When a newborn mother is first brought to the maternity hospital, she seeks to understand when the child begins to hold her head on her own, because she is afraid to harm him with her careless movements. After all, the fragile muscles of the neck are not yet quite able to hold the head of the baby.

It is necessary to understand in what terms this skill is formed in order to detect probable problems in time, consult a doctor and think about how you can help the little man strengthen the corresponding neck muscles.

One of the first signs of the correct development of children is the ability to independently hold the head. And this skill is given to your baby is not easy at all. After all, to perform an elementary action, according to adults, you have to spend a huge amount of energy.

The first urge to hold the head on their own occurs as early as the third or fourth week after birth, but this process lasts only a few seconds. Although parents are pleased with the very fact that the development of a new skill has begun, and every day its improvements will be noticeable.

At about 2-3 months, the newborn can hold his head while lying on his tummy, but this happens for about 1 minute, then the baby puts his head back, giving the neck that has not yet fully strengthened to rest.

Near three months after birth, the baby can hold the head by itself when held in an upright position.

By four months, the child should already confidently hold his head, turning it to the sides in order to examine everything around. When the baby lies on his stomach, he should try to raise his head and shoulders, leaning on the handles.

If the baby is premature, then to this age you need to add the number of weeks that he had to spend in the womb and recalculate these terms.

How to check the level of skill development

Parents, when taking a baby in their arms for the first time, must constantly create support for the head, it can be an elbow, shoulder or palm, the main thing is to prevent the head from tilting. When the child begins to hold it on his own, the risk of harming the crumbs is sharply reduced.

At 3-4 months, babies usually hold their heads confidently. If at the same time light shaking of the head occurs, this is quite acceptable. But do not forget about some safety net for the baby, because he still cannot control the upper body, like an adult.

If the crumb in given age does not know how to hold his head at all, you can pass a simple test to make sure there is no pathology.

1. Lay the child on his back on the bed or, then slowly pull him up by the handles, seating him on the ass.
2. When the baby is sitting, his head should remain in a straight position for about 30-40 seconds. Slight shaking of the head is allowed.
3. Put the baby back on his back, and then pull the handles again, letting him hang in a half-sitting position.
4. If the child keeps his head at the level of the ridgeline for at least a few seconds, this is also a variant of the norm.

If you do these manipulations during the day, then after a couple of days, parents will notice obvious improvements in the baby's ability to hold his head.

Many parents wonder when the child should definitely hold his head on his own. Most experts believe that at the age of 4 months, the baby should already master this skill, but on the condition that he is fully full-term and not born ahead of time.

If a child by this age does not know how to hold his head on his own at all and it is thrown back, immediately consult a pediatrician for advice to determine the cause. Most likely, after the examination, the pediatrician will redirect you to a neurologist.

There are a lot of reasons why a child is not able to hold his head on his own. Let's consider the most common.

Torticollis

It is not always possible for parents to notice torticollis in a child. If your baby constantly turns his head in only one direction, and when the position of his head changes, he begins to act up and resist, perhaps the child has this particular pathology. In this case, you should immediately contact a neurologist, he will conduct an examination and tell you what to do next.

The causes of torticollis are congenital anomalies, some kind of birth trauma, sleeping on only one side, the development of other neurological diseases against the background of this pathology.

This is the cure for the disease.

1. Massage. The earlier a child was diagnosed with torticollis, the faster and easier the period of recovery of the neck muscles during massage treatment will pass.
2. Physiotherapeutic method of treatment (paraffin therapy, electrophoresis).
3. Sleep on. Make sure that the child does not turn his head to one side in a dream, it is better to let the head look straight ahead.
4. Swimming. Classes and exercises in the water - lovely way not only relax the neck, but also optimize the tone of all muscle groups of the child.

hypertonicity

With hypertonicity, the child sleeps little and poorly, burps a lot and often, and is naughty when any irritants appear. In addition, the legs and arms are strongly pressed to the body, and it takes a lot of effort to straighten them.

The neurologist checks the severity of hypertonicity by reflex tests, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, therapy is prescribed. The usual treatment is massage, swimming, electrophoresis, but in the most extreme cases, the doctor may prescribe medications that relax the muscles.

