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Why Is Your Baby Arching Their Back?

Babies arch their backs for many reasons. Back or spine arching, like a bow or doing the cat pose in yoga, is common in babies. Babies arch their backs. Sometimes, this indicates pain, and other times, it's just a way for them to move. In some cases, an arched back, along with other symptoms, can signal a health condition. If your baby arches their back without any other symptoms, chances are they're just a natural at yoga. Let your baby's pediatrician know about the back arching, just to be on the safe side. Here's what to look for and what your baby might be trying to tell you. What may cause a baby to arch their back? There are many things that can cause a baby to arch their back, including discomfort, pain, or upset. Here are a few more common causes: Gassiness Gas can be a painful and common occurrence for babies. Your baby might arch their back when they have gas or an upset stomach. This could be because arching the back stretches the stomach a bit and might make them feel a little better. You might notice that your baby arches their back after feeding, when trying to poop, and even while lying down. Colic Some babies experience bouts of fussiness that last for several days or weeks. This is sometimes labeled generically as colic. Colic can start when your baby is only 4 to 6 weeks old and cause crying for hours at a time. Your baby may arch their back and cry out. Babies usually outgrow colic by the time they're 4 months old. Baby reflux Reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux, is common in babies right from birth to around 12 months to 18 months old. Reflux happens in babies because the round muscles that pinch both ends of the stomach closed don't yet work properly in these new little humans. If your baby is premature, they might have more reflux. A healthy baby can have reflux several times a day. But sometimes, if your baby is spitting up and seems to have other symptoms, they may also arch their back. Similar to when babies have colic, they might arch their backs because it helps reduce the pain of reflux. You might notice this during and after feeding, while your baby is lying down, and even while they're fast asleep. Body language Sometimes your baby might arch their back because they don't want to be held or fed. This kind of body stiffening could be a sign to put them down or change their position. Some babies have strong back muscles, and this may be the easiest way — other than crying — for their body to tell you what they want. Your little independent one may use the 'back arch method' to get out of unwanted cuddles up to the age of 2 years. Startle reflex Most babies have a startle reflex (also called the Moro reflex) when they hear a sudden or loud noise. It might also happen if they feel like they're falling or if they're moved suddenly. Startling may cause a baby to suddenly straighten its legs forward and throw back its arms. The baby's head may also jerk backward, causing its back to arch. The startle reflex usually goes away by the time the baby is 2 to 4 months old. Rollover attempts As your little one gets used to tummy time, they're also building stronger back and neck muscles. They've learned to lift their head and realize that the more they can move, the more they can look around. Your baby may arch their back during tummy time or while they're lying down on their side or back to get into a better position to explore. Some babies arch their backs when they're trying to roll over or move forward. Temper tantrums Some babies arch their backs and throw their heads back when they're upset or frustrated. This can happen while they're lying down, sitting down, standing, or even cradled in your arms. A baby in the heat of a tantrum may also cry, whine, and thrash about. Many things might set off a tantrum. They may be hungry, finished feeding, want to go play, or frustrated because they can't express their needs to you. If your little one gets into the habit of this, look for warning signs like crying or being upset first, so you might be able to stop a tantrum in the early stages. Seizure-like movements Although it sounds serious, your baby may have seizure-like movements and behaviors that might be mistaken for seizures beginning in the first week of life. At this time, your baby's nervous system is still developing, so they may have uncoordinated or jerky movements. It can happen at any time, usually when your baby is awake or just drifting off to sleep. Nerve injury during delivery Though it's rare, a baby's delicate neck and back can get sprained or strained during a difficult delivery. Sometimes, the nerves between the neck and shoulders can be injured, which is called a brachial plexus injury. This may cause back arching in your baby because they can move their back muscles and other strong muscles better than their neck muscles – especially if they are recovering from a birth injury. Cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is a group of muscle control conditions. It usually happens when there is brain damage while your baby is still in the womb. About 1 in 345 children worldwide have a type of cerebral palsy. Signs of this condition might show up while your little one is a baby or toddler. Signs include muscle floppiness, strong reflexes, and stiffening (like arching the back). Babies with cerebral palsy may also have trouble swallowing and moving their eyes. Some babies with this condition may also be more likely to have seizures. Sandifer syndrome Sandifer syndrome is a rare movement condition almost always associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It starts in babies or small children. Once the baby is treated for GERD (or it goes away on its own), this condition goes away. Sandifer syndrome causes serious back arching in babies that can last for up to 3 minutes. It causes a frozen kind of back arching that can sometimes be mistaken for a baby seizure. Back arching from this syndrome can happen about 10 times a day, usually after your baby has eaten. During back arching, your baby will also stretch their legs out backward and be very stiff. Other symptoms of Sandifer syndrome include: tilting the head to one side nodding head movements poor feeding vomiting difficulties with eye movements Is there a link between back arching and autism? Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically show several signs. This sometimes includes repetitive motions like back arching, but remember that back arching is much more often due to other causes. Autistic children may show symptoms around the time they are a year old (or earlier), but most kids aren't diagnosed until they're 3 to 4 years old. A newborn or a baby that is only a few weeks to a few months old will likely not show signs of this condition. If your child is on the autism spectrum, they'll likely have several other signs along with back arching. By the end of the first year, an autistic baby may show characteristic traits that are more common, like: not smiling spontaneously at parents or caregivers not using eye contact to communicate not gesturing (waving or pointing) on their own Later on, your child may show other repetitive motions, such as: stiffening their arms flapping their hands walking on their toes Solutions and treatments for back arching in babies In most cases, your baby's back arching will go away on its own as they learn to roll over and control their body better, outgrow the startle reflex, and get more comfortable with people around them. If there's a health problem that's making your little one arch their back, treating the underlying condition will solve the back arching. For example, treating common baby problems like gas and acid reflux will take care of the back arching. For typical gasiness and baby reflux, you can try simple, low risk home remedies like: holding or propping your baby upright after feeding avoiding overfeeding giving smaller feeds more often using a smaller bottle and nipple size to stop air-gulping if this seems to be an issue thickening breast milk or formula with a tiny bit of infant cereal (check with your pediatrician first, as this can have risks) If your baby is throwing their head backward and arching their back in a toddler temper tantrum, gentle behavior training may help stop this. Teaching your child how to express themselves in a less dramatic way might help. Ask your pediatrician for recommendations. When to call a doctor Sometimes gassiness and fussiness can start to be accompanied by other symptoms that won't go away, and acid reflux might be a sign of a more serious health condition. Call your child's pediatrician urgently if your baby: is crying for 3 hours or longer is arching their back and showing other signs of pain throws up every time you feed them is irritable during feeding refuses to feed isn't gaining weight or has lost weight isn't wetting their diaper Look for symptoms of brain or nerve problems along with back arching. Contact your child's doctor or go to urgent or emergency care right away if your baby experiences: sudden difficulty latching or feeding weak sucking difficulty swallowing high-pitched cry seizures bulging or swollen soft spots on the head stiffness floppiness strange head or neck posture jerking movements muscle spasms »FIND CARE: Find a pediatrician in your area today. The takeaway If your baby's got back (arching), you probably don't have to worry. Babies arch their backs for many reasons — or for no reason at all. In a happy, comfortable, healthy baby, back arching likely has no cause and is just one of those things they do. This common baby movement can also be a sign of other underlying health problems — sometimes serious. If you notice your baby arching their back, look for other symptoms. Let your pediatrician know what you notice. Make sure you take your new bundle of joy to all their regular check-ups.