302 chapter 35
1. Activities to help the child lift and control her head (and use her
eyes and ears)
cp One of the first skills a normal baby 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. Normally, 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 are often slow to
develop head control. We need to help them to develop reasonable head control before
trying to help them to roll, sit, crawl, or walk.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some children can
do more if they
lie on a ‘wedge’
(see p. 571).
cp 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.
CAUTION: 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,” p. 102).
NOT LIKE THIS
If a child with
cerebral palsy
stiffens as you pull
his arms, try pulling
the shoulder blades
forward as you lift
him up.
Disabled village Children