My baby is left-dominant?

Question

My daughter has just turned three months old, and is very left-dominant - she flails her left arm more than her right, she kicks more with her left leg, and she turns her head to the left usually - she also turns her head more easily to the left than to the right. It isn't like she can't use her right side, but she definitely has more of an issue with it. I've read in a number of baby books that infants aren't supposed to favour one side of their body more than the other until toddler age - should I discuss this with her doctor, or am I being paranoid? I don't mind if it just means she's going to be left-handed, but if it's a developmental issue, I'd like to know.

Answer 1

I would definitely talk to her doctor. Favoring one side or the other is one thing, but not turning the head as easily? That doesn't sound right.

When I was about four, I sat down to eat and reached for the eating utensil I felt the need to use first. It happened to be a fork, and therefore on the left side of my plate. My mother reacted with astonishment when I reached for it with my left hand. "Oh! Oh! You're left-handed!" I thought to myself "What are you talking about? Do most people actually reach across themselves, grasping their forks at an awkward, uncomfortable angle as if they didn't have a closer hand?"

Or rather, I would have thought that if I had the vocabulary I do now. As it was, I could barely get out a "Wha- ? What do you mean?" before I had left-handed safety scissors, a left-handed baseball mitt, and a left-handed mug for my hot cocoa. (My parents read all their parenting advice in the seventies and were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to be supportive of my handedness).

It other words, it really is normal not to know for a little longer. Your perception may be a little off (happens to the best of us) and you may have an exceptionally precocious left-hander, but no, you're not paranoid.

Answer 2

Ok she is only three months old, so I would go and see her Dr. I dont think you are being paranoid you are being a mum. You have noticed an inconcistency in the way your daughter uses her body and so it needs to be checked out.
It is probably nothing but with babies its better to be safe rather than sorry.
I cant remember if my girls were doing anything like that at that age so I would see a Dr. She may just be figuring out how to work one side before moving on to the other or she may be left handed. You never know.
Just go and check with the Dr to make sure.
Good Luck and I hope she does turn out left handed.
God made few people in the world perfect, the rest were all right handed!!!!

Answer 3

it is way too early to know if she will be left handed or not. I wouldn't be conserned about it but if you are it won't hurt to talk to your doctor about it. You could also try more stimulation on her right side like when she is having tummy time put thing far enough right so she needs to turn her head that way to see it or reach for it. Just through all of those baby books away, all they do is make unnessary stress, with my first the book was my bible and it was awful, I would bring my daughter to the doctors cause she wasn't doing what the book said she should be doing. With my second daughter, I threw all those books away and it was alot less stressful and much less doctor appointments and she is over 1 now and perfectly fine.

Answer 4

I would think ur being a little paranoid. :)
It wouldnt hurt to ask ur dr abt it though. Ur just being a good concerned mom. I bet you she will turn out to be a lefty! I noticed my my oldest son did everything with his left when he was around 4-5 months old and he is now a lefty in 1st grade. My 2nd child is also a lefty and didnt notice signs until she was about 1. My youngest child is a righty and I noticed when he was around 6 months. If it is a developmental issue u will know when she gets to be around 6-8 months when she is not up to date with her stages ( sitting up etc) and then you would talk to your dr abt that and prolly have some therapy for that but my guess is that its nothing your little girl is just gonna be a left handed person!

Answer 5

I would open up a dialouge with the doctor and have her use both equally.

My son is the same way and he loves to color with both hands, he will right handed and drink left. When we dress he is left first, yet right off. So I am letting him decide. I have some lefty scissors and what him as we draw.

I was Trained to be right, so I still use both hands a great deal. I started eating left about 10 years ago and never stopped, I drive left handed and "paint" left handed.
Yet still do all handwriting with my right, yet I noticed that I'm leaning more left as the years progress and some how, its just natural to me.

Or in otherwords, not a big issue unless its one for you.

Answer 6

Yes, discuss it with her doctor. It could be nothing - just her preference, or just a phase of learning how to work one side and then she'll move to the other. Try putting her so she has to look to the right to see her favorite toy, or even try the TV as a test - will she turn to the right to watch The Wiggles or Barney? But it could be a sign of a developmental issue and you should absolutely talk to her pedicatrician so they can evaluate her.

Answer 7

Hemispheric dominance likely has a genetic ingredient, besides the undeniable fact that it truly is no longer a unmarried gene, and it truly is no longer properly understood. It also don't have something to do with being "smart" in any hemisphere - it truly is a common concept in everyday subculture, yet from a medical/medical foundation, the in reality genuine, shown value of hemispheric dominance is in determining the position speech is managed. round ninety-ninety 5% of suitable exceeded human beings are left-hemisphere dominant, which means that speech is managed by technique of Broca and Wernicke's aspects on the left aspect of the mind. among left exceeded human beings, it truly is expected that round 60-seventy 5% of people are nonetheless left dominant. the perfect minority are bilaterally dominant, which means that speech is managed on both aspect. hence, the toddler contained in the project you describe could, in line with threat be "left dominant." not one of the various surveys or regardless of the truth that that you spot can particularly inform you which ones aspect you're "dominant" in - truly, all those inform you is what belongings you want - the in reality thanks to make certain hemispheric dominance is by technique of smart scanning, alongside with fMRI, or by technique of anesthesizing 1/2 of the mind and assessing function, both one among that are complicated and severe priced strategies. The left and suitable brains do certainly administration diverse issues (alongside with common sense/calculation on the left, and emotional context processing on the right), yet they are both significant in all of us - one aspect would not boss the different round.

Answer 8

Maybe she's a lefty. My son started showing signs he was left-handed at age 2 or 3...my mother's a lefty so she's thrilled. :)

Answer 9

You are being paranoid. Let her decide for herself. Don't try to change her. There is nothing wrong with being a lefty.