Hypotension

This disease is also diagnosed by a neurologist, but the parents themselves may notice that the child's muscles are very relaxed. When breeding arms and legs in different directions, the baby will not show any resistance.

Rare laying out of the baby on the stomach and overprotection

With constant lying on his back, the child does not train the cervical muscles and the cervical spine, as a result, he will later learn to keep his head straight on his own.

Also, do not constantly support the head of the crumbs, give him the opportunity to hold his head himself, and you just insure him.

Be sure to help the baby the skill of holding the head.

It remains to understand how to teach a child to hold his head.

It is quite simple to do this, since you can do this while playing with the baby.

Lay the baby on his stomach before feeding or an hour after it.

You need to start already from the 2-3rd week of life.

The duration of such sessions starts from 1 minute, then parents increase this time as the crumbs grow older.

Mom must carefully monitor the baby, otherwise it may accidentally roll down and fall to the floor.

At the same time, you should not worry that the child may accidentally suffocate - a healthy baby will definitely turn his head to the side, because this is the instinct of self-preservation.

If the baby is naughty during this procedure, try to divert his attention with a bright rattle, you can also sing a funny song to him or stroke his back, arms and legs.

It is necessary to conduct massage sessions, for this it is not necessary to go to the clinic, mother can do strokes on her own. You should first consult with a specialist who will give advice and recommendations. The network also has many detailed video tutorials of this useful procedure.

Also, it will not be superfluous to purchase a gymnastic ball (fitball). When laying out on the ball with his stomach down, the child will feel some discomfort and instinctively begin to raise his head up.

Conclusion

By helping your child build muscle, you avoid many problems later on. When the child begins to hold his head on his own, you can try to plant him on pillows, in a reclining position. Now you can stop worrying that the baby will tilt its head to its side or “peck” with its nose.

Hello, I'm Nadezhda Plotnikova. Having successfully studied at SUSU as a special psychologist, she devoted several years to working with children with developmental problems and advising parents on raising children. I apply the experience gained, among other things, in the creation of psychological articles. Of course, by no means do I pretend to be the ultimate truth, but I hope that my articles will help dear readers deal with any difficulties.

The moment when a child begins to hold his head is very important for his parents. This means that the baby gradually acquires basic skills that will help him survive in modern world. Some mothers do not know the exact period of the beginning of such a movement, so they panic. Usually a baby at two months is already quite able to hold his head, but sometimes even at three months the child has not yet acquired this skill. So, at what age does a baby become independent?

Newborns can't hold their heads yet because they can't control their muscles. The skill is acquired from them only by the age of three months, and until this moment there are no serious reasons for concern. When a mother bathes, turns over or swaddles her child, she supports him and the head, because without this, even weak cervical vertebrae can be damaged.

Important: if the baby calmly holds the muscles and head already at one month old, this is a cause for concern, not joy. Show it to the doctor immediately - it is possible that intracranial pressure is too high.

It is not worth rushing things - it is better to gradually and gently push the baby to this interesting phenomenon.

Stages

How many weeks does a baby have to be to teach him to hold his head? Doctors advise from two to three weeks of age to start laying the baby on the tummy. This should only be done if it has healed umbilical wound. In this position, children begin to show the first instincts of self-preservation: they turn their neck to the side, otherwise they will suffocate, and at the same time raise their head on their own. It is in the supine position that the child trains the muscles of the neck, making them stronger and stronger.

Some children do not want to be in a prone position and when you try to put them on your stomach, they begin to act up, cry. Many mothers make the mistake of not forcing the baby and putting it off until the next time. This is wrong, and it is necessary to gently and persistently persuade the baby to lie on his stomach, helping him at the same time. The more often children are in the prone position, the easier it is for them to learn how to control their muscles.

It is necessary to lay the child on his stomach every day at least once. This exercise is useful not only for muscles, but also for health: gases begin to move away, which prevents the formation of colic and deterioration of well-being. It is in the first three months that children often suffer from digestive problems.

