In the first year of life, intense motor development occurs, which contributes to the maturation of the cerebral cortex. Therefore, the more you deal with the baby, the more chances you have to grow a prodigy. One should take care of timely stimulation of emotional communication, development of visual perception, auditory perception and understanding of reversed speech.
In the first month life of the flexor muscles of the baby is still in high tone, and its movements are limited. Only in the third month the tension of the muscles decreases, their development begins, which, however, occurs unevenly. Initially, the neck muscles become mature. This is manifested in the ability of the baby, lying on his stomach, to lift and hold the head for a short time. Gradually, the muscles of the trunk, legs and arms reach their functional maturity. At this time, the baby is already reacting to the sound, turning his head, and also makes random isolated flexion and extension of the arms and legs in the supine position.
Two month old baby still continues to lie curled up like in the womb. His muscles from time to time involuntarily twitch. The legs do not stand any load. His hands are tightly clenched into fists, he still cannot hold a rattle, but he is already able to hold his head tightly, turn it freely, and when laying on his stomach - lean on his forearms and move vigorously one or the other leg.
TO the beginning of the third month child's limbs are constantly relaxing. He raises his head by 45 °, shakes it with her when someone supports him in a sitting position. Involuntary muscle twitching is less common. The cams of the baby are partially opened, he actively “threshes” with his hands. By the end of the third month, he is already trying to reach out and grab something. The kid grabs an object that touches his palm or fingers, squeezes and unclenches toys or other things that you give him in his hands, and watches the movements of his hand.
At the end of the third - the beginning fourth month the child is already beginning to raise his head from a supine position, tries to roll over from his back to his side, while lying on his stomach, firmly rests on his elbows and forearms and even rises.
Lying on his back, the child is able to examine his hands for a long time. If he was given a rattle, he would shake it with pleasure.
AT four months the child is lying on his stomach, leaning on his forearms, bent at a right angle. The extremities of the baby can already straighten freely: he shakes a rattle inserted in his hand, makes a “bicycle” and other movements in a free style. Lying on his stomach, raises his head, explores the situation. Not long can rely on the legs. Holds his head straight when someone holds him upright. Turns from back to side.
In 4.5 months in the supine position, seeing the object, reaches for it, grabs with both hands and pulls it into the mouth.
TO the beginning of the fifth month the child already knows a lot. Lying on the stomach, the baby freely lifts the body, resting on the palms of the outstretched arms, easily and
quickly turns from back to belly. He smoothly and steadily kicks through (“dances”) when he is held by the body. Improves coordination. The child directs his hands exactly to the object that interested him. First, he takes the toy with both hands, then tries to hold it alone. The child now not only holds the toy tightly, but carefully and intently examines it. At five months, the baby stands confidently with support, sitting, leaning on his hands. Resting on the elbows, easily turns from the abdomen to the back. It stretches to objects with two hands. Collects hanging toys. Interested in playing with clothes, grabs the mother's breast.
AT six months the child precisely grasps the necessary objects, shifts them from one hand to another, touches and strokes the surface of the toy with his finger. During this period, the baby can already hold a sitting position, holding tightly to the fingers of an adult; with the help of an adult, sit down, leaning on straightened arms and lifting the torso; sit leaning on the pillow. He gets up, holding onto the support. Turns from the belly to the back and back. Swinging, lying on his stomach ("airplane"). It rises, lifting the chest and part of the abdomen from the floor. Kicks. Pulls the neck to see better.
A six-month-old baby, lying on his stomach, is able to lean on one arm, reaching the other to the toy. Being in the arena, he can already creep up to the subject of interest. With equally active right and left hands, the baby takes only one of the two outstretched toys, but if he puts another toy into the empty hand, he will hold it. Lying on his back, the kid plays with enthusiasm with his legs, while his head is raised. Sensibly shifts toys from hand to hand, pushes them into his mouth. Starts playing with cubes.
TO the end of the seventh month the baby is already perfectly crawling, it stands firmly and evenly with the support of an adult. Pulling himself up by the fingers of an adult or by the walls of a crib, he can already sit down and sit - true, still uncertain.
