# Baby arches her back a lot...what is that?



## PreciousTreasures

She's 8 mo but she's done it since she was born. She arches her back a lot. By a lot I mean she doesn't like to be cradle held at all (never has). She is EBF. She is happy sitting up, mostly but even then will arch her back a lot. She seems to want to be held in a standing position. It's also hard to hold her on my shoulder (kwim?). She'll arch then too. She does this stiffly and I can pick her up from laying flat almost like a board. She is otherwise flexible. if she's not arching she is loose and flexible in all her joint and movements. (I thought of CP first but I don't think that's it.)
Is it a back problem? A gut issue? Muscles? Help me out...what should I be looking for?


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## lablover

Back arching is a symptom of infant reflux. Does she do it when you feed her?


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## PreciousTreasures

It's not really associated with feeding. I thought of that too. no she does it all the time. Since she was born she WILL NOT let anyone hold her in a cradle hold. I'm taking her to a baby chiropractor Monday. What do you think?


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## bstandlee

DS (9 months) arches his back a lot too. I keep wondering about reflux but it's not when he's eating. I've noticed lately his personality is really emerging...or rather his independence and he arches his back to protest at something he's not happy about (being put in carseat, resisting going to sleep, not wanting to be put down, etc.) He also does it a lot in bed when he doesn't want to sleep...that's when I wonder about reflux but it could just be protesting. He has always been a stiff baby...he will stand up from lying down when he grabs my fingers without bending. Does your babe seem upset when she arches?


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## MommytoTwo

My first child has sensory issues, so I know I sometimes jump to that as a possibility but it does seem like it could be something to consider.


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## double feature

DD is nine months old and refuses to be cradle-held too. She arches her back instantly. I don't associate it with reflux, I figure she just hates the position and is protesting. With her, it's not a chiropractic issue, she just associates it with nap time and flat-out detests it. She prefers to fall asleep on the boob. If you're really concerned, I would get a referral to a chiropractor especially since she's been doing it since birth as you say (with DD, it's quite a recent thing - maybe starting up a month or so ago). Good luck!


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## babya+o

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PreciousTreasures* 
She's 8 mo but she's done it since she was born. She arches her back a lot. By a lot I mean she doesn't like to be cradle held at all (never has). She is EBF. She is happy sitting up, mostly but even then will arch her back a lot. She seems to want to be held in a standing position. It's also hard to hold her on my shoulder (kwim?). She'll arch then too. She does this stiffly and I can pick her up from laying flat almost like a board. She is otherwise flexible. if she's not arching she is loose and flexible in all her joint and movements. (I thought of CP first but I don't think that's it.)
Is it a back problem? A gut issue? Muscles? Help me out...what should I be looking for?

Hi There. I was wondering if you had any more information regarding your baby's back arching. I have a 4 1/2 month old who is doing the same thing. She arches her back, sticking her feet out when she is held. Not all of the time, but ALOT (more times than not). And she's not upset or angry when she's doing this. She's happy and smiling. It seems like she just doesn't want to cuddle/cradle. She does it even more with other people. I'm just wondering if I should be worried about it. I didn't think much about it, except that my sister kept pointing it out and so I looked on line and found others inquiring. She's tall/long for her age and is already sitting up and loves to be in the standing position, so I just assumed it was related to that. Just wondering if you had discovered anything new after visiting the baby chiropracter? Thanks.


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## photochef

Bumping the thread, because my newborn son is doing this a lot - he arches his back constantly.

Anyone else have some ideas?


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## mountainsunshine

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoTwo* 
My first child has sensory issues, so I know I sometimes jump to that as a possibility but it does seem like it could be something to consider.

This was my first thought also. Is this a high needs baby?


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## lia_joy

thought i'd share my experience FWIW.....

I noticed my baby arching alot when we all had a bug and associated it with stomach issues- he also gets eczema which was flaring up at the time, and he was irritable and didnt let anyone else hold him. I took him to our chiropractor and i could see how much better he felt immediately!


