head banging...normal or not?

Question

I am concerned about my nine month old daughter. She has started banging herself against her highchair and against her crib rails (we took the bumpers out when she started to pull up). She seems to do this only when tired or cranky. She's been a "rocker" and a "head bopper" to music for quite some time, which we always thought was cute. But now I'm worried (probably because I work with kids w/ autism.
She's very normal/bright otherwise. She responds to her name and to simple sentences, makes great eyecontact, claps and waves bye. She's quite expressive and tries very hard to talk and communicate, so I wonder if this is just her way of letting out frustration. Of course the new mom in me is scared it is more serious. Is this something I should take her to the doc for or let it run it's course?

Answer 1

I think she should see a doctor. All Jokes Aside. If Your Not Sure You Should Look Up Research Or Visit The Doctor. I Wouldnt Say Anything, Especially If I'm Not Sure.

Answer 2

Yes , very normal. My two year old still headbangs. He started when he was 1. I got so worried, i thought there was something wrong with him . My other two son's never did this.He bangs he's head on floor boards, concrete, any hard surface he can find. Only when he gets his tantrums or gets upset for any reason. He constantly has a bruise on the middle of his forehead. Doctor's and health nurse saids to ignore him and just make sure he's safe. But the funny thing is when i know he's going to start headbanging i quickly put him on the carpet, but he purposely goes to the hard surfaces like floor boards. He's not satisfied until he hears the noise. How do you ignore that ? The baby or toddler seeks for attention when there bored, tiered , hungry , ill or frustrated and in some children that's how they seek attention . Try not to overreact when she does this as she is looking for your reaction . I used to scream, run and get him, nurse said not to do that and ignore it. I don't think he could even feel pain anymore, He must have strenghtened his forehead .The good thing is he's slowly growing out of it and only headbangs once every now and then. At least we know they'll be good headbanger's when they grow up Ha Ha only joking ! Laughter is good medicine Good Luck seya!..

Answer 3

I work in Sleep Disorders Medicine (which may sound odd for an answer to this question) but head rocking, banging and body rocking are all self-soothing mechanisims for children, and some adults (a little more rare in adults, except for foot rubbing, for some reason a lot of women do this).

I personally would not worry about this too much unless there are other behaviors you see that concern you. My own soon (now 16 months old) did this from 7 to 10 months and then quit doing it. Once in a while he does still head rock but it is rare.

Answer 4

my 17 month old son is doing the same thing at the moment - and i asked this question. All the people that answered it says its just a phase -just after some attention. i too am concerned for my son that it might be autism, and i'll be bringing it up with my paediatrician in the next couple of weeks. in the mean time, to keep him safe - when he starts to hurt himself - i put him in the port-a-cot - as it is padded and he cant hurt himself. he seems to be learning though, cos over the weekend he wasn't so bad

Answer 5

Depends on how hard she bangs herself. Somebody should keep a head banging diary to see if there's a pattern to it. If the cause is suspected and you take away that cause, and she stops banging, that might do the trick. But I wouldn't wait too long. One psychiatrist has a theory that banging your head releases endorphins, which someone would do if they were experiencing some sort of mental or physical stress or pain. That's one theory why autistic kids do it.

Answer 6

Frequently a baby will rock their heads as a way to calm themselves before falling asleep. You can mention this to the baby's pediatrician on next visit if you're really concerned.

quoted form a site: "Are you worried about whether this head-rocking represents a neurological problem? It certainly needn't be, for many healthy young children do rock. If you're worried, check him out with his doctor and let him know your concern. He or she can look for other symptoms in order to reassure you."

Answer 7

my brother did this. My mother just completely ignored the behavior. I think it stopped for him when he accidentaly banged his head on the metal strip dividing the carpet from the kitchen floor. I am NOT suggesting that your child needs to get hurt before she stops however. I would just ignore her but watch carefully so she doesnt get hurt. If she is going to bang somewhere which could hurt her, silently place your hand between her head and the area she is banging on. But dont say anything. the key is to ignore

Answer 8

it's just a tantrum.. my little sister used to bang her head off the floor when she didn't get her own way.. one time, she hit her head so hard that she stood up and fell right back down.. she stopped then.. but i wouldn't let it get that far with your child.. obviously, i was/am an older sibling.. and thought it was funny at the time. now, she's 17 and when she gets angry or doesn't get her own way, she just tells everyone she hates them and that life isn't fair.. stomps up the stairs, slams her bedroom door shut, and blasts her music. it's normal.

Answer 9

When it comes to you child things can be big and scary. Do some research on the web. As always your concerns should be discussed with your child's doctor. Never try to self diagnose.

Answer 10

you should monitor her head banging and see a doctor. it's always safe to ensure that she's not damaging any part of the brain while it's developing. Telling a doctor early may enable close monitor to prevent long term issues if it persist.