Baby milestones: Head Control

It can be alarming when you first hold your newborn to see just how floppy and delicate her head is.

Newborn babies’ heads are significantly heavier than their bodies and for this reason your baby will not be able to lift her head unaided for some time.

Make sure that your baby’s head and neck are supported, especially when lifting her in and out of her crib or stroller, as her head can loll back and forwards without support. The best way to hold your newborn is cradled in your arms with your elbow supporting her neck and head, and up on your shoulder with one hand supporting her head and neck. Watch our guide to carrying your baby safely.

By six to eight weeks

Your baby may be strong enough to lift her head momentarily (and very shakily) while on her tummy. She may also be strong enough to lift her head for a moment in her car seat or sling, or might attempt to lift her head for a moment while being carried on your shoulder.

By four months

She’s starting to develop the muscles that will help her to hold up her head and can probably lift it to about 90 degrees when she’s lying on her tummy. The time she spends on her tummy is very important as it helps her to develop strong neck and head muscles and also strengthens the muscles that will enable her to crawl. Make sure you supervise any tummy time she does have.

By five to six months

Sometime in this period your baby will be able to hold her head steady when she is upright, and can keep her head level with her body when she is pulled gently to a sitting position. Once your baby has mastered head control and can hold her head steady, you can use a baby bouncer that hangs in the doorway, or switch her from her baby sling to a backpack.

How to boost head control

There’s little you can do in the first couple of months except for giving your baby’s neck and head lots of support.
From about two months onwards you can try giving your baby supervised time on her tummy so she learns to use her neck muscles to support her head. As soon as she objects to being on her tummy, pick her up and try again tomorrow. Don’t force her to spend time on her tummy if she doesn’t like it, but always try again the next day for a short period of time.
Try putting bright toys in front of her so she has something colorful to focus on, and speak to her with your face just above her head to encourage her to lift her head to see you.
At three to six months you can help your baby to sit by sitting her in front of you with her back against your front supporting her. Make sure she has lots of colorful toys in her eyesight.

What not to do…
Don’t put your baby in any kind of seat designed to support babies who aren’t quite sitting yet if she hasn’t mastered holding her head up properly. The same applies to door bouncers, which can be dangerous if your baby’s head still lolls about. Because babies’ heads are heavy, shaking a baby can rupture blood vessels in the brain and can lead to brain damage, fits and even death. Never shake your baby, and avoid throwing or swinging her up in the air until she’s a toddler.

If you have any unanswered questions, use our answers page to gain wisdom from other moms or our resident experts.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Related Articles

Last Modified: 03/07/2007

Send to a friend