A new view of the world or when a child begins to hold his head

In the first year of life, your baby needs special care and attention. During this period there is a rapid neurophysiological development of a tiny organism. The most important stage is the child's ability to hold the head. It is this ability of the infant that allows him to learn to sit, crawl and walk, and also, is a sign of normal growth and development of crumbs.

Muscles of newborn children are still very poorly developed, the skeleton consists mainly of soft cartilaginous tissue, and the movements are poorly coordinated. Therefore, in the first months of life, the baby's head should be kept very carefully. In addition, the main feature of the baby's body is a special muscular-joint feeling called the muscle tone. This characteristic - a kind of push for such conscious movements of crumbs, as a head raising, the ability to turn over, reach for a toy or sit down. Unfortunately, quite often the muscle tone of babies does not correspond to the norm. The reason for this can be bad ecology, various kinds of stresses and many other unfavorable factors. There are several basic types of violations: hypotension, hypertonus, asymmetry of muscle tone and others. It is these abnormalities that are the basis for such cases when the child does not hold his head well for 4-5 months, or, conversely, is good from birth.

Ideally, the baby by the 4th week of life, lying on his stomach, can briefly raise the head and even turn it in different directions. Daily practice allows the crumb to hold the head in the back position for 30-60 seconds by the end of the 2nd month. But the neck muscles are strained to the limit - so that you can feel their trembling. The 3rd and 4th month is the period when the child starts to hold his head for quite a long time, being not only on the stomach, but also on the back or on the handles of the mother. Half-year-old children should confidently lift and hold their head in any position. So, to the question: when the child starts to hold his head, you can answer as follows: on average, it occurs on the 3rd-4th month of life.

Correspond to the norm, of course, well. But do not forget that every kid is an individual, which means that he can have his own terms of development. Therefore, do not worry, if your child is 2.5 months free to hold the head. Just carefully follow the behavior and movements of the crumbs, and also, regularly visit a qualified pediatrician who can timely diagnose developmental disorders and advise the necessary procedures. The reason for concern is the fact that at 3 months your child does not attempt to raise the head or can not hold it for at least a few seconds. In this case, you should consult a neurologist.

Many parents ask a question: how to teach a child to keep his head? Of course, there are no special teaching methods. Yes, they are not needed - this process should take place naturally. But to accelerate it with the help of exercises that train the appropriate muscles, special massage or developing adaptations is quite possible and even necessary.

The more often you put the baby on the stomach, the earlier he can raise the head. Most children are happy to lie on their tummy, but some categorically refuse to be in this position. In this case, toys that distract the attention of the crumbs on themselves, fitballs or special developing mats come to the rescue . In addition, when the child begins to hold his head, it can be worn in the hands in a special way: the elongated mama's hand is under the belly of the baby, and the second - supports it under the arms and chest.

When the baby starts to hold his head, the neck muscles still need strengthening. For this exercise, when performing, you will carefully lift the crumb over the shoulders, support the back of the head and teach him to bend the handles in the elbows.

Certainly, massage and gymnastics are very important, but they can not replace your sincere care, participation and love, feeling that your baby will develop and grow up healthy and happy.