Head banging can be upsetting for parents to see. But in most cases, occasional head banging is a form of self-stimulation, self-comfort, or a way to release frustration. It's not a sign of another problem.
Head banging, though it can be difficult to witness, is actually a fairly typical behavior in both babies and toddlers. Many children hit their heads or bang their heads with their hands to soothe themselves to sleep, express frustration or pain, or get your attention.
Some children head-bang for relief when they are teething or have an ear infection. A baby may bang his head out of frustration or anger, as in a temper tantrum, is also common. Some children engage in head banging as an effective attention-seeking activity.
Amy Nasamran PhD tells Romper. “Many babies hit their heads as a self-soothing mechanism before or during sleep,” she says. “Even though this can cause concern for new parents, it's totally normal behavior for babies to do this for short periods of time (not lasting longer than about 15 minutes).”
Changes to watch for include inconsolable crying or fussiness, vomiting more than once, balancing difficulties when sitting or walking, and being unresponsive. If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, or has any significant swelling over the site of the injury, you should take them to the doctor right away.
For anything more than a light bump on the head, you should call your child's doctor. Your child's doctor will want to know when and how the injury happened and how your child is feeling. If your child is alert and responds to you, the head injury is mild and usually no tests or X-rays are needed.
Why do autistic children hit themselves? For children with autism, headbanging is a way to self-soothe and communicate needs as a result of some form of anxiety. Babies and toddlers soothe themselves and want to feel the same as they did in their mother's womb. This is known as vestibular stimulation.
A toddler may understand rules about not hitting, but struggle to stop themself from hitting or biting when they're feeling frustrated. The ability to control those impulses may not fully develop until they're close to 4 years old, with support from loving parents and caregivers.
Laughter is one of the ways children release their feelings of fear, so hitting is sometimes accompanied by laughter—your child is trying hard to release tension, but can't laugh it away fast enough to stop themselves from launching a hit or two. Most children hide their feelings of fear at an early age.
Toddlers (2-3 years of age)
Frustration: Young children often feel intense emotions that they are not yet able to manage. Because communication and self-regulation are still emerging skills, it is typical to see head banging when children are upset, frustrated, or stressed.
Head banging is the rhythmic movement of the head against a solid object and is marked by an almost compulsive repetitiveness. The reported incidence in childhood varies from 5 to 15%. The male to female ratio is approximately 3 or 4 males to each female.
While these can sometimes be due to frustration, often they are driven by sensory exploration. Some children like the feel of slapping and the sensory feedback they get.
Some children with autism smile to show they're happy but don't share their enjoyment. Others show little facial expression or have flat affect and rarely smile so you may not know when they're happy.
While head banging is common and usually nothing to worry about, in some kids it can be part of a developmental problem. A child who is head banging often, particularly if there's a question of developmental delay or abnormal social interactions, should be seen by a doctor.
Mild injuries may include a lump, minor bleeding, or mild concussion. Moderate or severe injuries include concussions and head injuries. Call your child's healthcare provider or seek emergency care if they have symptoms such as loss of consciousness, vomiting, are hard to wake up, or have a change in behavior.
Almost all children will bump their heads, especially when they are babies or toddlers and are just learning to roll over, crawl, or walk. These injuries may upset you, but your anxiety is usually worse than the injury. Most head injuries in children are minor.
Months Is not gazing at objects; does not tune out repetitive sounds; does not move eyes to follow sound Does not respond to loud sounds Does not coo or make sounds When lying on back: keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movements; is not bringing hands to mouth; lacks symmetrical arm movements; does not turn head to ...
There is a wide range of language abilities in toddlers, and 2-year-olds' normal range is from 75-225 words. Children who are late talkers usually have an average vocabulary of 25 words.
The term baby or infant may be used from birth up to around 1 year of age. Once your baby turns 1 year old, they are often referred to as a toddler. The toddler age range is usually from 1 year to 3 years of age.
Autistic children sometimes express their emotions through aggressive behaviour towards others. Sometimes their aggressive behaviour can be directed towards themselves. This is called self-injurious behaviour. They might hit, kick, throw objects or hurt themselves – for example, by head-banging.