In the first weeks of a baby's life, he needs to constantlysupport in the back and occiput, so as not to injure the muscles of the neck. The ability to keep the head without the help of the parents is considered an important achievement in the development of crumbs. He begins to manage his body on his own, and my mother can easily take it in his arms. If at 3 months the child does not hold his head well, many parents begin to panic. Is there really cause for concern?
Newborn baby can not controlneck muscles. All movements have a reflex character. When parents take the crumb in their arms, his head throws back. Gradually, he learns to control his own body. First achievements can be observed already in the second and third weeks of life. Lying on his stomach, the baby begins to make attempts to raise his head. This is a kind of natural protection instinct, so as not to suffocate.
Further development of the cervical muscles proceeds according to the following scheme:
Naturally, all time parameters are conditional. When at 3 months the child does not hold his head well, you should not worry. However, consultation with a pediatric neurologist does not hurt.
The cause for concern may beThe situation when the child does not even try to raise his head at this age. This should be reported to the pediatrician. He must prescribe a referral for an additional examination from another neurologist. Based on the results of the tests, the doctor will be able to explain to the parents why in the 3 months the child is not holding his head well, what to do in this situation. After a few weeks, the baby should be brought for a second examination.
Neurologists identify several factors that can interfere with a newborn's control of the neck muscles:
With a small newborn weight,Seek advice from a doctor who specializes in child feeding. If the baby has not enough breast milk, you can enter the supplementary formula with the mixture. Special massage will increase muscle tone and strengthen the neck.
If the child does not hold his head at 3 months,you need to deal with it at home. First of all, you should often put the baby on your stomach. He will instinctively try to turn his head to fully breathe. To accustom the crumb to such activities should be gradual. It is better to start from 1 minute. The procedures must be abandoned if the child has recently eaten or is ill.
When the youngster reveals discontent and reluctancelie on a changing table, before him you need to put a bright toy. The process of training parents should turn into an exciting game. To do this, you can periodically change the fabric on which the crumb lies. It is necessary to lay out around him bright and diverse objects, constantly communicate.
Often an infant (3.5 months) is poorly kepthead because of underdevelopment of the neck muscles. Therefore, pediatricians recommend exercises on the gym ball. The first exercises are the simplest of rocking. They relax the muscles and develop the vestibular apparatus. Then the exercises should be gradually complicated.
To strengthen the muscles of the neck of a veryEffective activities are considered in the basin. You can enroll in courses for swimming moms with children. At what age do I start classes? Pediatricians recommend starting water procedures when the child is almost 3 months old. Poorly he keeps his head, most likely, only on land. In water, infants quickly adapt, and the problem with strengthening the neck muscles is easily solved. First, the child will learn how to properly hold his head in the pool, and then quickly transfer this skill to normal life.
Stimulate the proper development of the cervicalThe device can be used at home. This is suitable for a normal baby bath. Such trainings should deliver crumbs exclusively positive emotions. To diversify the procedure, you can use colorful inflatable balls, balls and other toys. Distracted by these items, the child will not think about how to stay afloat. Everything must be done on an intuitive level. Meanwhile, the head and neck of the baby will turn toward the moving objects.
Often parents turn to a neurologist withcomplaint that the child at 3 months poorly holding his head and trying to turn it at an angle. Such symptoms usually indicate a paresis of the muscular parts of the neck. Otherwise, the pathology is called the torticollis. To exclude this violation, consultation with an orthopedist is needed. Fortunately, torticollis is a rare phenomenon that develops during a complicated course of pregnancy. For her treatment, physiotherapy is used. In other cases, doctors advise parents:
It is extremely rare for the treatment of torticollis to require surgical intervention.
Many parents experience that prematurethe child (3 months) does not hold his head well. Timely appeal to the neurologist allows you to correct this violation. Often pediatricians observe the opposite picture. It's about situations where children are good at keeping their head in 5 weeks. Parents start to rejoice, believing that the child is developing rapidly and even slightly ahead of their peers. In fact, everything is not so beautiful.
In this situation, it is advisable to consultwith the neurologist. Early development may indicate increased muscle tone or intracranial pressure. However, do not panic immediately. With the health of the crumbs, everything can be all right.
To the baby to develop properly, you need to deal with it from birth. For the timely acquisition of the habit of holding the head, one must adhere to simple rules:
If the child in due time beginsindependently hold the head, then it develops correctly. Do not all parents dream about this? If you see any violations, or at 3 months the child has a bad head, you should immediately contact the pediatrician. The doctor always calms, if the parents are in vain experiencing. Also, he will be able to choose the right treatment when it is really necessary.
