The development of a child in the first months of his life is both a very interesting stage and a very responsible one. It is during this period that favorable conditions are laid for the baby to grow up healthy and intelligent.
The ability to raise your head is one of the first serious stages in the development of a baby, the first skills in body control. Healthy babies try to raise their heads at about one month of age - but at first the strength is only enough for a few seconds. The neck muscles are still very weak, the head should not be allowed to dangle - there is a risk of damaging the cervical vertebrae. But if the child is a month old, but he holds his head tightly, he must certainly be shown to the doctor - this is not a sign of early development, as young, inexperienced parents sometimes believe, but one of the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure.
How to "teach" a child to hold the head
Babies are recommended to spread on the tummy, starting from two weeks or as soon as the umbilical wound has completely healed. It is not very comfortable to lie with his nose in the pillow, and the child tries to turn his head to one side, slightly raises it. Placing it on your stomach is very beneficial in itself: it will help get rid of gas that can torment your baby in the first few weeks, and it trains the muscles of the back and neck well. The better the neck and back are strengthened, the sooner the baby will begin to crawl.
How long will the child have to exercise in order to confidently hold the head? If the baby is healthy and developed in accordance with the norm, he will be able to master this skill by about 3 months. Until the child can do this well, the one who takes the baby in his arms should slightly hold his back and the back of his head to prevent injury to the cervical vertebrae.
At the age of 3 months, the child also knows how to keep his head upright for a short time. By 4 months, he does it confidently. And at 5-6 months, babies are able to lift the upper body, while lying on their stomach and putting their hands under them. Of course, all data regarding age applies only to children who grow and develop without any complications.
To stimulate the child's development, parents can draw their attention - for example, show bright or sounding toys that the child will pay attention to and try to turn their head in their direction.
When is it time to see a doctor
What to do when the baby develops with some delay and at the age of 3 months can not hold his head? First you need to contact good specialists - a neurologist, a pediatrician. If the child, lying on his stomach, does not want to move his head, this can mean serious neurological problems, which must be solved with the help of massage and complex drug therapy.
Neurological problems, severe pregnancy with pathology, low muscle tone - any of these circumstances can cause developmental delay. It also happens that the child was simply rarely laid out on his stomach, and he did not have time to build up the necessary muscles on the neck and shoulders. If he can only hold his head at an angle, a doctor's consultation is necessary - most likely, a special massage will be offered. Sometimes the doctor suggests using a special pillow to align the position of the head.
Advice for new parents: if it seems to you that your baby is behaving in some way wrong, first of all try to calm down. Most likely, the situation is not as dire as you think.
If any deviations are noticed, the child should be immediately shown to a specialist. The earlier a problem is discovered, the easier it is to cope with it without consequences for the health of the baby.
