3 Month Old Not Holding Head Up

Updated on July 09, 2009
R.D. asks from Haysville, KS
7 answers

My 3 month old daughter is no longer holding her head up. She was great at holding her head up and even holding herself up with her arms before two months of age. All of a sudden she stopped. She is very strong and can pull herself up to sitting and standing, and will grasp at toys. She can hold her head steady when sitting up and everything else seems fine, but I am really worried about her no longer holding her head up while laying down. Is she just interested in other things? It seems she stopped doing it after her two month round of shots. Should I be concerned?

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for you advice and concern. I was going to wait and see what the doctor had to say, but Lexi just decided to start holding her head up again last week. She is holding it up higher and better than ever, so I guess she just decided to give me a scare!

More Answers

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S.D.

answers from Topeka on

I too have a 3 month old.She is very well interested in her surroundings.She has always had a habit of falling asleep during tummy time and I even mentioned it to her dr.but she wasn't concerned.My daughter is rolling over back and forth and doing many things right now it very well could be that she is learning new things by leaps and bounds at this time and is working on rolling over at this time.But if you have any concerns on your childs development then discuss them with your dr she should be having her 4 month checkup coming soon.Also keep track of what she has been able to do and new things because the dr will ask..But more that likely your daughter is. fine

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H.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I would call the pediatrician on this one. My baby wasn't holding her head up until about 4/5 months. All baby's have their own personal milestones and while it is exciting to think your baby has hit this milestone...it might be a bit too soon.
Now about shots - there has been no proof to substantiate that immunization can cause a delay in baby's development nor has there been proof on autism. This is a hot topic best left to you and the pediatrician and i would take it there, not with us uninformed lay people.

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J.H.

answers from St. Louis on

Call your pediatrician right this very second and have them explain to you their take on vaccines and the risks of them to your child. They will likely say that there is very little if any risk and that they give thier own children the very same vaccines without worry or side effects. If having your child get multiple vaccines at once makes you uncomfortable ask for your child to receive separate shots, your ped. should do this for you. It means lots more single shots for your child, though. YOur daughter is likely just exploring other things right now and simply not interested in excercising her neck muscles this week. :o) If you are very concerned though, again, check in with your pediatrician.

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S.R.

answers from St. Louis on

Dear R.,

as a Mom I have come to know that Mom's intuition is usually pretty valid. if you are cncerned - start by educating yourself on vacines and innoculations and their side effects - then when you go to see your doctor next time - ask him/her if there is any chance that the shot they received could be causing this effect?
if you are more concerned you may even try calling to talk to the doctor before your next appointment.

Hope all works out for you. Please let me know how it goes.

S.

J.B.

answers from Kansas City on

She's probably ok and just learning other new tricks, but as everyone's said, trust your instincts. Keep track of all of her developments. Is this the only thing she's not doing anymore? Is she doing anything new? Gather as much info as you can and then call your doctor's office and talk to the triage nurses. They can help you determine if you need to come in before the next appointment. But more than anything, trust your gut. If they tell you she's fine, but you really feel she isn't, push to be seen anyway. Good luck!

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D.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I think you need to call your pediatrician. If she can hold her head steady sittig up she is probably fine, but I have met quite afew parent whose children started to regress after thier MMR shots.

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A.Y.

answers from Kansas City on

3 months is the typical time that babies begin to hold their heads up... on the one hand, she may just be going through a developmental phase... on the other hand... I agree about mother's intuition. If you noticed changes after her two month shots, I would talk to your pediatrician. The four month shots are practically identical, and it is well established that previous adverse reaction is a valid reason to delay or avoid further vaccination.

I am a pediatric chiropractor, and I often see babies with minor strains as they learn to use new muscles. I recommend that my patients bring their babies in for "tune-up" adjustments during these milestones. You can find a pediatric chiropractor at http://www.icpa4kids.org/locator/index.php.

I hope that helps-

Yours in health-
Dr. Alyssa

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