If your babies shaking head back and forth then it’s important you figure out the root cause
From the time they are born, and as they grow older, babies make many movements. These can mean different things. It depends on when they are happening and what the baby wants to communicate at the time.
Babies shaking head back and forth can seem like a normal thing, but is it? What causes it, and when should you be worried as a mother? Here’s everything you need to know about this.
Reasons why babies shaking head back and forth
You may have noticed your baby shaking head back and forth a few times. Some of the most common reasons for this include:
1. Motor skills development
A baby’s neck muscles develop by the time they are a month old. At this point, babies want to test their ability to hold up and move their heads from side to side.
2. Communication
Moving the head back and forth is your baby’s way of communicating what they want or feel non-verbally with you. There might also be accompaniment sounds as your baby gets older.
3. Calming mechanism
If it takes your baby a while to fall asleep, one of the ways they can soothe themselves and calm down is by shaking their head back and forth.
4. Excitement
It can be a result of interactions with you during playtime.
5. During breastfeeding
As one of their first head movements, babies will shake their heads during breastfeeding to latch. Even if it looks okay, please support your baby’s head at all feeding times until they are at least three months old.
When should you be worried?
While it is usually normal for babies to shake their heads, at times, this could be an indicator of something wrong. Repeated movement, including shaking the head, could indicate that your baby might be on the autism spectrum.
Other signs of autism to watch out for in your child include lack of interaction with others, loss of key life skills like language and comprehension, missing developmental milestones, and headbanging on the wall.
Some children outgrow these symptoms by the time they are three years old, but you can monitor your child and get a child health specialist’s help when necessary. Shaking head back and forth can also sign that your child is ill, in pain, or is hurting.
Read more on kids temper tantrums
The most common illness is an ear infection, accompanied by a fever and should be looked at by a pediatrician.
How to make baby nodding head up and down
Babies can make themselves feel dizzy or even accidentally hit themselves on something when shaking head back and forth. It is important to stop this as soon as possible by making sure that you don’t give your baby any attention when they start shaking their head.
You can also keep a note of what triggers this and try to eliminate the problem. If you suspect that your child is I’ll, be sure to take them to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment immediately.
Babies shaking head back and forth may not seem like such a huge deal for you, but can cause problems for your child when not checked.
Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She’s an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.
