Infants arching their backs is pretty normal and all babies go through this phase. You may notice your baby arching his/her back at around six to nine months of age. By doing this, they may be trying to display their irritation or inability to communicate. If your baby is prone to arching, make sure that you hold her tight while she is in your arms because she could otherwise slip out. Apart from that, there can also be other reasons for why your baby might be doing that. In this article, we will be discussing all about this. Read below to find more:

Back Arching in Babies: Things Every Parent Need to Know

Causes of Babies Arching their Backs

Apart from the emotional reasons, babies arching their backs can also be a cause of some serious condition. We have listed a few of them below:

Kernicterus

If your baby is suffering from jaundice and arches her back while crying, it could be kernicterus, a condition when excessive bilirubin secretion leads to brain damage. Although rare, the bilirubin crosses the blood-brain barrier and leads to convulsions in the body causing severe pain.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This condition involves the blockage of the respiratory tract around the windpipe. In case, your baby sleeps with head arched back, it may indicate that she is suffering from this condition. Sleeping in arched position eases the obstruction by allowing the air to enter easily.

Exhaustion

The reason could be as simple as this one. Your baby might be a little tired during playing and it may just mean that she needs a nap time.

Epileptic Spasms

If you notice a stiffened body with an arched back, it might mean that your baby could have an epileptic seizure. It is important you seek immediate medical help in this case.

Emotional Communication

An arched back can simply indicate that your baby is irritated or annoyed. There can be a number of reasons for that, including changes in the morning routine or being fed unfamiliar food.

Rage

Anger is one of the most common reasons why most of the babies usually arch their backs. For instance, if your baby is arching her back while playing, it might mean that she is tired and wants to sleep. If she does so while feeding, it could mean that the milk is not flowing fast enough or it is either too cold or too warm.

Cerebral Palsy

If your baby arches her back very often, it might be an indication of cerebral palsy. This condition impacts the muscle movement. If your baby suffers from this condition, then understand that her arching is involuntary and she has no control over it. Therapy and medication can help to control the effects of this condition.

Autism Spectrum Disorders

There can be a problem with physical or mental development of your baby if her back arching happens when you are being affectionate. Baby’s suffering from this autism and Asperger’s syndrome might have this in common because both the conditions impact the neurological development.

Nerve Injury

If your baby arches her back even while she is sitting, it might just be a sign of nerve damage during or before delivery. The reason for this could be the pressure exerted on her by the cervix at the time of labor. If she does so when she is teething, it can be an indication of the pain inside the gums.

Gastroesophageal Reflux

This condition happens when the stomach acid pours back into the food pipe. In case, your baby suffers from this condition, she is likely to do this when you feed her. But if your baby suffers from this condition along with coughing and vomiting, make sure to consult a doctor.

How can you Stop Your Baby from Arching their Back?

There can be a number of reasons when a baby arches her back and not all of those reasons indicate some serious condition. In that case, you can help your child in the following ways:

Find the Right Position

If your baby arches his/her back on some specific sofas or beds, make sure that you change your baby’s resting surfaces. Similarly, when you feed them, place them upright as that will help to decrease the likelihood of food being regurgitated.

Warp your Baby

Make sure that you dress your baby in clothes that are comfortable and soft. Sometimes, your baby might also be annoyed by the fabric of some clothes that may not be too comfortable for him/her.

Calm them Down

You can try to play soothing music, get them warm baths or just simply talk to them. Of course, you love your little one so, make sure you show that love to her when she is in stress. All those little things you do for will help her relax and comfortable.

Distract Them

This is one of the best ways to prevent her from arching his/her back. Distract them by playing some fun games or activities or just have them take a nap.

Stay Calm

Your baby won’t relax or be comfortable until you do. You have to be patient and not worry about this. Just stay calm because only then you will be able to take care of your baby.

Conclusion

There can be numerous reasons for why your baby might be arching his/her back. It can either be as simple as a way to express his/her annoyance or an indication of some serious condition. Unless the doctor states it to be a cause of something serious, do not stress out and just take care of your little one with lots of love and care. However, in case you find it to be a cause of something serious, make sure you seek immediate medical help.

Reference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025139/

https://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=304&id=1790