Early Head Control In Babies
“Can a baby have too much head control too early?”
Disclaimer: What I’m about to say is not always the case!*
ANSWER - Anecdotally, yes, it is absolutely possible for a baby to have MORE head control than we would anticipate in the early weeks of life (usually younger than 8ish weeks). Often times, when a parent tells me something like - "the minute they laid them on my chest they had their head lifted all the way up" or “their head is so strong, they’ve been lifting it up since day 1” OR that they rolled belly to back very early (again, before 6-7ish weeks) - that usually gets my spidey senses going a bit. In my experience, it can often be related to some sort of tension in their body that’s causing them to use more extension than we’d expect. That extension can look like head lifting, arching their back, and ultimately using that extension and arching to roll of their belly. In these cases, the roll is often unintentional and will go away for a bit and then return as they get stronger and are moving with more intention AND figuring out how to overcome that extension.
Finding the source of that tension is what can take a bit of detective work, but most often, it’s related to belly discomfort. Whether that’s just gas, colic, reflux, silent reflux, or as a result of things like torticollis, tethered oral tissues or general muscle tone - it’s definitely worth looking into if you’re noticing your little one displaying any of the above in those early weeks.
Is there anything to help with reducing extension?
And for some helpful positions to build into their floor time, which also help reduce extension and help encourage other muscles to start to ‘wake up’ - check out this reel!
Want More?
For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
