Is your baby frequently arching their back out of pain or discomfort? Do you notice them doing it while sleeping? Are you confused and stress in finding all the quarries and answer to all this questions.
We won’t leave you alone in finding the answer. In this article we will find you the answer to reasons why babies arching back.
Check Out These Reasons Why Babies Arching Back
What Is Baby Arching?
Back arching in babies is best describe as when your baby flexes their back muscles and neck backwards, while raising their hands up . It can be accompanied by neck muscle flexes as well, causing a full torso and head curve to form.
Babies as one month of age will mostly begin arching their back in a number of different situations, they are too young at this point of time.Although the appearance may be very similar, the causation of each type of arching is unique for baby arching back.Arching of the back can be a normal body language, but in some cases, it can be a symptom of delayed physical and mental development.
Is Baby Arching Back Normal?
Yes it is absolutely normal and a common behaviour baby arching in babies . it is perfectly normal in babies and toddlers. Babies begin to arch their back at around six to nine months of age.Nearly all babies go through this phase.
“Virtually all babies go through this phase,” says Bob Sears, a pediatrician in San Clemente, California, and the author of many parenting books, including his latest, The Vaccine Book.
During this phase the babies form a classic arch-and-fling to frustration and uncontrollable emotions, which can overwhelm child’s sense of safety and control of her body.
Back arching occurs exclusively after your baby eats, that is often accompanied by gas, turning her head to the side, flexing her elbows, and extending her hips, can be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
It is important you hold the baby tight if they prone to arching as she could slip out from under your arms while being carried.You can also quickly set your baby down on a soft surface and allow her to throw herself backward on a soft carpet, pillow, or mattress.
Why Do Babies Arch Back?
Some of the common causes or reasons why baby arching back are as follows-
1. Frustration:
The very first reason behind baby arching back is frustration. Babies usually cry if they’re overstimulated, tired, or upset that brings them more frustration.
As the baby are unable to have a verbal way of communication so they will pitch, rock, arch, and scream until they get their point across to you.
As per the medical expert at baby center pointed out that the babies will respond well to being held or hugged and spoken to gently in order to help themselves to calm down. Yet for some babies, this can actually make them more distressed or frustration.
2. Discomfort:
This is the right point away that gives the answer behind the reason that leads to baby arching back. When the infant get uncomfortable that may be for ample of reasons leads to baby arching in babies.
The discomfort may be their outfit which is entirely too scratchy, too warm, or too pink.etc, it may be because of the room is too hot or too cold.
3. Colic:
Colic is a stressful condition that arise when a baby cries steadily for at least three hours a day, on at least three days out of each week. It is under three months old.
If the baby cries the majority of the time with no obvious reason, draws their legs up to their stomach, clenches their fist, or arches their back out of anger or pain,then it is colic
It is difficult to figure out the real cause of colic in babies, even the doctors does not know for sure. The colic typically occur in babies and goes away some times around 3 months or around.
It be “the result of a baby’s sensitive temperament and an immature nervous system.” And it can be hard for him to stop crying once he gets so worked up as per
4. Feeding:
Infants just need to make you understand when they are all done with a feeding sometimes as one of the reason why baby arching back.
How do they do this? When the baby stick on their tongue out and turning their heads isn’t enough of a signal, infants often resort to more drastic measures.They will arch their back away so fast they almost dive right out of your arms. The parents need top quick reflexes.
5. Acid Reflux:
Babies can have problems in keeping their meal down.It’s a chronic problem that occurs once in a while. All babies will spit up but acid reflux causes distress.
The more pronounced version of acid reflux is GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), is when the baby is so affected that it refuses feedings and loses weight.Until this the babies might arch their back to stretch out their esophagus and help keep their meals from coming back up.
As per Mayo Clinic Suggests
- Burp your baby more often during feedings
- Feed baby smaller amounts more frequently
- Keep baby upright after a feeding for 20 minutes
- Experiment with eliminating different foods from your diet if breastfeeding, or switch to a different formula if you’re formula-feeding
- Try a different kind of bottle or nipple size if you’re bottle-feeding
- Use rice cereal as a thickening agent in formula (if formula-feeding) to add more weight to the liquid so that it can’t escape up the esophagus as easily
6. Autism:
Autism is one of the reason why babies arching back. Autism issue involves in having or developing social bonds, even to the people closest to them. Babies with this disorders also have problems in reading facial expressions and cues.
