Possible hallucinations in 4-year-old. What could be causing this?

Question

My 4 year old just started doing something really odd. She'll be carrying on like normal, then she completely stops what she's doing and tells everyone to be quiet. She then clamps her hands over her ears and gets a truly pained look on her face.
I asked her today what was going on, and she told me quite simply, "The cartoons are coming out of my head." I thought she was just being silly, so I brushed it off. But just about 30 minutes ago, as I was putting her to sleep, she did it again. And this time, she almost started crying. She grabbed my hand and said to me, "It's the cartoons again. They really hurt my brain." She has a very active imagination and is known to make up stories, but this does not seem like a story to me. I'm truly getting worried about her.
Does anyone have any idea as to what this might be? Has anyone ever experienced anything like this with young children?

Any help would be appreciated. (And please, no sarcastic comments. I'm so not in the mood.)

Answer 1

Hi.. I would suggest that you go to your family doctor and let them know of your concerns. There might be something wrong with her or it could be her imagination... I work as a LPN on a psychiatric unit but we only have adults here and I don't have that much experience dealing with children but I think that the first step for you would be to get her to you family DR ASAP.
I hope that everything works out for you.

Answer 2

monitor her very closely and contact a mental health professional such as a child psychologist. I answered another question that had to do with sexual molestation of a child and how you can tell if a young child is being abused. Molestation in young children can cause extreme psychological behavior. Many small children will create imaginary friends or will even take on several different personalities as a way of dealing with the abuse, especially if it is on-going. Their imaginations cause all kinds barriers from the abuse(I pray that this is not the case with your child). There is just so many cases these days and so many predators out there. Teachers, family and friends. I understand your concern, especially if this is not normal behavior for her. Definitely contact some professionals on this. I have a psychology degree and am a nursing student. I have read many books dealing with child psychology and have had personal experience with a niece that was molested at 3yrs old. I will pray for you and your daughter.

Answer 3

The very first thing I thought of when I read your description is migraines and auras. Auras are basically unusual brain activity that can precede a migraine. An adult with migraine, such as myself, can recognize an aura for what it is, but to a child with no frame of reference, it might seem like very loud cartoons.

Auras differ from person to person, and not everyone with migraines gets them. They can include disturbances in what you see, hear, and smell. Also, it is possible for a migraine to consist mainly of the aura, and include little or no pain. Two things that you mention specifically make me wonder about auras and migraines--the fact that she tells everyone to be quiet and covers her ears, and the fact that she is clearly in some pain. Along with auras, many people with migraines experience extreme sensitivity to light and to sound. I know from personal experience that this sensitivity can be extremely painful by itself. Sometimes even the smallest noises sound and feel to me as if someone is driving an icepick into my ears--they are not only terribly loud, but horrifically painful. As for the cartoon reference, many people with migraine report visual activity that includes very bright flashing colors. I know from years of dealing with migraine that there isn't a lot of knowledge about migraines in very small children, and most of that has to do with the fact that the very young often lack the skills necessary to explain clearly to a doctor what they are experiencing. Because all of these things take place inside the person's own head, the only way to study them is to be able to get a clear descriptive picture from the patient, and that's something that a child of 4 probably cannot do without the help of a trained specialist.

You definitely need to see your pediatrician or family doctor about this as soon as possible. If he does not suggest a neurological workup, please tell him that you would like one done. Organic problems in the brain need to be ruled out first, and then either a pediatric neurologist or a regular neurologist can work with you in trying to find the source of the problem. (Pediatric neurologists can sometimes be hard to find, so you may need to go to one that regularly treats children as well as adults, instead.) If a neurologist cannot find the cause of the problem, you may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, and don't let that upset you. At this point, the most important thing is getting some relief for your little girl.

I will be thinking about you and your child, and hoping for the best.

Answer 4

This may not be mental illness, so organic causes need to be closely examined. I would suggest a Neurologist and get tests done like an MRI of the brain and possibly a PET scan. I would also look at the possibility that the child is getting into inhalants, like aerosol cans and other hazardous materials. Such inhalants can be bad to a developing brain. Next make sure the child is away from medicine and household chemicals.

Answer 5

I would definately take her to a doctor.
She may be having migranes that are causing her to get blurred, unfocused vision that looks cartoon like.
Ask her why she thinks it is cartoons. She may have had a bad headache in front of some one else that tried to make her think of cartoons so that she wouldn't be as afraid.
However, pain is a sign that something is wrong. Don't let it go another day. It could be something serious!

Answer 6

sometimes particular minerals could make a toddler ill (IE; too a lot iron) yet toddler's supplements shouldn't reason fever. If she have been delicate to a mineral it may maximum in all probability take place as a abdomen soreness. some infants are allergic in spite of the undeniable fact that, to fluoridated supplements, so in the experience that your supplements contain fluoride, it would desire to reason a reaction. i'm particular you understand this, yet while your toddler has a fever, choose toddler's Motrin over asprin to be risk-free. there's an outbreak going around that they are having a heckuva time removing. She would have purely coincidentally caught a trojan horse.

Answer 7

get her into see a phychiatrist. my son had a imiginary friend when he was three but never covered his ears in pain...it might be something mental not sure but see a phychiatrist.

Answer 8

Does she have access to any prescription drugs? I would definitely take her to her family physician/pediatrician first, let them evaluate her.

Answer 9

get her to a neurologist much before a psychiatrist.