A month and a half is an important moment for a mother. This is where you need to be careful and watch your child. Usually at this age, children can raise their heads while lying on their stomachs. They are also quite capable of holding it for a minute. At two months, the baby is already trying with might and main to keep the neck straight.

If earlier, when trying to seat the baby, the head was thrown back, now he will try to keep it even and vertical.

At 3 months, the baby is able and should hold his neck not only lying on his stomach. He will try to do this when he is in his mother's arms. Remember that children at this age are not yet fully grown and cannot strain their muscles for a long time. Therefore, if necessary, you can insure and slightly support the baby's body.

At 4 months, children can already calmly hold their small head, lying on their stomach. At the same time, they sometimes try to lift the upper body. Muscles are freely held in a vertical state.

At 5 months, the baby should not just control his muscles. Lying on his stomach, he is quite capable of turning his head in all directions, looking at the faces around him and the world around him.

At the age of six months, actively developing and healthy children already freely hold their muscles and head, can turn it, look at the environment.

What you should pay attention to

It is worth not to miss the moment when the child begins to hold his head. If for some reason this does not happen, contact pediatrician. You should not look for advice on the Internet or listen to other moms, because everyone's situation is different. It is important to choose and good doctor, which will not scare you with terrible diagnoses and expensive drugs, but will clearly and competently explain the essence of the problem.

If children at three months cannot hold their heads, then there are serious reasons. We list the main ones.

1. The baby has serious neurological problems. Difficult and long births also affect the condition of the child. The doctor will help explain the situation in more detail, but it will not work to make a diagnosis on your own.

1. Mom did not force the child to lie on her stomach, so the muscles did not strengthen. To avoid problems in the future, it is recommended to immediately teach him to lie on his stomach. Probably, he will begin to act up, but his muscles will come in order. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend on this, but at least every day you need to put the child in this way.

1. Insufficient muscle tone. Sometimes mothers diligently lay the baby on their stomach, teach them to hold their heads, but there is still no result. In this case, it is better to consult a neurologist. To get rid of the problem in this situation allows massotherapy. Doing it yourself will not work - you need the help of a professional.

1. Underweight or underdevelopment. It is important to know how much the baby weighs. If the baby was premature or could not gain the desired weight, it is better to consult a pediatrician. Also important is the question of how much breast milk baby gets. With its lack, it is necessary to use an additional mixture, which the pediatrician will help you choose.

1. The baby can only hold his head at an angle. Here you can not do without a special massage. Usually, doctors also recommend special pads that align the position of the muscles. It is advised to lay the child in different directions of the arena so that he can change the angle of inclination and turn the head.

Any deviations are the reason for a visit to the doctor. The baby requires a lot of attention, because his future skills depend on it.

There is also such a situation: the child controlled his muscles well, and then suddenly stopped. This is another reason to visit good specialist. Perhaps the child simply no longer had enough food, he lost his tone, or he was affected by changes in the weather.

It is better for a child to acquire such a basic and important skill with the help of parents. And they, in turn, need to make sure that the whole process is as natural as possible. Do not stimulate too actively and even more so force the baby. At the same time, you need to pay attention to this every day.

If the baby has nevertheless acquired the skill, one should rejoice, but not relax. After all, he still has little strength, so the head needs additional support. At first, children rarely endure more than half a minute. This must be remembered in order to insure your baby if necessary. Bathing, feeding, turning over - all these natural processes should be carried out carefully and gently, not forgetting the weak children's torso and muscles.

In the future, the child himself will hold his head and control his body. The task of the parents is to carefully help him in this.

A newborn baby looks weak and defenseless. He has almost no control over the movements of his arms and legs, his eyeballs. All the muscles of the crumbs are in a slight tension. During the months spent in the mother's womb, the baby is used to feeling cramped, and therefore it is very difficult for him to adapt to the spacious new world into which he came on his birthday. Each new skill that the baby "acquires" gives him new opportunities in comprehending the world.

One of the first skills is the ability to hold your head. In this article, we will talk about when babies begin to hold their heads on their own and whether parents can influence the speed of mastering this skill.

