When does a baby start holding his head up?

How does a child train his muscles to hold his head up?

Between the first and third months, the baby gradually develops the strength needed to hold his head up. Around 2 months, you may notice that the baby, lying on his stomach, raises his head and maintains this position for several seconds. During such short “exercises,” the muscles in the back of the baby’s neck are strengthened. And then the anterior neck muscles will become stronger, which will allow him to hold his neck and head independently.

How to speed up the development process

There is no special wisdom in this. Everything that mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers did with babies was dictated by centuries of experience and common sense: laying them on their stomachs, carrying them in their arms, holding their neck and head, holding a bicycle with their legs with the help of their mother, and even toys hanging over the crib.

At the end of the first month of life, the time comes when the baby can hold his head up. And don’t think that if he is already trying to do this, then, as they write on some sites, he has high intracranial pressure. Just intrauterine development, normal nutrition, and exercise helped strengthen the muscles that are responsible for this. After all, when a baby tries to walk at 10 months, no one puts forward the theory that he has hyperfunction of his organs.

You can help your baby develop during this period by:

Place the baby on a flat and hard surface starting from 2 weeks for 2 minutes, gradually increasing the duration. Keep a close eye on him while doing this.
Carry out a light relaxing massage of the body, legs, back, abdomen, neck in the morning and evening. If you have no experience, it’s a good idea to watch a video or consult a specialist.
Bath frequently, while providing some freedom of movement of the limbs, but fixing the head, special circles on the neck will help with this.
Engage in physical exercise when the baby is active (but not immediately after eating). The set of exercises should be aimed at activating different muscles of the baby.
Carry in your arms in a vertical and horizontal position, holding your head so that the baby can look at the world around him, and at the same time train his neck muscles.
Hang toys above the crib, lowering them during activity, so that the visual, auditory, and grasping reflex develops, but also play with him with musical toys that make different sounds. A good effect from this is guaranteed. Various musical modules that can be hung above the crib will help you with this.

Is it easier to put the baby in the crib on his back and go about his business? Well, then by 4–6 months he will master this science on his own. A child is a kind of base: the more you invest in him, the more you get.

How does a child develop when he begins to hold his head up?

When the baby begins to hold his head up, other changes occur:

The muscles of his tummy become stronger, and he, already lying on his back, will be able to raise his head and chest.
The baby’s legs will also become stronger, as they will gradually straighten (out of the “wheel” shape) and reflex movements will be replaced by energetic pushes
He may roll over, which means you need to keep a close eye on your baby and always hold him with your hand when he is on a high surface, such as a changing table.

What to do when a child has trouble holding his head up at 3 months?

If a child cannot hold his head up at 3 months, many mothers panic. Is there really any reason to worry?

If you find that your baby is having trouble holding his head up at 3 months, just tell your pediatrician at your next visit. Remember that each child develops skills differently, and babies also reach certain developmental milestones at different times. Some may reach these milestones faster than others. The ability to hold your head in this regard is no different from other abilities.

Additionally, if a baby is premature, it may reach this stage a little later than a full-term baby.

Rarely do infants experience head tilt. This indicates that the baby has underdeveloped neck muscles.

Throwing back the head occurs for the following reasons:

at birth the baby is very small;
birth occurred prematurely;
brain injury.

Thus, if a baby at 4 months old does not hold his head upright, consult a doctor to make sure that the baby's neck muscles are developing correctly.

How can you help your child learn to hold his head up?

To help your baby strengthen the neck and back muscles that help him hold his head up, place him on his tummy every day. Start doing this soon after you return from the hospital with your baby. Let this become your daily ritual: place your baby on his stomach two to three times a day for 3-5 minutes. Don't leave it unattended! During such “sessions”, the baby, raising his head to look at you, thereby trains the muscles of the neck, back and shoulders. Try hanging toys in front of your baby to encourage him to look up and use these muscles.

Let's consider options specifically for mothers.

1. When does a child hold his head independently while lying on his stomach?

As a rule, normal raising of the head from a lying position on the stomach begins to occur at the age of 2 months, plus or minus a week. At first, these are short-term attempts to keep his head raised, but gradually the newborn begins to hold his head more confidently, without swaying and dangling.

Also, the time the head is held gradually increases. During this period, cervical lordosis (physiological forward bending of the spine) is formed. The child needs to create conditions for such “training” and do not forget to lay the baby on his stomach several times a day on a moderately hard surface (a table with a thin blanket). Often babies are late in raising their heads and restless mothers sound the alarm, but it also happens that they wait up to 4 months for “sea weather”, this is also not good. If your baby doesn’t even think about trying to lift his head at 2 months, lay him on his stomach more often and you shouldn’t pick him up at the first sound of displeasure from the baby, let him struggle and grunt. If at 3 months the head lies down and does not rise, then you should call a massage therapist and do not hesitate. And there’s no point in talking about later dates; a massage with exercises for the neck should fix everything.

2. When does a child begin to hold his head up on his own, pulling himself up by his arms?

This option is a little more complicated than the previous one. Those. achieving results is more difficult and takes longer for both the specialist and the child, and mother’s massage is generally inappropriate. But this is true if we consider the complete absence of tension in the flexors of the head and neck, and visible attempts to pull the head forward, following the arms. Let me remind you that this is an option when the child lies on his back and with traction (tension) by the arms, the body rises following the arms, and the head hangs. Normally, the head/neck should be in line with the body or even slightly bent forward, with the chin touching the chest. The child needs this skill in order to confidently hold his head in an upright position and to roll onto his stomach. The muscles that carry out this holding/bending of the head are needed in order to inhibit hyperextension or falling of the head back; they stabilize its position. At the age of 3 months, children should usually be able to pull themselves up by their arms while holding their head, at least for a short time.

