Exercises to strengthen your baby’s neck

Babies are born with naturally weak neck muscles , so it’s important to make sure you support your baby’s neck at all times. As your baby grows and develops, those neck muscles will get stronger, but you can complete neck exercises with your baby to help speed up the process.

You will need to make sure your baby has strong neck muscles as it can prevent torticollis, a condition where the neck cannot be turned to one side because it hurts. Practice neck exercises with your baby to help him develop. With these exercises you will see how the development of your baby’s neck will be faster than expected.

UPSIDE DOWN TIME

Pediatricians recommend tummy time as a way to help your baby strengthen weak neck muscles. By placing your baby on his tummy for a few moments a day, you promote a stronger neck as he tries to lift his head off the ground. Put a blanket on the floor and lie down with your baby so that he won’t get bored or scared when you put him on his stomach.

NECK STRETCH

Manually stretching your baby’s neck while holding him can help strengthen his neck muscles. Babies naturally tend to prefer to face to the side, so you can gently turn your baby’s head so that his chin touches his shoulder. You will have to make sure to gently turn the head and never force your baby to turn his head if he does not want to do it because it could cause injury.

IN BREASTFEEDING

There is a popular way to breastfeed that when you hold your baby at home, you place his body under your arm , with your hand supporting his belly and chest. Your baby will be looking down, so he will be using his neck muscles to look around the room , thus strengthening his neck muscles.

GAMES WITH TOYS

Some loud and brightly colored toys can grab your baby’s attention, making them ideal for neck exercises. Lay your baby on a blanket on the floor, and then rattle the toy in front of him. 

Even if he is a very young newborn, he will look towards the sound and look at the toy. As you shake the toy , switch to the other side of your baby so that he has to turn his head to find the sound again. You can change the toys if your baby seems bored to keep him interested. and stretching the neck muscles.

If when you do these exercises you notice that your baby shows certain types of pain, is irritated, upset or cries when he stretches his neck, then you will have to go to the doctor to evaluate his health. Maybe he has torticollis … Although if you realize that his neck is too stiff, then it will be important that you go to the emergency doctor if he has another life-threatening condition, such as meningitis.

Anyway, if your baby, when you are doing neck exercises, is not cooperative, do not worry, it does not mean that something hurts , it simply may be that he does not feel like doing that at that moment. On the other hand, if you begin to notice that something seems to hurt or bother him, then, do not wait for it to pass just because it may not happen. Perhaps what you should do is go to the doctor as soon as possible so that he or she can assess the health of your baby and thus seek appropriate treatment if necessary.