“Wooow, such a strong baby! He’s doing great! So small, and he already holds his head so high!!!”
Is it really something to be happy about? Should we really be in awe that our newborn baby lifts their head up high? Or is it rather a reason to take a closer look at what your baby is doing?
Exactly…
Considering I wrote this post, you probably guessed that something is up – no pun intended! 🙂
In the course of typical child development, head control takes place only at the end of the 3rd month of life. This is when a baby is able to hold the head up straight for a longer time. Of course, the child attempts to lift and hold the head up much earlier (getting better at it every day). However, only in the third month of life does the cooperation of muscle groups allow the baby to stay in this position for a long time, without taking a lot of energy.
LET’S START FROM THE BEGINNING
When a baby is born, flexing of the body dominates. The baby’s arms and legs are bent, regardless if the baby lies on the back or the belly.
If you take a closer look at the amount of muscle tension, you will see that there is definitely more of it on the periphery than at the body’s core, in other words in the torso.
Over time, as the nervous system matures and the baby’s physical conditions change, with everyday training, the child begins to handle his or her body better under the conditions of gravity. Gradually, the baby learns the ”dependencies” that take place in the real world and, at a more advanced phase, starts to achieve his or her own goals (like reaching for a toy, putting his finger in mommy’s eye or nose, and… predicting what will happen).
But let’s get back to the topic.
WHAT IS THE DIFFICULTY?
Not all newborns love lying on their tummy. What’s more – there are also those, who instantly alarm the whole neighborhood that they do not like tummy time at all. 🙂 The moment they are put on the tummy, everyone knows it’s not their favorite position. 🙂
Want to find out why? Here you go! Lie down on the floor and get in the following position:
And then … try to lift your head up for a moment, hold it there for 10 seconds and turn it the other way.
Really, give it a try, please… 😉
I’m curious what you think, but for me it seems like a nightmare…
Why was it so difficult? The answer is simple! Mainly, the problem is the location of the center of gravity of the body. It shifts up high, due to the fact that the legs are bent.
The weight of the body of a newborn who lies on the tummy rests primarily on the cheek, the thumbs, the upper part of the chest and on the inside of the knees. No wonder it is so difficult to lift the head up in these conditions.
What if I told you that it is even more demanding for a newborn than it is for us? After all, the head of an adult takes up just 1/8 of the length of the whole body. In the case of an infant, these proportions are different – the head is heavier and constitutes 1/4 of the baby’s body length!
WHAT IS OUR GOAL?
At the end of the 3rd and in the 4th month of life, the ability to lift the head is exactly what we expect from a baby.
As the legs straighten, the weight of the body moves lower. This makes it easier for the child to extend the hands so that the elbows are under the shoulders. Now lifting the head becomes much easier.
When we talk about good QUALITY tummy time, we mean that at 3 months of age the baby sets their eyes horizontally (parallel to the floor) and the top of the head is the highest point of the body. The elbows are under the shoulders, and the upper part of the torso is slightly raised.
And here we finally touch on the main topic of this post which is raising the head up too high by some babies. See for yourself:
I have already mentioned it many times, but in order for a baby to develop harmoniously, good cooperation between muscle groups is crucial. What I mean by that is when muscle groups work together so that good quality movement patterns are developed. And a good quality pattern requires only a small amount of energy.
As a result, the child is able to maintain a given position for long periods of time, because he or she simply does not get tired. 😉
What’s more, the child acquires new skills on the basis of previous experiences. This is why it is so important to pay attention to the QUALITY of what a baby can already do from the very first days of life. Otherwise, changing established patterns can be difficult.
WHAT DOES LIFTING THE HEAD TOO HIGH MEAN AND HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT?
Lifting the head up very high while lying on the tummy is NOT A “TYPICAL” element of development. What is typical is for the baby to keep the head active and raised just above the surface.
There are two easy ways to check whether your baby lifts his or her head up too high.
- 1) First of all, if you look at the baby from the side, you will see that the line of sight is at an acute angle to the ground. I don’t mean when the child wants to see something that is placed above her head. What I mean is a fixed tendency to look up high.
- 2) If you look at the baby from behind, on the other hand, it’s hard to see their neck.
CAN THIS HINDER THE CHILD FROM REACHING THE NEXT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT?
Yes, it can. If a newborn lifts the head up high while lying on the tummy it indicates that the extensor muscles of the neck and back are the ones working against the force of gravity.
Of course, if a baby wants to raise his or her head, these muscles will be used, but they cannot be the only ones involved in the process.
A baby should also use the muscles at the front of the body. Only then, at the end of the 3rd month of life will we say, “Wow! The pose is a beauty.”
What’s more, a child who lifts their head up strongly not only uses the back muscles extensively, but also may have a hard time to push properly into the ground with the hands. Other problems that could occur: shoulders lifted too high or clenched fists. In short, the child will develop but not as smoothly as they should.
Very often, when you put such babies on their tummies, they roll over onto their backs. Of course, it can happen because children experiment with their bodies. However, you have to keep in mind that a fully controlled roll-over from belly to back happens in months six to eight.
If it happens sporadically to your newborn, then there is probably nothing to worry about. Most often it happens when the baby abruptly straightens the head. If, on the other hand, you notice that it happens frequently, and always to the same side, it would be a good idea to have it checked out.
SHOULD I START PULLING MY HAIR OUT NOW OR LATER?
Calm down! 😉 These things happen. They may not be typical for child development but you can work on them. The sooner you notice an abnormality, the greater the chance that you can fix it and the baby won’t pass it to other activities.
WHAT TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO?
Of course, if you find something worrisome, it would be best to see a physiotherapist. However, if your baby clearly works very hard with the extensor muscles of the back, he or she will surely benefit from friendly baby care, which is nothing more than the proper way to care for, lift, and carry your baby. It is also important to make the most of your little one’s tummy time.
Not all children love tummy time right away. Some babies need to get used to it gradually. There are many ways to do it. For example: putting your baby on your chest, or across your lap, or carrying the little one with their tummy facing down.
You need to remember that placing your baby on the tummy is quite beneficial.
You may also be interested in:
The best way to avoid developmental problems is to play in a smart way with your baby. You can find fun playtime ideas in my e-book on playtime. Check it out! 😉