Strengthening the head flexors in newborns is not an easy process, requiring knowledge, understanding of what to do and in what order, etc. Mothers can do back-to-stomach rollovers with their baby as homework, because... at the moment the baby turns from back to side, these muscles are partially included in the process. For the rest, you need to call a specialist in children's massage.

What to do if your child can't hold his head up

It's natural for babies to develop at different paces: some reach certain milestones earlier, others later. If your baby is 4 months old and cannot hold his head up yet, consult your pediatrician. Try not to worry unnecessarily and make an appointment with your pediatrician instead. The doctor will monitor the dynamics of the baby’s development and, if he notices any problems, will recommend an appropriate solution.

Child development is an exciting process for parents, a reason for joy and pride. The moment your baby holds his head for the first time is just one of the many achievements you will witness. Before you know it, the baby will start crawling, walking, talking, and more! Of course, not everything about parenting is as exciting as your little one’s small victories. Chances are, changing diapers won't be your favorite thing to do, but you'll definitely enjoy saving money on them.

What to do if your baby has trouble holding his head

Rough skin on a child’s arms, legs, body - possible causes

A specialist will tell you exactly why a baby can’t hold his head up at three months. There are a lot of factors that affect the muscle muscles of the neck and prevent it from developing.

Possible reasons

What reasons cause a lag in the development of skills:

Hypoxia (asphyxia) of the fetus and diseases of the mother during pregnancy. If during childbirth the baby experiences a lack of oxygen, then its brain cells and muscle tissue may be affected.
The baby is not full term. If the baby was born 2-3 months prematurely, then by three months he will not be able to hold his head up. This will happen later.
Poor nutrition. If a baby does not eat enough, he gains weight poorly, lags behind in development, does not receive enough nutrients and vitamins and, naturally, cannot hold his head up.
Birth injuries. The mother is warned about this, since she will have to constantly examine the child with a neurologist.

A baby who suffered hypoxia during childbirth

Neurological problems. As a rule, they are detected in the early stages and quickly resolved with treatment.
A lazy child or infrequent tummy time training.
Torticollis and other disorders of the cervical apparatus.

What to do:

Identify the reason for the delay in skill formation.
For hypoxia, physiotherapeutic procedures and massage are performed.
In case of prematurity, drug treatment is prescribed to speed up the development of the baby.
If there is a lack of nutrients in the diet, supplementary feeding with an artificial formula or a complete switch 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 at six months the baby cannot hold his head clearly and confidently, you should immediately see a specialist and undergo a course of treatment.

Recommendations

How to help a baby hold his head? Pediatricians recommend pushing him towards this. Classes and physical exercises should be carried out properly.

Carrying out a baby massage

Advice from pediatricians on how to help a baby hold his head:

From three weeks, place the baby on his tummy every day in between feedings. He will act reflexively: try to raise his head or lay it on his cheek.
Do not allow your baby to sleep in one position all the time. You should rotate it 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 should monitor her diet and analyze how the child is gaining weight.
It is recommended to swim while bathing in a special circle (it helps to float on the water) - this strengthens the vertebrae of the cervical spine. You can start training from the age of one month, and it is not necessary to go to the pool. In a home bathroom, everything will turn out just as good.
From two months onwards, the baby should be carried in your arms more often, holding the head with your hands if necessary. Gradually loosen the support, allowing the neck muscles to strengthen.
It is worth carrying the baby belly down on your arm, with the other hand holding the head straight at this moment.
If the baby has already begun to turn his head in different directions, then you can start showing him toys, moving them left or right, so that the baby begins to turn his neck along with him.
Fitball exercises play a special role in developing skills. This is both muscle strengthening and total relaxation. The exercises are performed for no more than 10-15 minutes, then it is best to take a bath.

In order for the baby to develop actively and be always cheerful, one should not neglect training and activities that contribute to his good mood and health. If parents discover developmental abnormalities, they should immediately consult a doctor. Timely detection of a problem allows you to quickly resolve it and cure the disease.

Why do some babies start holding their heads later?

Gestational age, i.e. whether the baby was born on time. Chicks that wish to see the light ahead of schedule will develop a little slower. This must definitely be taken into account and not worry ahead of time, especially since the crumbs perfectly capture your mood.
Health status. How easy was the birth, was there any hypoxia in the baby or birth injuries. It happens that already in the first days of life, a child manages to get sick from a viral infection, etc. The body is busy recovering or fighting a disease, and physical development may be delayed.
Weight has a great influence on the development of motor skills. A heavy head is very difficult for a small baby to lift and hold. But this will not be easy for a strong baby born weighing more than 4 kg.
Temperament. Pediatricians note that congenital mental characteristics manifest themselves from a very early age. Phlegmatic and melancholic children will learn to control their bodies a little later than more active sanguine or choleric children.
The influence of the environment. An excessive desire to hold the head, instead of securing it, does not give the baby the opportunity to make an effort to hold it, which means the muscles do not strengthen. In addition, mothers sometimes do not place the baby on their tummy. This is not always due to forgetfulness or inattention. The fact is that the baby can desperately protest when he is placed on his tummy.

How to teach your baby to do it on his own

For normal physical development of the baby, you definitely need to work with him. Massage and light exercises should become a daily ritual. At such a young age, it is difficult to find time for activities - the baby either eats or sleeps, and usually does not react too joyfully to manipulations with himself.
In this case, parents need to be patient. Carry your little one in an upright position as often as possible, place him on his tummy several times a day, give him a light massage, lift him by the arms when he is lying on his back - and day after day the baby will be better and better at raising his head.
Sometimes it happens that the child begins to hold his head not straight, but with a deviation to the side. To avoid this or eliminate the problem, a neurologist usually recommends using a special pillow on which the child will need to be placed on his side and back several times a day.