If a child has a toy in his hands, he no longer just randomly waves it, but, holding it, rotates with a brush, purposefully strikes the toy against surrounding objects, shifts it from hand to hand, carefully examines it. In the prone position can hold its own weight on one hand, and the second to reach for an object.
In 7-8 months the child gets up on all fours, knows how to sit down from a supine position, and sitting down - straighten up and bend over.
Eight month the child is sitting steadily, trying to get up, sticking to the sides of the arena, stands with support by the hands, crawls. He examines toys, people, and arbitrarily looks from one subject to another.
In nine months a child from the position of si-dya can stand up, holding the railing of the crib. By the end of the ninth month, the child confidently and quickly crawls on his stomach forward and around himself, he sits for a long time, with support for both arms (sometimes for one), he stands well on the whole foot and can even lift one or the other leg.
Ten month old baby able to crawl on the hands and knees. At the same age, he begins to stand. May take the object 3-4 fingers. Holding the hand or the hand of an adult with one hand, the baby takes steps towards the toy, sits on the chair by itself.
At eleven months the child walks for a long time, supported by one arm, stands alone. At the age of 9-11.5 months, the baby plays with both hands, shifts the object from hand to hand. In the seizure of the subject involved thumb and the tips of the rest.
In 12 months the baby is already confidently standing, walking with support by one arm or independently.
Possible deviations in motor development
First month: being upright, the child cannot hold his head for a short period of time.
Two months: being in the supine position, unable to lift and hold the head. The movements of the arms and legs are chaotic and asymmetrical.
Three months: in a prone position, the child is unable to hold his head for a short time. Does not hold the head and upright. While awake, does not consider his hands.
Four months: in the prone position does not rest on the forearms and does not lift the body. If a baby is lying on its back, holding it under its arms, its head will lean back powerlessly. The upright and supported under the arms of the baby does not rest against the toes. Five months: lifted by the hands from a supine position, the baby cannot firmly hold the head. Not able to confidently roll from the belly to the back.
Six months: can not reach out and grab a toy from a prone position. Held under the arms in an upright position, does not move the legs, does not "dance."
Seven months: with the support of the hands of the baby does not try to sit down from a prone position.
Eight months: do not crawl back. Not worth even a short time with the support of the hands. Not able to hold a button or other small object between thumb and forefinger.
Nine months: being in a prone position, does not turn around its axis, does not try to creep forward. Uncertainly sitting, in this position can not turn around its axis. Can not self drink from a cup.
Eleven months: not crawling on all fours. Not able to sit, stretching out legs. Holding the support, the child moves poorly or does not move at all. Twelve months: not supported by the hands.
A newborn baby can do quite a bit: breathe, suck, sleep, cry - all these are vital processes. The movements of the baby are still chaotic, he still remembers the mother's womb - he lies, pressing his hands and feet, as if saving space. When a child begins to hold his head, it opens the way to the world of interesting and new, this is the first important achievement of the infant.
What time do children start to hold their heads: 1 month
The child does not hold his head until his neck and shoulder muscles are strengthened. The newborn pushes the head back when adults lift it by the arms. Nevertheless, he is already able to take care of himself: lying on his stomach, he does not stick his face into the mattress, but puts it on its side so that it is more comfortable to breathe.
What time does the child start to hold his head? - healthy babies make the first attempts in 2-3 weeks. At the end of the month, when laying on the belly, the baby can hold his head for several minutes horizontally. But this is not the decisive period when the child begins to keep the head truly consciously and confidently.
A newborn baby is quite weak, and it is still too early for parents to think about how much the child begins to hold its head. On the contrary, you need to be very careful and learn how to wear the crumbs properly supporting your head so as not to disturb the cervical vertebrae.
How to lie on your stomach?
Before eating, start putting the baby on your stomach, this will help you to bring the period when the baby begins to hold the head for a long time.
Here are some tips to help your child love this exercise.
- Prepare a roll of towel thick with your hand. We put it under the chest so as to place it in the armpits. Now the crumb can not be lazy, putting his head on the mattress. If the child stubbornly draws his hands back, behind the roller, the bundle can be tied with the ends behind him.
- Wear the crumb on one hand, face down - head on your forearm, hold it over the distant thigh, lightly tucking it down. Use your second hand to stroke the back, neck and ass. Evenly change the left and right hands.