About skill and timing

Walkthrough physical development the child is provided by nature at certain stages. None of the subsequent ones can come before the previous one is mastered. As the congenital decline muscle tone, improvement of the nervous system, growth of muscle tissue, bones, mental development The child has the opportunity to learn a new skill.

The first skill is the ability to lift and hold the head vertically. It is clear that the child will not immediately learn to hold his head evenly and for a long time, because this requires a certain preparation of the neck muscles; but the first attempts to raise the head in the prone position on the tummy, the child may well make as early as one and a half to two months. These attempts will be quite timid, parents may notice that the child does not hold the head for more than a few seconds, in addition, he may hold it a little crookedly. As the muscles of the neck and cervical vertebrae strengthen, the lifting of the head will be more and more confident, and the holding will be longer.

Usually, by 2-3 months, children already know how to raise their heads and hold them upright for up to several minutes. If the baby began to hold his head, then he quickly understands what advantages this gives him - the view expands. To turn their heads in a vertical position, turning it to the right or left, babies begin a little later - closer to 3.5-4 months. Lastly, children begin to raise their heads from a supine position. They will learn this only by 5 months.

You need to understand that holding the head for the baby is a daunting task. After all, the head of newborns is quite large and heavy, and the skill involves holding the weight of the head with the help of the vertebrae and neck muscles. Therefore, a lot of factors affect the speed of the appearance of a skill. The posterior cervical muscles develop first, the lateral ones last.

Why does the child not keep his head in time?

If the child develops according to the schedule, parents are incredibly proud of it. But if the deadline has come, and the baby has not begun to hold his head, then mothers are usually very worried and torture themselves with guesses. In fact, the norms that parents are guided by are rather arbitrary. The baby is not at all obliged to develop as they prescribe, since he may have good reasons for the individual characteristics of physical development.

The main reason is gestational age. If the baby was born prematurely, then he needs more time to strengthen the muscles of the neck. It is possible that a premature baby will begin to master this skill only closer to 3 months. This is not at all a reason for excitement and worries. You just need to create optimal conditions for the child so that he can grow and develop.

The second important factor is the state of health of the crumbs. Later, their peers begin to hold the head of children who have suffered intrauterine hypoxia, survived the state of acute hypoxia during difficult childbirth of the mother, received birth injuries, having any congenital diseases. If the baby in the first months of life was ill with colds or viral diseases, he will also develop somewhat more slowly than healthy and strong peers.

The ability to raise the head and hold it in a vertical position is also affected by child's weight. If the little one was born large and during the first month gained more than the norm, which the pediatrician will definitely inform the parents at the first physical examination at 1 month, then his chances of early mastering motor skills are low. Most likely, the baby will begin to hold his head no earlier than 3 months. But small babies also develop with some delay - in order for their muscles to begin to hold the load, they first need to gain normal body weight.

Baby temperament is an important factor, influencing his desire to learn to keep his head upright. A lazy melancholic baby is unlikely to strive to master a new body position earlier, which cannot be said about curious and cheerful choleric and sanguine people.

Final touch - living conditions of the child. If mom is doing everything possible to strengthen his health, muscles, immunity, then there is no reason not to raise her head. Children, whose physical development is given less attention, later master their first motor skill.

Why does the child hold his head unevenly?

As already mentioned, the reason may lie with the insufficient maturity of the neck muscles. But this issue must be discussed with the pediatrician, at least because the reason may lie in the torticollis.

In this case, the child will always tilt his head in a certain direction, and turning the head in the direction of the lesion will be extremely difficult or impossible. The unnatural posture, if the child holds his head crookedly, with a skew to one side, should be a reason for consultation not only with a pediatrician, but also with a pediatric orthopedist.

Torticollis in infants is getting better. Parents are recommended therapeutic massage, gymnastics from the exercise therapy program. But the orthopedist and pediatrician should assign and show exercises and methods of medical procedures. On their own, it will be difficult for parents to take into account the degree of deviation and plan the physical impact adequately.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

The ability to hold the head is an important diagnostic sign, which is why the pediatrician at the appointment must clarify whether the baby is holding the head. The well-known pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky advises not to panic if the little one is somewhat delayed in physical development, but also not to overlook possible pathologies. If after 3 months the child does not even try to raise his head, lying on his stomach, Evgeny Komarovsky advises to consult a doctor.

