Observe whether the child: supports their head completely
Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.
Your child is beginning to control the head, but the head may still wobble, drop forward, or need careful adult support during holding or position changes.
What you might see
Your child supports their head completely when held or positioned safely, without the head lagging or needing constant adult support.
What you might see
Your child keeps the head steady on their own across familiar positions, such as being held upright, carried, or gently shifted during everyday care.
What you might see
Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.
When you hold your child upright with safe body support, notice whether the head stays steady.
During a slow position change, watch whether the head needs extra support or stays controlled.
Notice whether head control is steady only for a moment or throughout routine holding.
The dataset source and any supporting developmental research.
Stenhaug, B., Ram, N., & Frank, M. C. (2021). The Stanford SHQ: A measure of early developmental milestones.
This item asks parents to observe whether the infant supports the head completely.
Adolph, K. E., & Franchak, J. M. (2017). The development of motor behavior. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 8(1-2), e1430.
Head control is an early postural skill that supports later infant motor exploration and stable movement.