How many months does the baby start to hold his head: 2 months
At the age of 6-8 weeks, strong babes raise their heads when they lie on their backs and hold them for several minutes. When you wear a crumbs "column" on his shoulder, he lifts his face to look around for a couple of seconds. Leaving the head without insurance is still too early - hold it with your hand so that it does not roll to the side. How many months the child begins to hold the head depends on the mother's “advancement”: home massage, gymnastics and perseverance of parents play a big role.
At the age of one and a half months, a curious crumb examines the world, lifting the head by 45◦. Even your toddler learned to turn his head in both directions. This is the time when the baby starts to keep the head upright for several minutes.
When newborns start keeping their head: 3 month
The baby can be congratulated on the first serious achievement: now, when the child begins to hold his head on his own, for a long time and confidently, he can see a lot of interesting things. From now on, he actively trains the muscles of the neck and back, preparing for more complex movements.
Although the baby has become more independent, it is impossible to leave him without insurance - the child does not hold his head well enough to trust him completely. Sharp shocks or rotation can swing the baby's head strongly, but he will not be able to hold it. Nevertheless, progress is evident: raising the infant by the arms, you see that the head-neck-spine line has become straight, that is, the muscles of the neck, upper back and the press are getting stronger.
When the newborn begins to hold the head: 4 month
Now he has already learned to lean on his forearms - more and more often you see a curious face studying the room from a position, lifting himself on his hands while lying on his stomach.
Now mom knows how many months the child holds her head and realizes that she was worried in vain. Child development individually. A significant lag or progression may indicate health problems. For example, if a monthly baby is already holding his head, it is worth visiting a neurologist, because such an early achievement is a symptom of intracranial pressure.
When the child himself holds his head and shoulders: 6 month
The Karapuz is now a real strongman: resting on both outstretched arms or open palms, he towers in bed and seeks out mom's eyes. He turns his head to the left and to the right, for a long time walking, expressing his opinion about what is happening. The question “At what age does a child start to hold his head?” Has already lost its relevance for you. Now your task is to cultivate cognitive interests and develop other motor skills of a son or daughter.
Leave the child to play independently, but keep an eye on him. Use a variety of educational mats, pyramids, books, dolls - dolls.
How to teach a child to keep his head: common exercises
- The initial position of the infant is on the stomach. Ahead of him waiting for a toy. Put the palm on the child’s forehead and lift the head so that the baby sees the object. If the toddler is trying to hold his head himself - remove your hand, but at the same time insure against a blow. Repeat 5 times.
- Laying on the belly as often as possible.
- Charging on a fitball is good - put the baby on your stomach and, holding it under your arms, swing the ball forward so that your head and shoulders are free - on the weight. Duration - 2-3 seconds, 10 times. Rest right on the ball.
If the child does not raise his head lying on his back:
- Put the baby on your back, under your head and shoulders - a common pillow. Lift him under your back and hold for a few seconds so that he himself lifts his head. Repeat 5 or 7 times, giving rest on a pillow.
- When a child can pull up, bending his elbows, try to lift him not under his back, but by the arms. The goal is the same. Repeat 5 times.
- If the baby can not raise his head, then help him, raising his head with his hand under the nape for 5 seconds. Exercise repeat 7 times.
So, we discussed with you how many months the child begins to hold the head. But there are special cases of late development. Any suspicions? - consult a doctor. The course of massage, exercise therapy or medicine will help to correct the child's physical activity, to catch up and even overtake the peers. No need to panic, if a neurologist has diagnosed - the brain of a child is very plastic. The sooner the treatment begins, the greater the chance to do without consequences.
A newborn baby is born completely helpless. Its organs and systems remain incompletely formed and vulnerable, with their functional features. The neck muscles are still too weak to support the head - they will get strong enough at the age of 3 months. Until the time when the child begins to hold his head independently, it is slightly supported when bathing or carrying the child in his arms.
The child gradually learns to control his body and his first achievement is the ability to maintain his head. There are generally accepted age standards for the development of a baby, so that parents and doctors can navigate whether its formation is correct.
Stages of development of the baby:
After epithelialization umbilical wound, baby can begin to spread on the stomach, using a hard surface, for example - a table covered with several layers of diapers.
