The dangers of holding your baby upright

When a baby is born, everyone will be very happy and will often hold the baby in their arms and enjoy the baby in various ways. Of course, babies also like the feeling of security when being held in their arms. When holding a baby, you must be gentle and not shake the baby excessively. The baby's physical development is not yet complete, so you must pay more attention when holding the baby. Of course, you must not hold the baby upright too early.

The motor development of infants and young children follows the rules from top to bottom, from the center to the periphery, and from large muscle groups to small muscle groups. The earliest coordinated movements of an infant are those of the head, such as the sucking reflex, the eyes and head following the rotation of objects, followed by activities of the limbs, movements of the neck and trunk to the lower limbs; from large movements of the limbs to grasping of the hands and walking of the feet. The sequence of movements of the neck and trunk is to lift the head first. Newborns under 1 month old can lift their heads for a few seconds when lying prone. Later, with the development of the nervous system, the neck and trunk muscles gradually develop. At about 2 months, the baby can lift the head for more than a few minutes when lying prone. At 3 months, not only can the baby lift the head when lying prone, but the chest can also leave the bed. Scientific experiments have proved that scientific training of babies in exercise can promote brain development. The significance of a baby learning a movement is that it promotes the overall development of the nervous system.

The characteristics of infant growth and development are a large and heavy head, more gelatin in the bones, underdeveloped muscles, and weak muscle strength. Therefore, a one-month-old baby can only lift his head slightly for a moment, and the head can begin to stand upright at three months. Because the neck and back muscles are not yet fully developed, babies aged 1 to 3 months cannot support the weight of their heads for a long time. Therefore, the posture for holding a baby of 1 to 3 months is very particular, and the key is to support the baby's head. For babies aged 1 to 2 months, it is mainly best to hold them flat, but they can also be held diagonally at a smaller angle. When holding the baby flat, let the baby lie flat in the adult's arms; when holding the baby diagonally, let the child lie diagonally in the adult's arms. Whether the baby is held flat or at an angle, the adult's forearm should support the baby's head. The other arm supports the baby's hips and waist. For babies who are prone to spitting up, they should be held at an angle. This can prevent spitting up or reduce the degree of spitting up.

Generally, when children can actively hold their heads steady, adults can try to hold them upright. The cervical vertebrae of babies under 3 months old are not fully developed, and the neck muscles are not very strong, so they cannot support their heads well. It is recommended that mothers hold their babies under 3 months old in a lying position and try not to hold them upright. If you have to hold the baby upright due to burping after feeding, etc., be sure to support the baby's head with your hands to provide strong support for the baby's head. This way, the baby's cervical spine will not be damaged by holding the baby upright.

When the baby is three months old, the mother can hold the baby in an upright position.