When should I be concerned if baby is not lifting his head?

Mommies, you need to be concerned if your baby is not lifting his head. This might be an indication of a health condition.

Your baby has one of the important milestones: when you won’t be concerned about holding or lifting your baby’s head up. Head and neck control is a requirement for many other essential milestones, like sitting up and walking.

Your baby may start working with lifting their head up from day one of birth and might begin to hold their head briefly as early as one month old.

Later, at around 3 to 4 months, you would see a major improvement in your baby’s head control. And at 6 months, your baby can definitely keep its head steady.

By that, we must also know the developmental details of your baby doing the head control and when to be concerned if he does not lift his head yet.

Baby holding and lifting his head up

We are wondering how long could our baby learn to lift their heads up. It is important to take note that this learning process can generally last up to 6 months of their age. It seems quick, but it will take a while and little by little.

On day one, your baby can’t control their head because their motor skills are still developing and their neck muscles are still weak. In the first few months, you’ll need to support and take care of your baby’s neck and head when you lift, hold, carry, or put them down.

When does the baby hold and lift its head up?

This section is a timeline of how mommy should be concerned about her baby and the development of lifting his head.

Newborn baby holding and lifting the head up at 1 week

Your baby will rely on you in supporting their head and neck from 1 week to at least the whole first month. Also, it is a natural way of making sure that you and your baby make a stronger bond by cuddling in your arms.

1 to 2 months

At the end of month 1, your baby may likely lift its head briefly. Sometimes, they turn their heads side by side when they are lying on their tummy. By week 6-8, if your baby is strong and coordinated enough, they’ll raise their head while lying on their back.

When carrying your baby on your shoulder, they will have enough control to lift their head up shakily, shortly. If you carry your baby in a sling, let their face be visible since they can’t easily move their head to breathe.

3 to 4 months

You should notice an improvement in your baby’s head control at this period. Your baby may lift their head at least 45  degrees while on their tummy while keeping it up steadily.

Many 4-month-old babies might do “mini pushups”. They may do it by holding their head and chest up by pushing off the ground with their arms.

Additionally, your 4-month-old baby can hold its head still while in a sitting position. This is an improvement a mother can also refrain from being concerned about their baby lifting their head.

5 to 6 months

At 6 months old, your baby will likely hold and lift its head up strongly and steadily. If they are in a sitting position, your baby may bring their head forward. You need to wait until they can hold and lift their head up well, without any support from you.

Thus, in this period, your baby can now start practicing their strong head lifting in a jogging stroller or baby backpack.

When can the baby hold his head up without support?

You may stop supporting your baby’s head when she or he gains sufficient neck strength, typically at around 3-4 months. You can also ask your pediatrician if you are unsure about it.

At this point, your baby is on its way to reaching other important developmental milestones: sitting up, rolling over, cruising, and crawling.

READ MORE:

6 activities to help your infant develop strong neck muscles

8 na head control exercise para sa baby

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When should I be concerned if my baby is not holding or lifting his head up?

Babies’ heads are generally disproportionally bigger and heavy than their bodies, so they must take time to develop the coordination and strength needed to keep their heads up.

The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that a baby with poor head control or weak neck muscles needs assessment by a pediatrician.

This means that your baby does not meet some typical developmental milestones for the head control. You should be concerned during this period if your baby has failure lifting his head up.

6 month old baby not holding his head up

If your baby can’t hold its head up unsupported at 4 months of age, it should not be a code red. However, mommies should take note of this, especially when your baby can’t hold their head up until 6 months old.

Sometimes, a failure to meet the general milestones can be a sign of developmental or motor delay. It could also be a symptom of health conditions like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or other neuromuscular disorder.

Although, most of the time, it might simply be a short-term delay. All babies can develop on their own timing and pacing, and some babies learn certain skills in advanced or slower than others.

Occupational therapy and other earlier intervention services may help for a resolution, whatever the cause. However, no one can stop a mother to be concerned about her baby not lifting their head, so they might be observant towards the baby.

Baby head control exercises

Your baby’s neck muscles and head control will build step by step, but you can take some tips to help them build head control quite faster.

Engage in tummy times to help your baby in lifting their head

Putting your baby on their stomach is one of the best ways to build muscles in the upper body and neck. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests beginning starting from or during the newborn phase.

Simply position your baby belly-down on your lap or chest for a few minutes, two to three times a day. You may gradually increase the time your baby spends on his tummy time until you reach a sum of 20 minutes per session.

Is your baby not in the mood for tummy time? Keep at it. Try popping them up with a blanket for extra padding, and let the experience become more fun with any visual stimulation.

For example, lie down with your baby while playfully talking to them, place some colorful toys just out of reach, or use a patterned playmat.

Always supervise your baby every tummy time session, and make sure they are on a low, flat surface. However, it is not advisable to use the bed, couch, or changing table as a flat surface.

Let them reach

Put your baby on her back underneath something dangly, like a mobile. They might try to reach for it. It can strengthen the muscles in the upper body of your baby.

Practicing mini sit-ups

While your baby is on their back, grab their hands and pull them upwards gently. Your baby will lift her upper body and by this, they can build valuable strength.

Try a pillow

Let your baby sit on a pillow. This practice can provide upper body support and cushion their fall if they would lose balance.

Doing these exercises for your baby’s head control build-up also needs extra care. You may always consult your pediatrician on what exercises are appropriate for your baby.

Always remember mommies, your babies’ development is different from other babies. But, as soon as you notice something odd in the delay of their motor development, quickly call for help.

Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.