This exercise should be done gradually, starting with a few minutes. In this case, the crumb instinctively lifts the head slightly and turns it to the side. During the exercise you need to lightly stroke him on the back. Regular putting it on the belly is also valuable because it contributes to the discharge of gas in the child and is the prevention of intestinal colic.
- At the age of one and a half months, the child may already slightly raise his head above the surface of the table and hold it in that position for a minute.
- At approximately 2 months of age, the child is able to turn his head to the sides and examine objects.
- In the fourth month of development, the baby can roll over and independently choose the position of the body. He is able to hold his head up, leaning on his outstretched arms. This means that the infant has a cervical spine and begins to form the chest.
Child development does not always fit into this time frame. Sometimes in a perfectly healthy baby, it is slightly delayed. If the other indicators of mental development of the child correspond to the norm, then you should not worry.
Early head retention
In the first year of life, the child develops extremely quickly. This is especially true for the first 3 months. Usually at this age several reflexes are already dying out, for example, searching and proboscis, and the crawling and sucking reflex are still strong. It is for these (and many other) indicators that the neuropathologist concludes mental development baby
Sometimes parents are very happy when the child starts to hold his head. ahead of time, unaware that such a condition may signal the presence of pathology.
Attention! If the baby in a month already firmly holds his head, then you should show it to the doctor. This fact may indicate a high intracranial pressure.
For some reason, the baby may lag behind in the formation of the skill
Usually children begin to keep their heads between 2 and 3 months. If this happens later than 3 months, the parents are very worried. In this case, you should take the situation with full responsibility and sign up for a consultation with a neuropathologist.
The main reasons why a child may be delayed in the development of the skill:
- In most cases, the inability to keep the head at the age of 3 months is due to the reduced tone of the neck muscles. This happens when a child is little laid out on the stomach and not enough attention is paid to his physical development.
- If at the same time the baby is not gaining weight well (read about the norms), then the reason, perhaps, lies in the fact that the mother is experiencing difficulties in breastfeeding and the kid because of this is lagging behind in development. In this case, you should make an appointment with a specialist, and he will help arrange feeding.
- The second most frequent reason for the fact that the child does not hold his head, there are neurological pathologies that have arisen during pregnancy and (or) childbirth. If a three-month baby in a position on the stomach does not turn his head to the side, this is a reliable sign of a neurological disease. Without adequate treatment, such disorders tend to worsen over time, so you should not hesitate to visit a specialist. He examines and, if necessary, prescribe a comprehensive treatment and massage.
- Another reason is prematurity. Such children usually develop a little slower, but with proper care and responsible attitude of parents to the doctor’s recommendations, they are already catching up with their peers by the year. It all depends on the degree of prematurity and rehabilitation measures (massage, gymnastics, reflexology).
- Pay attention to how the child holds the neck. Sometimes due to the fact that the baby is constantly placed in a bed on one side, he develops torticollis. This disease is expressed in the inclination of the head in the direction of the diseased muscle, and in severe cases - asymmetry of the face, scoliosis and developmental delay.
- If this disease is not treated, it progresses and can have serious consequences. Therapy consists of several massage courses, which can only be done by a specialist. Also recommend the use of special orthopedic pillows - how to choose a pillow.
Strengthening the neck muscles
Begin to engage in gymnastics with a child should be when he turns one and a half months. At first, the exercises should be done once, and then gradually increased. A young child has very tender skin that is prone to irritation, and the muscles and ligaments are still weak, so gymnastics is more like a massage.
- Laying on tummy . Exercise is that the baby is placed on the table with his stomach down and urged to keep his head in a raised position. Bent at the elbows handles slightly hold on both sides with their own hands and do not allow him to roll over. You should start with a couple of minutes, gradually increasing the duration. Vykladyvanie carried out before feeding, the prerequisite is the good mood of the child. During the exercise should be affectionate talk with the baby.
- Head turns . The baby is lying on his stomach. An adult comes to him first on one side and shakes the rattle, prompting the crumb to turn his head, and then from the opposite side. Curiosity forces the child to turn his head to the source of the sound.
- Sitting down . Pull the baby's arms out from the “supine” position. At the same time it is necessary to ensure that the child’s head does not fall back.