According to the doctor, problems with holding the head are usually much less than problems with other, more complex motor skills, such as sitting, flipping, crawling, standing, walking. Parents should not try to hold the baby's head with their own hands, trying to help him.

Babies cannot stand such shameless treatment of their own heads, they immediately begin to desperately resist. This is well known to all mothers who, at the dawn of breastfeeding, tried to guide the baby's head to the breast with their hand. The reaction will be the opposite. In addition, inept forceful actions of adults can harm the child, injure him.

Komarovsky considers natural development to be the most optimal, when the baby begins to raise and hold his head on his own, without coercion, even if with some delay. When his muscles and vertebrae are ready, the baby will definitely begin to hold his head, and he will do it quite confidently. If parents want to help the baby, then Komarovsky recommends turning Special attention for gymnastics, massage and swimming, walks in the fresh air.

Too much delayed skill will prevent the study of other movements, without the ability to hold the head, the child cannot learn to roll over to one side, cannot sit down. Therefore, it is important to respond in a timely manner.

Gymnastics and massage

None special efforts Charging and general strengthening massage will not be required. To strengthen the muscles of the neck, you will need simple actions that mom does every day. The most effective exercise is considered laying out on the stomach. Such a position for a baby is very useful for a number of reasons: intestinal gases pass faster, infant colic is relieved, the anterior abdominal wall and back are strengthened. Holding the head becomes a completely natural continuation of being in this position, because after a month the child begins to be interested in the surrounding sounds, he will try to turn his head. From a position lying on your stomach, this can only be done by raising your head.

When laying the baby on her stomach, the mother must take into account his weight, the degree of prematurity, if the baby was born before the deadline set by the obstetricians, his temperament and mood. If the baby is unwell or he is just in a bad mood, gymnastics and massage are unlikely to benefit him. You can lay it on the baby's tummy after the umbilical wound has healed., that is, from about 2.5 - 3 weeks of life.

In order for the baby to quickly learn to hold the head, the mother needs to be able to attract his attention to herself. Therefore, it is important to communicate with the child while he is lying on his tummy, sing something, tell rhymes, use musical toys or toys that produce any sounds (tweeters, rattles).

Pull-ups on the handles will be useful, which mom can include in the list of exercises for morning exercises. The adult allows the baby to grab onto his fingers and begins to gradually lift the child above the surface of the massage table. But - for a short distance, without verticalizing! In this position, the muscles of the back of the neck are perfectly trained, which will help, in the end, to master a new skill.

You can also train the muscles of the neck in a vertical position in the arms of the mother. In this case, the mother should support the child with one hand under the buttocks, the second - in the neck and head. It is necessary to carry the child correctly so as not to damage the fragile vertebrae.

Any methods of general classical massage in combination with such positions have a beneficial effect on strengthening the muscles of the neck. It is also useful to swim in a special orthopedic circle, which is put on the neck and fastened. A baby can swim in such a circle from the age of 1 month, if a neurologist gives permission for this.

About "early" children

The inferiority complex in a new mother may well be caused by reviews from other mothers who are very proud of the early development of their children. If a woman claims that her child in one month began to confidently hold his head, then there is no reason not to believe. But also a reason for joy - alas! - Same. Most often, the early establishment of the skill indicates the presence of hypertonicity of the neck muscles, and may also indicate increased intracranial pressure. An early rise of the head is also a reason for consulting a doctor, and not at all a sign of the “genius” of the child. A healthy baby at 1 month should not hold his head on his own.

The first attempts of the baby to raise the head, however, can occur in a month. But in this matter, it is very important how long the baby can hold his head. A healthy baby acquires a skill gradually, improves every day, copes better and better. If the baby abruptly and suddenly began to hold his head, this is an alarming sign of a violation of muscle tone.