If your baby arches its back when it is being held, and try to get away from you, then the reason may because of autism.This is because they try to avoid physical contact, probably because they are having a difficult time in interpreting when you pick them up.
As per the studies it is said that the common and most noticeable symptom is that a child may arch his back when you pick him up, cuddle, or hug him. It’s to remember however that this is just one symptom.
7. Kernicterus:
Kernicterus is a rare type of brain damage that can occur in babies suffering from severe jaundice.
One of the symptoms of this is involuntary muscle spasms that result in the baby arching its back severely.
Babies suffering from kernicterus might be lethargic, have a high-pitched cry, have a fever, and weak muscle tone. Up to 60% of infants or babies experience jaundice, it is very rare for kernicterus to develop as of from lack of treatment.
Jaundice is a common issue for newborns where an excess of a natural chemical called bilirubin causes the baby’s skin and whites of their eyes to turn yellow.
8. Rumination Disorder:
Rumination disorder is an eating disorder. It mostly occurs in infant at about 3-12 months.In this disorder a baby or child swallows food, regurgitates it, and then chews it. The baby either swallows it again or spits it out.
If this continue with your baby, then the chances might be more in arching their back and pull their head back as they try to regurgitate the food they swallowed. As they arch their back they also make a sucking motion with their lips.
It is very painful for the babies. With all this painful burning of their esophagi, babies will understandably arch their backs in order to stretch out their throat and lessen the level of discomfort. Other symptoms of rumination might include weight loss, tooth decay, bad breath, and chapped lips.
9. Cerebral Palsy:
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella diagnosis that refers to a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move .It’s caused by brain damage occurring either during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
The tonic labyrinthine reflex,which involves the baby arching their back, tilting their head, straightening their legs, and bending arms.It can be one of the first signs of cerebral palsy in babies
10. Apnea:
Babies suffering from sleep apnea is one of the reason for arch their backs while sleeping.This helps them open up their airways and makes breathing easier while the baby sleep.
This disorder can be terrifying,both for the child and the parent. infant can stopped breathing in apnea. sleep apnea breathing really does stop for stretches of ten seconds or more.The airway is completely blocked, making the babies startle themselves awake several times a night.
There is a range of other possible culprits in babies. Some common causes include enlarged tonsils, enlarged tongue, and other birth defects which affect the size or alignment of the upper airway
11. Nerve Damage:
Nerve injury is another possible cause behind baby arching back.When babies are in pain, they sometimes arch their backs as a reflex.
The cranial nerves and spinal cord are the nerves most often injured during birth.a cranial nerve injury, which involves the face and neck function, can cause your baby to arch their back. A baby with a cranial nerve injury might feel teething pain more severely than other babies,
The baby arching his back during teething due to the nerve irritation caused within gums. Often, this pain radiates to other parts of the head causing the baby to arch his back as a reflex.
How To Stop A Baby From Arching Back?
There are lot a ways in order to stop a baby from arching back. Follow these tips when the baby is arching back-
- Calm down your baby: Take your baby into a quieter room with enough lighting. This can be soothing for babies suffering from autistic spectrum disorders.
- Cuddle your baby: Place your little one close to your chest in a comfortable, straight position. A warm cuddle with the mother can be quite comforting to the baby, calming him down.
- Divert the baby’s attention: It is an age old trick to calm down babies and should work great for babies that arch their backs because of restlessness or irritation.
- Use comfortable clothing: Sometimes, your baby could arch due to the irritation caused by fabric or a tag in the cloth. Use comfortable fabrics for the child, in accordance with the season and temperature.
- Put the baby on a different surface: If the baby has a tendency to arch only on a certain kind of mattress or bed, then replace it with a more comfortable one.
Hope this article have provided a good information to all your queries to all your questions. It is very important to know the reasons for baby arching back as if it get serious or excess you can refer to the doctor or pedrictrician of your baby.