Read - when you can begin to sit down children
Massage for a child up to 3 months
For massage, strokes and short circular grindings are used. Before you massage, you should make sure that the room is warm enough (not below 22 degrees).
Complex exercises for kids
- Stroking hands from hands to shoulders.
- Then lightly rub the palm of the chest from the middle to the sides.
- After that, the child is placed on the stomach, a folded diaper is placed under the breast.
- Stroking the back of the palms of both hands from the neck down and then in the opposite direction, paying particular attention to the muscles of the neck.
- The baby gets tired quickly and the massage should be stopped when he shows displeasure.
Since the main cause of the problem, when the child begins to hold his head late in the established norm, is his poor physical development, should be given to exercises with the baby, as much attention as possible.
Each baby develops at its own pace, depending on many indicators. However, there are some standards that indicate the state of health of the child and the quality of functioning of his organs and systems. One of these indicators is holding the baby's head in different positions. Consider what the terms of the development of this skill and why sometimes the child does not raise his head.
Stages of development
Experts identify some stages of development of the muscles of the baby's neck, responsible for lifting, turning and holding the head.
First week after birth. The newborn is not yet able to control the work of the muscles, in addition, they are still very weak. Therefore, it is very important to support the head of the baby during feeding, bathing, even just when it is picked up.
2-3 weeks after birth. During this period, after the umbilical wound heals, the child should be spread on the tummy. Lying on the belly, the baby lifts the head and turns it to the side. So the instinct of self-preservation is shown: having turned a head sideways, the child cannot suffocate. Not always the crumb wants to lie on the tummy, he can be capricious, cry. You can stroke it on the back, show bright toys, in a word, try to entice with something pleasant or interesting. In addition to training the muscles of the neck, laying on the tummy contributes to the discharge of gas from the intestines and helps to fight with children's colic.
Separately, it should be noted that if the child holds the head in 1 month, it is worthwhile to show it to the pediatrician. Such a phenomenon is sometimes evidence early development baby, but often it may indicate increased intracranial pressure. And this is a dangerous symptom.
After 6 weeks. At this age, the baby should already lift the head, lying on his stomach. Raising it by about 45 °, he can hold this position for a minute. After 8 weeks the baby will make the first attempts to keep the head in an upright position.
2 to 3 months. At this stage of development, most babies are already raising the head in the prone position and keeping it upright. Although some kids are not yet able to do it with confidence.
4 months. A child of this age is already well kept the head upright. Lying on his tummy, he can already lift not only the head, but also the upper part of the body.
Above it was said that mother should stimulate the raising of the head by the infant from the first weeks of his life. For this crumb spread on the tummy. Instinctively, the kids are trying to raise the head.
In a month, you can already perform special simple exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck. So, how to teach hold the head? Make the following movements every day:
- "Face down." They take the baby in their hands in such a way that one hand of the adult is under his breast, while the other holds the hips. In this position, the child is raised up and lowered.
- "Rocking". To do this exercise, you need two adults and a big ball. Baby put belly on the ball. One adult holds the baby by the pelvis and the other by the hands. Lightly swing it on the ball.
- "Swing". The baby is held face down in the arms. Alternately, gently lift up the head and hips.
When is it worth to see a doctor?
If parents notice any abnormalities in the development of the baby, it must be shown to the doctor. Sometimes the fact that the child does not raise his head may indicate the presence of certain pathologies. The most common causes of this condition may be the following factors:
- Heavy labor or neurological problems at the newborn. In such a situation can not do without the help of experts.
- Insufficient body weight. Lag in development is typical for children who are not gaining their weight. This is often the case in premature babies. After the child gains weight, he will catch up in the development of peers and this problem will be resolved.
- Low muscle tone. Such a deviation requires consultation with a neurologist and subsequent treatment. As a rule, the main method of therapy is a special massage.
- Insufficiently strengthened muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Usually this condition is observed if the mother rarely laid out the baby on the tummy from the first weeks of his life.
Sometimes it happens that a child holds his head, but at a certain angle. This condition requires correction. As a rule, the baby is prescribed a special massage and wearing a pillow, which will level the position of the head. In addition, the pediatrician will tell parents how to put the child in the crib correctly.