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## ASusan

For us, arching is associated with food intollerances and belly discomfort. (lots of farting to follow)


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## AquariusHome

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ASusan* 
For us, arching is associated with food intollerances and belly discomfort. (lots of farting to follow)

Us too. DD arches all the time as a little baby, to the point that an OT who was evaluating her for feeding issues felt her arching was creating a high-tone situation which was a major factor in nursing difficulties. She told me to "nip the arching in the bud".


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## _betsy_

DD (4 months (ALREADY??? Wow!)) is a back archer. For her, it is stomach discomfort. She's EBF and has reflux, and she holds in poop for 2-3-4 days at a time. She'll arch, pass gas and settle for a bit. Or sometimes it doesn't seem to help at all, even if she did toot. She's been gassy since birth, pukey since birth, and when she's happy, she's a super easy-going baby, but when she hasn't pooped for 24 hours or more, she's miserable and a bear. DH is a chiro, so she's had regular adjustments since a couple days after a very speedy, all natural, vaginal birth.

How, exactly, are you to "nip it in the bud," LaurieG?


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## photochef

Well, I am thinking food intolerances may be part of it for my son - I am trying to cut out dairy to see if that might help. He also has spinach green foamy poop (TMI??) and I was told it might be a let down/foremilk hind milk imbalance. So I am trying to regulate things for him, but he does not seem to like being held in the cradle hold so nursing is tough sometimes.

He likes to be flat on his back, sat up and bounced, and sometimes held leaning back on me with his feet up.

I have a feeling it's digestive, but cannot pinpoint what.


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## LynnS6

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoTwo* 
My first child has sensory issues, so I know I sometimes jump to that as a possibility but it does seem like it could be something to consider.









: Arching your back is also a sensory symptom. Our ds was like that. He hated being worn. He hated having his back rubbed.

But, I would rule out reflux first.


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## mary999

From my daughter's experience her daughter was doing a great deal of arching. When my daughter read the ingredients on the baby formula she was surprised and dismayed to read that the first ingredient was corn syrup - now why on earth would the manufacturers start our kids off with so much sugar? Fructose is another popular ingredient. SO WITHIN a day or two after going to Whole Foods and buying a formula WITHOUT the sugar my grand daughter STOPPED the arching. Amazon also carries the formula. I just get so upset when I think about the obesity in America and realize it starts in infancy though manufacturers of baby food.


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## emmadulieu

Hello,

I know this is a really old post, but was Just wondering if your littlen ever grew out of the back arching?

My 3 month old is doing exactly the same and has done since birth.


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## geop

photochef said:


> Bumping the thread, because my newborn son is doing this a lot - he arches his back constantly.
> 
> Anyone else have some ideas?


Hi photochef,

I have a 3 month old who has been doing the same since birth. How is ur son?


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## vedasri2

geop said:


> Hi photochef,
> 
> I have a 3 month old who has been doing the same since birth. How is ur son?


Hi,
My son who is now 4 months is still doing this from the time he was born,
We are going to have an MRI in a month, Is it required?

Thanks


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## geop

vedasri2 said:


> Hi,
> My son who is now 4 months is still doing this from the time he was born,
> We are going to have an MRI in a month, Is it required?
> 
> Thanks


hi vedrasi,

sorry for the late reply. Not sure what to say about the mri. i think it's in the end the doctors call depending on the baby's condition. we didn't have one although i insisted that maybe we would get a better answer for why it's happening. the doctor said it's too invasive for his current development(him meeting milestones even if a month too late) how is your son now?


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## sofia2

Almost all babies go through the phase of arching back as a way of showcasing their frustrations. Just exercise caution regarding this as babies have little control over themselves when they suddenly throw themselves back. It may cause injury to their weak and developing bones.


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## BrandieMills

Does anyone have any updates on the causes of why there child arched their back? Non food related. I know my baby doesn't do it because of what he ate.


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