In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky will look at the two main questions that most parents worry about: does their child meet the norms and does he fit into deadlines development.

Calculate the vaccination calendar

Before you begin to self-assess the development of a child at 1 month, we recommend that you read the article. This article details the conditions under which it is necessary to assess the development of a child in order to obtain the most objective results. Also remember that this examination does not replace the advice of a doctor.

If all the necessary conditions are taken into account, go directly to the observations. What actually distinguishes baby development at 1 month?

Development of the child in 1 month. Pronation".

Development of the child in 1 month. The position "lying on the back".

Reactions that a baby should show at 1 month

If a newborn, whom one of the helper relatives is holding in her arms, is slowly pulled up by the mother from a lying position to a sitting position, then her head leans back.

In a sitting position, it sluggishly falls forward, but again, mainly through the side, rises for 1 second. In this case, the mother (observer) should hold the child by the allotted shoulders and avoid supporting the head with the shoulders.
In the sitting position, the entire spine of the newborn is arched back.

A healthy newborn should demonstrate a “primitive leg support response”. When we put the restrained baby vertically on the feet (while the head is supported by the thumbs or the thumb and forefinger in the middle position, the back is turned to the mother), the legs are straightened (primarily in the knee joint and to a lesser extent in the hip joint).

Often the straightening extends to the region of the trunk and the back of the head so that one can observe the lifting of the head for a short time. The upper part of the body is slightly tilted forward, the arms are bent, the palms are closed.

In addition, in this position, as a result of a different load on the legs, arising spontaneously or caused by the movement of body weight, "automatic stepping" should be observed. With a lateral tilt of the body, the leg, which bears a large load, straightens. The other leg is bent at the hip and knee and placed forward on the surface as the torso moves. The transfer of body weight to this leg leads to its straightening, while the other leg is now bent.

A slight internal turn of the legs can lead to the fact that the legs (feet) with variable stepping movements will cross and interfere with each other.

Please note that stepping movements should be observed on both sides with the same force.. At the same time, the baby's hands remain in a bent position and do not take a significant part in the movements.

A healthy awake newborn is characterized by the manifestation of a general flexion position of the limbs, the most obvious indicator of which is the closed palm. Thumb arms should be bent, and the rest - from the second to the fifth - bent. Observe: during feeding, all limbs bend more, which is best seen in the arms.
You may also notice that the newborn, during reflex movements to search for the nipple of the breast with his mouth, often “finds” his own hand. He immediately begins to suck her, until he loses it again with subsequent movements.

The newborn should demonstrate, i.e., reflex closing of the palm and subsequent holding. This clenching of the hand into a fist lasts at least 5 seconds.

The grasp reflex can be elicited by lightly pressing on the interdigital joints at the base of the fingers while supporting the infant's head in the midline.

Child development. The interaction of the newborn with the outside world

In any position, when the child feels cold, hungry, pain or other unpleasant sensation, the newborn screams loudly and loudly, this cry is characterized as "stifled" and nasal.

By the end of 1 month the baby, lying on his back with his mouth slightly open, should make sounds that most of all resemble the vowel sounds between “a” and “e”. Periodically, these sounds are associated with g / x, so that expressions are obtained that sound like ge-e / hee-e or ege-e / ehe-e.

If the mother places her finger in the newborn's mouth, the baby immediately begins to produce vigorous sucking movements, while she experiences the feeling of pulling the finger.

A newborn baby should calm down when picked up, thanks to contact with warm skin. Under such conditions, crying subsides and, if its cause is not pain or severe hunger, completely stops. To observe this reaction, use the situation when the baby is crying. In extreme cases, crying can be provoked by a sudden change in the position of the child's body or by loud noises. As soon as the baby cries, take him in your arms and hold him close to you.

By the end of 1 month at the sight of the mother's face or someone else talking to him, the newborn, as a rule, stops moving for a moment. The reaction to a human face can be expressed in the cessation of movement not only of the limbs, but also of the mouth and eyes.

A newborn baby cannot control the work of the neck muscles. All his movements are absolutely reflex. When lifting a child by the arms, his head leans back, and he can injure the cervical vertebrae. Therefore, until the child begins to hold his head on his own, you need to support him by the back of his head, holding him in his arms, while feeding or bathing.

