does the baby not hold his head at three months, the specialist will say for sure. There are a lot of factors that affect the musculature of the neck and prevent it from developing.
Possible reasons
What are the reasons for the lag in skill development:
- Hypoxia (asphyxia) of the fetus and diseases of the mother during pregnancy. If during childbirth the baby experienced a lack of oxygen, then the cells of the brain and muscle tissue may be affected.
- The baby is not full-term. If the baby was born 2-3 months ahead of schedule, then by three months he will not hold his head. This will happen later.
- Improper nutrition. If the baby does not finish eating, then it gains poorly in weight, lags behind in development, does not receive nutrients and vitamins, and, naturally, cannot hold its head.
- Birth trauma. The mother is warned about this, since she has to constantly examine the child with a neurologist.
Baby who underwent hypoxia during childbirth
- Neurological problems. As a rule, they are detected in the early stages and are quickly resolved by treatment.
- A lazy child or infrequent workouts in laying out on the tummy.
- Torticollis and other disorders in the cervical apparatus.
What to do:
- Identify the reason for the delay in skill formation.
- With hypoxia, physiotherapy and massage are performed.
- In case of prematurity, drug treatment is prescribed to accelerate the development of the baby.
- With a lack of nutrients in the nutrition, supplementary feeding with an artificial mixture or a complete transition to a milk substitute is most often introduced.
- For birth injuries, long-term treatment by specialists is prescribed. It all depends on the level of injury.
Important! If in six months the baby does not hold his head clearly and confidently, you should immediately see a specialist and undergo a course of treatment.
Recommendations
How to help the baby to keep the head? Pediatricians recommend pushing him to this. Exercise and exercise should be done properly.
Massage for babies
Tips from pediatricians on how to help babies keep their heads
- From three weeks on, lay the baby on the tummy every day between feedings. He will act reflexively: try to raise his head or lay it on his cheek.
- Do not allow the baby to sleep in one position all the time. It should be turned into different poses and positions.
- Massage with stroking and rubbing movements promotes blood flow to the muscles, their strengthening and subsequent relaxation.
- The baby's diet should be rich in nutrients and vitamins. If he receives mother's milk, then the mother must monitor her diet, analyze how the child is gaining weight.
- It is recommended to swim while swimming in a special circle (it helps to stay on the water) - this strengthens the vertebrae of the cervical spine. You can start training from the age of one month, and you don't have to go to the pool. In a home bathroom, everything will turn out just as well.
- From two months, the baby should be worn more often in his hands, holding the head with his hands if necessary. Gradually weaken the support, allowing the neck muscles to get stronger.
- It is worth carrying the baby downside down on your hand, the other hand at this moment holds the head straight.
- If the baby has already begun to twist his head in different directions, then you can start showing him toys, drive them left or right, so that the baby begins to turn his neck after.
- Fitball exercises play a special role in the development of the skill. This is both muscle strengthening and total relaxation. Exercises are performed no more than 10-15 minutes, then it is best to swim.
In order for the baby to develop actively and be always vigorous, one cannot neglect training and activities that contribute to his good mood and health. If parents find developmental abnormalities, you should immediately consult a doctor. Early detection of a problem allows you to quickly resolve it and cure the disease.
