If your child opens the mouth frequently, that might be a sign of a weak relation between the head and the neck. This is another big lesson we learn from biotensegrity!
Head control is not only how long the child can hold the head up. Real head control implies that the child is able to turn the head and move it around when he/she moves, to track with the eyes in any given position, to adjust the position of the head depending on the demands for eating, talking, smiling, sneezing, without losing the position.
How do we know a child's head control is not fully developed?
Beyond the obvious signs when they can’t hold the head in midline when placed vertically as the head falls backward, forward or to the sides, there are other important signs:
If the child can only hold the head up by becoming tighter with the rest of the body
If the child loses the position while talking (lift up from the chair for example)
If the child seems "stuck" in one position and can not move or rotate the head.
If the eyes are frequently rolled-up.
If the mouth is frequently wide open or the tongue sticks out.
Opening the mouth is a smart solution your child might use to improve the stability between the head and the neck.
Try it yourself: open your mouth wide open and feel what happens in the back of your head… you feel more tension.
The child opens the mouth to create tension and improve stability (you can go back to our previous post where we explain this). https://www.weflowtherapy.com/post/biotensegrity-part-2-understanding-cerebral-palsy
WeFlow´s tip for you!
You can build a soft neck support to help your child develop better head control. Check out our free mini-course and build the support. https://learnwith.weflowtherapy.com/head-support-free-mini-course
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