View source for Disabled Village Children:Activities to Help the Child Lift and Control Her Head (and Use Her Eyes and Ears)

{{bctrail|segments=3|chaptitle=Chapter 35: Early Stimulation and Development Activities}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Activities to Help the Child Lift and Control Her Head (and Use Her Eyes and Ears)}}
{{SideSupplement|bookabbreviation=dvc|pagealt=is from pages 302 to 303 of|chapterpdf=http://hesperian.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/en_dvc_2023/en_dvc_2023_35.pdf|bookurl=Disabled Village Children|booktitle=Disabled Village Children}}
{{chaptertoc|In this chapter:|
 <ul class{{=}}"noprint">
<li>[[Disabled Village Children:Chapter 35: Early Stimulation and Development Activities|Chapter 35: Early Stimulation and Development Activities]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities to Help the Child Lift and Control Her Head (and Use Her Eyes and Ears)|Activities to Help the Child Lift and Control Her Head (and Use Her Eyes and Ears)]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities to Encourage Rolling and Twisting|Activities to Encourage Rolling and Twisting]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities to Help Develop Gripping, Reaching, and Hand‑Eye Coordination|Activities to Help Develop Gripping, Reaching, and Hand‑Eye Coordination]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities for Body Control, Balance, and Sitting|Activities for Body Control, Balance, and Sitting]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities for Creeping and Crawling|Activities for Creeping and Crawling]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities for Standing, Walking, and Balance|Activities for Standing, Walking, and Balance]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Activities for Communication and Speech|Activities for Communication and Speech]]</li>
    <li>[[Disabled Village Children:Early Play Activities and Toys|Early Play Activities and Toys]]</li>
 </ul>
}}
One of the first skills a baby typically develops is the ability to lift the head and control its movement. Head control is needed before a child can learn to roll, sit, or crawl. Usually, a newborn child can lift or hold her head up for a moment, and she develops fairly good head control in the first months of life. Children with developmental delay often take longer to develop head control. We need to help them to develop some amount of head control before trying to help them to roll, sit, crawl, or walk. 

<table width=60% style="line-height:110%;margin-top:30px;">
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<td valign=bottom style="padding-right:80px;">''To encourage the child to raise her head when lying face down, attract her attention with brightly colored objects that make strange or pretty sounds.</td></tr>

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<td><div style="position:relative; ">
[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-1.png|430px|alt=someone shaking a rattle to attract a baby's attention.]]
<div style="position:absolute; left:385px; top:50px; width:30px; line-height:110%; text-align:center;">''tic tic tic''</div></div></td></tr>
</table>

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<td style="padding-right:30px;width:50%;line-height:110%;">''If she does not lift her head, to help her, put her like this. Press firmly on the muscles on each side of the backbone and slowly bring your hand from her neck toward her hips.</td>
<td colspan=2 style="padding-right:30px;line-height:110%;">''If the baby has trouble raising her head because of a weak back or shoulders, try placing a blanket under her chest and shoulders. Get down in front of her and talk to her. Or put a toy within reach to stimulate interest and movement.</td></tr>

<tr>
<td  valign=top style="padding-bottom:25px;">[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-2.png|200px|alt=a child lying face down while someone helps her to lift her head.]]</td>
<td valign=bottom>[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-3.png|275px]]</td>
<td style="line-height:110%;">''Some children can do more if they [[Disabled_Village_Children:Chapter_62:_Developmental_Aids#wedge|lie on a wedge]].''</td></tr>

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<td style="padding-right:30px;padding-top:30px;line-height:110%;">''If the child has trouble lifting her head when lying face down, lay her against your body so that she is almost upright. This way she needs less strength to lift her head.</td>
<td colspan=2 style="padding-top:30px;line-height:110%;padding-right:30px;">''To help her develop head control when lying face up, take her upper arms and pull her up gently until her head hangs back a little, then lay her down again.</td></tr>

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<td style="padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:40px;">
<div class{{=}}speechbub style="position:relative; "> [[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-4.png|325px|alt=a man speaking to a child that he holds against his chest while sitting nearly upright.]]
<div style="position:absolute; width:100px; line-height:100%; top:16px; left:184px;">''Look at the butterfly on my nose!''</div>
<div style="position:absolute; width:50px; line-height:100%; top:85px; left:262px;">''Good girl!''</div></div></td>
<td colspan=2 style="padding-bottom:40px;">[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-5.png|190px|center]]</td></tr>

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<td></td>

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<td rowspan=2 style="border-right:1px solid;border-left:1px solid;border-top:1px solid;" >

{{caution||statement='''Do not pull the child up like this if her head hangs back.''' As you begin to lift her, watch to see if her neck muscles tighten. If not, do not pull her up. Also, do not pull the child up like this if it causes her legs to straighten stiffly (see "Cerebral Palsy").}}</td>
<td  colspan=2 style="line-height:110%;padding-left:25px; padding-right:30px;">''If a child with cerebral palsy stiffens as you pull his arms, try pulling the shoulder blades forward as you lift him up.</td></tr>

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<td  valign=top rowspan=2 colspan=2>[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-7.png|190px|center]]</td></tr>

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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid;border-right:1px solid;border-left:1px solid;"><div style="position:relative; "> [[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_302-6.png|200px|center|alt=a woman pulling a child up by the hands while the child's head hangs back.]]
<div style="position:absolute; top:70px; left:10px;" >''NOT LIKE THIS''</div></div></td>

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<div class{{=}}page-break></div>
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<tr >
<td style="width:25%;">''If the child cannot lift his head as you pull him up, then do not pull him up. Instead, sit the child up and gently tilt him back a little, encouraging him to hold his head up. Repeat often, and as he gains strength and control, gradually tilt him farther back—but do not let his head fall backward.</td>
<td style="padding-right:20px;width:25%">[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_303-1.png|160px]]</td>

<td  style="width:25%;">''If the baby makes almost no effort to lift or hold her head when you feed her, instead of putting the nipple or food into her mouth, barely touch her lips with it, and make her come forward to get it.</td>
<td style="width:25%;">[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_303-2.png|120px]]</td></tr>
</table>

<div id="carrying"></div>
===Good Carrying Positions===

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<td style="width:25%;">''Carrying the child like this helps develop good head control, when he is face down.</td>
<td style="width:50%;padding-right:30px;">''Positions that keep the hips and knees bent and the knees separate help relax and give better control to the child with cerebral palsy whose body straightens stiffly and whose knees press together.</td>
<td style="width:25%;padding-right:40px;">''Carrying baby like this frees his head and arms to move and look around.</td></tr>

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<td valign=top colspan=3>[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_303-3.png|700px|alt=4 ways to carry a child.]]</td></tr>
</table>

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<td>''As your child develops better head control, play with him, supporting his body firmly, but with his head and arms free. Attract his attention with interesting objects and sounds, so that he turns his head first to one side and then to the other.</td>
<td>[[Image:DVC_Ch35_Page_303-4.png|150px]]</td></table>


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{{Previous and next sections|Chapter 35: Early Stimulation and Development Activities|Activities to Encourage Rolling and Twisting}}
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[[en:Disabled_Village_Children:Activities_to_Help_the_Child_Lift_and_Control_Her_Head_(and_Use_Her_Eyes_and_Ears)]]
[[es:Disabled_Village_Children:Actividades_para_ayudar_al_niño_a_levantar_y_controlar_la_cabeza_(y_usar_los_ojos_y_oídos)]]