• 💖 [Donate To Keep MyPTSD Online] 💖 Every contribution, no matter how small, fuels our mission and helps us continue to provide peer-to-peer services. Your generosity keeps us independent and available freely to the world. MyPTSD closes if we can't reach our annual goal.

Other Why does he hit his head?

Status
Not open for further replies.

FreeSoul

Learning
I have a nephew, about 10 months old. I was holding him in my arms and he started hitting his head on my face, and then was hitting his head with his hand.
About a month back, my mother told me he was hitting his head on the wall.
His mother was exposed to my narcissistic father when she was pregnant with him, and I also notice my father being threatening towards him, often trying to scare him by raising his hand as if to hit him.
Could he be hitting his head due to stress or something related?
 
I have a nephew, about 10 months old. I was holding him in my arms and he started hitting his head on my face, and then was hitting his head with his hand.
About a month back, my mother told me he was hitting his head on the wall.
His mother was exposed to my narcissistic father when she was pregnant with him, and I also notice my father being threatening towards him, often trying to scare him by raising his hand as if to hit him.
Could he be hitting his head due to stress or something related?
I have a younger brother who just turned two in November who has been diagnosed with autism. He constantly hits his head on anything he can find ALL THE TIME. The doctor said it is sensory related and a form of self-soothing and to communicate needs as a result of him not being able to verbally communicate. Babies and toddlers also like to soothe themselves and want to feel the same as they did in their mother’s womb. This is known as vestibular stimulation. Other habits that feed a child’s vestibular stimulation include head rolling, body rocking, biting, and thumb sucking. Usually it is caused by a sensory overload or a sensory deficit.
 
It sounds sensory in nature, so it would be a good idea for him to be seen by a professional. It may actually not be autism, as many of us with sensory issues are not autistic. My sensory issues were documented since birth and I am not autistic.
 
Lots of good replies here. It's almost certainly not due to parenting, but is something that some babies do. Autism can't be effectively diagnosed until after the child is two years old (more grist for the mill for the folks who incorrectly think vaccines cause autism) but the pediatrician should be keeping an eye out.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top