Patient's question:
My little baby has been crying and fussing every time before sleep recently, but it calms down when I hold him upright. Lying him on my shoulder, he falls asleep quickly. However, he's only two months old now, and I'm worried that holding him this way might not be good for him. My mom also doesn't like me holding him like this. When I hold him horizontally, he always cries and can't stop. I just don't know that most babies can usually be held upright.What kind of help do I need: How old does a baby need to be to be held upright?
Doctor's answer:
The development of a child's spine requires a certain amount of time. If a child is held upright too early, it can affect their spinal development, leading to issues such as spinal prominence or curvature. A baby's nervous system development takes precedence over their physical and motor skills development. Therefore, even though they are only two months old, they still crave more sensory stimulation and are curious about the world. Of course, they are not content to lie down, so what we need to do is protect them well and gradually increase the time spent holding them upright. Additionally, we can engage in some basic training exercises, such as: head lifting exercises (lifting the head while lying on the bed, lifting the head while sitting in the parent's lap, lifting the head while being held upright), and "duck swimming" (first training the baby to lift their head while lying on their stomach, then gradually moving to training while sitting in the parent's lap).