At what age does a newborn begin to raise and hold his head?

Gradually, the child begins to control his body. The first achievement of his physical development comes on second - third week. At this time, when laying on the stomach, the child tries to raise his head.

• In the second month (2 - 3 months) children raise their heads at an acute angle (again lying on their stomachs). Babies can hold this position for thirty seconds or about a minute.
• At three months (3 months) children begin to hold their heads upright. But the weak neck muscles still need a safety net - it is worth continuing to support the child's head. Lying on their stomach, babies can already raise both their head and shoulders. When lifting the child by the arms, the body, neck and head form one line.
• At four months (4 months) there comes a time when the child independently and quite confidently begins to hold his head. He turns her in all directions, knowing the world. Lying on his stomach, the baby is already raising the upper body.

Naturally, all time parameters during the development of the baby are averaged. All children are individual in their development. Therefore, do not be upset if at exactly 12 weeks the child has not begun to confidently hold his head in any position.

Early head hold

Do not rush to rejoice if the child began to hold his head during the first four to six weeks. Far from always such an “achievement” means a quick and early development. Most likely the baby has high intracranial pressure.

In this case, it is simply necessary to show the child to the attending pediatrician. The doctor will prescribe treatment, necessary procedures, special massage.

Strengthening the muscles of the neck

For the development of the cervical muscles, it is strongly recommended that the baby be laid out on the tummy from the first days of life, immediately after the umbilical wound has healed (about three weeks). Do not be afraid that the child will suffocate. A healthy baby will definitely turn his head to the side as a result of the activation of the instinct of self-preservation.

It is necessary to put the baby on his stomach during dressing, preferably before feeding or an hour after it. The procedure carried out before feeding will also help rid the baby of the accumulation of gases in the abdomen. Laying out on the stomach should be done on a hard surface. The soft surface does not cause the child's muscles to strain. It can be any table covered with a light blanket.

It is necessary to accustom the baby to lie on his stomach gradually. First lay it out for one minute. Every day, the duration of stay on the stomach is increased by one minute. It is good if the baby is naked, while simultaneously strengthening the muscles of the neck, he will also receive air baths.

With discontent and whims of the baby, it is not necessary to refuse to lay it on the stomach. This necessary procedure for the physical development of the infant. Mom needs to choose the moment when the baby good mood he is cheerful and happy. Distract him with a bright toy, a song and gentle strokes on the back, legs and heels. The most important thing is not to leave the baby lying on his stomach unattended.

Do a little gymnastics with your child to strengthen the muscles of the neck:

1. "Face Down". Take the baby in your arms: one hand under the baby's chest, the second on the thigh. In this position, raise the baby in the air.
2. "Go". The exercise is performed with the help of two adults on a large ball. One holds the baby by the pelvis, the other by the hands. Together they swing the child on the ball.
3. "Swing". We hold the child face down in our arms and alternately raise the head, then the pelvis.

Video: learning to keep your head

We show 3 exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck, back. Learning to hold our heads. Alesya 2 months and 3 weeks. Slightly weakened tone:

3 months - bad head holding

To exclude pathology in development, it is worth contacting specialists if after 12 weeks (3 months) the child does not hold his head well, tilts it to one side or throws it back.

There are several reasons why a child does not hold his head well at 3 months:

1. Prematurity.
2. Birth trauma.
3. Lagging child in weight.
4. Weak muscle tone.

In the first two cases, you need to contact a pediatric neurologist who will help find out the cause. poor development child's muscles. With a small weight of the crumbs, the consultation of a doctor specializing in breastfeeding. He will adjust the nutrition system, you may have to introduce mixtures into the diet. A special massage prescribed by the attending pediatrician will increase the tone of the neck muscles and help the baby hold his head.

Another reason for contacting a neurologist will be the constant tilt of the baby's head at an angle. The most common reason for tilting the head is. The doctor will prescribe a special massage, drug therapy and, most likely, advise you to buy an orthopedic pillow.