Often, parents notice that the child throws back his head and begins to bend. Particular attention should be paid to this behavior of the baby, as this may be a sign of any disturbances in the development of the nervous system.
What to look for
Before visiting a doctor, you should carefully monitor the child. At the same time, several points should be noted for yourself:
- When the child throws back his head: during wakefulness, sleep or when crying.
- Whether muscle tension occurs at this time, whether the legs or chin are shaking, what look the child has at the same time, and whether the nasolabial triangle turns blue .
- At what age did the baby's similar behavior begin.
Main reasons
Head tipping can occur for several reasons:
- Itโs more convenient for the child.
- Heredity.
- Something or someone is located near the babyโs head.
- Hysterics.
- Injury received during childbirth.
- The child learns to roll over from back to side.
- Pathology of the nervous system.
- Deviation in the development of the musculoskeletal system.
Signs of abnormalities in the nervous system
With deviations in the development of the nervous system, the child throws back his head and often begins to bend. Pathology can occur as a result of birth or intrauterine trauma. In this case, the doctor can diagnose an increase in intracranial pressure. In our country, such a violation refers to a single disease. In Western medicine, increased intracranial pressure is a sign of a serious ailment. In addition to the fact that the child throws his head back, other symptoms may occur, including:
- Anxiety, irritability, intermittent shallow sleep.
- Strabismus, partial closure of the lower eyelid of the pupil, bulging eyes. Inherited features in this case are not taken into account.
- The asymmetry of the head. Its upper part can rapidly increase in size.
- Chin tremors, cramps.
- Discoloration of the nasolabial masonry. Usually it begins to turn blue.
- Reduced or increased tone.
Vagaries or hypertonicity: how to determine
If the child throws his head back and bends during the wakeful period, while no other symptoms of the disease are noted, then it can be just whims. But often the doctor diagnoses hypertonicity. This deviation is difficult to recognize.
To determine, you can put the child on his feet. In this position, muscle tone will increase . They will be very tense. Legs will cross. The child cannot take a step. Often, hypertonicity leads to transformations of the arch of the feet. In the future, it will be very difficult for a child to choose shoes.
The baby should be put on his back and slightly raised his head. The severity of the body should be transferred to the shoulder blades. As a result of this, the tone will decrease, and the head will return to its normal position.
Put your baby on your stomach. In this position, in the presence of hypertonicity, the head will tip over, shoulders - rise without the participation of hands. If the tone on one side is higher, then the baby will roll over on its side involuntarily.
Hypertonicity should be treated. In the future, such a deviation can lead to more serious diseases.
Comfortable position
Often a child throws his head back in a dream only because it is more convenient for him. It is very difficult for babies under the age of 4 months to lie on their back for a long time without any movements. For infants, a curved position is the norm. Indeed, for many months the child was in a fairly cramped space, and he learned to straighten his legs and arms. In addition, some sleep poses are inherited by children. Watch your loved ones. Perhaps they, too, throw their heads back when they sleep.
If the child was born with a physiological tone, then this is not considered a deviation. To relieve muscle tension, it is worth taking a full course of relaxing massage.
Tantrums and crying
Many parents are scared if the child throws his head back and bends, and cries. This is a tantrum. Such a situation during crying does not indicate the presence of any deviations in the functioning of the nervous system. A newborn baby is very different from an adult. His nervous system is immature. If the baby wants something and doesnโt get it, he begins to act up, shake, throw his head back and roll his legs.
What to do to parents
If the child throws his head back when crying, sleeping or awake, then this is not a sign of a serious illness. Parents should watch their baby. If you suspect a developmental disability, then you should visit a neurologist. The doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis after a series of studies.
Do not panic right away. Perhaps the reason lies in another. If the child is naughty, then it is worth eliminating all the causes of hysteria. This may be the inattention of one of the parents, wet pants, loud sounds and so on. All toys that interest the baby should be placed in his field of vision. Do not let your head fall back only out of curiosity.
To calm the baby, you can give the baby a relaxing massage. It is not necessary to have special skills for this. It is enough to take it in your hands, massage your fingers and stroke the body. Do not forget that the touch of the mother always soothes the baby.