Head banging - help
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Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27327
Printed Date: 30 July 2025 at 9:39pm
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Topic: Head banging - help
Posted By: erinalba
Subject: Head banging - help
Date Posted: 05 July 2009 at 2:57pm
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DS is 13 months and has been doing the occassional headbanging, but in the last week it has got a lot worse. He does it when he's frustrated, angry or tired, and sometimes I think he does it just for the hell of it. Trouble is he's hitting his head so hard that he's now got bruises on his forehead. What can I do to get him to stop? ------------- Sue See my blog www.gojandal.com/wubboo http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 05 July 2009 at 6:09pm
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It could be a symptom of food intolerance.
In my food intolerance book it says that: "head banging can be related to any of the usual food chemicals, especially annatto natural colour (160b). Children aged 3 & under are unable to explain how they feel, although when they avoid certain food chemicals, their head banging stops. Although head banging is thought to be an RMD ( rythmic movement disorder) some older children who revert to head banging during food challenges explain that it is due to overwhelming headaches." This fact sheet from the Food intolerance network might give you some answers http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factheadbang.htm - linky Hope this might help?? ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 05 July 2009 at 7:27pm
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Spencer didn't head bang (although one of his little friends did) he use to, and still does sometimes, throw himself backwards with no regard for what's behind him which resulted in him smacking his head into the tiles, the wall the coffee table or anything else in the way. Basically if he hurt himself and got upset i would console him but if he didn't hurt himself I would ignore/walk away from him. They soon learn not to actually hurt themselves, like he quickly learnt not to do it on the tiles or he would do a slow mo one...lol..so as not to hurt himself. His friend use to head butt the floor, he only ever headed butted there wooden floor properly once though!
It's just a frustration and/or attention thing, once their language develops some tantrums can be avoided. Like now when Spencer can't do something he will bring the object to me and say "mummy do" rather than throwing a complete fit and me having no idea what it is about. Of course the tantrums don't end they just become about something else  and of course they can then include words into them like "no way" and "go away"
Wouldn't hurt to look into the food thing as well if he's eating lots of processed stuff or sometimes other foods can set them off. Spencer definitely has an energy burst when he has banana so now I share bananas with him rather than letting him eat a whole one and then bounce off the walls. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Candkids
Date Posted: 09 July 2009 at 8:42pm
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jett does the head banging hes even given himself a concussion, hes done it since before he was 1 when he has a tanty or just gets frustrated he bangs his head on the floor/wall/window anything really,
its not as bad as it was he used to just throw himself backwards all the time. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  DD 10.5yrs DS 6yrs DS 11mths 5 little angles watching from above |
Posted By: emmaohara
Date Posted: 11 July 2009 at 2:05pm
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Yeah we have had a head banger here as well. Ben does it when he is angry about something ( like his block of bricks falls down..!) or if his sister steals his toys
We just tell him its naughty and he stops hopefully as he gets older he'll be able to express his emotions in a less voilent way! Sure your son will be the same  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 11 July 2009 at 6:45pm
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Caden has started to do this a bit now as well. I told him off the other day for something and he packed a tanty and got on his hands and knees and started banging his ehad on the ground
He also does it just because, like he will sit by the window and bang the back of his head on it. I hope its just a phase....Im not sure how to stop him doing it at this age cos he just laughs at us. ------------- |
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 12 July 2009 at 12:26pm
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Ethan does it too..i asked and got told like what cuppatea said..it was normal..he did it for about 3-4 months a lot and now does it sometimes on the window or door.. i also got told sometimes it's to do with teething (can't remember what exactly and got that confirmed to) it's weird but they get past it. ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: TysMummy
Date Posted: 13 July 2009 at 8:16pm
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ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes know this well...even taken ty to specialist..........ty does it cause he cant speak properly and he is trying so gets frustrted .........he even head butts the concrete and has made the back of his head majorly flat......he is getting tests done for his cause its sever he has cracked walls before and has passed out............i have put him in day care 2days a week and he isnt doing this as much now .....i noticed the my son did it more when he had ear infections that there was no warning signs off so you may want to take him in to get his ears checked just in case............good luck ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: _Deb_
Date Posted: 16 July 2009 at 8:28am
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Kaelen went through a stage of doing that. It started at around 16 months i think. He did it whenever he was angry or frustrated. He would bang his head on the floor, cupboards, ME, whatever what close. Thank god he seems to have grown out of it now. He made himself cry sometimes. I just ignored it most of the time. ------------- 
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Posted By: Aroz
Date Posted: 25 July 2009 at 8:31pm
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My daughter has been having the same problem lately. Usually when she is tired, angry or upset about not getting her own way. But lately she has even taken it as far as hitting herself in the face or head which has got me a bit concerned. I went in to her room to get her up this morning and caught her slapping her self in the face. I try to calm her down and tell her its a naughty thing to do but she just screams and thrashes around. I'm hoping this is just a phase like the head banging thing but it is still very worrying to see. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: erinalba
Date Posted: 28 July 2009 at 3:50pm
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Update - sorry it's taken so long but life has been pretty hectic. Turns out the main reason for Keiran's headbanging was that he had an ear infection, so once he went on antibiotics the headbanging mostly stopped. Just the occassional one now when he's tired and over emotional. The interesting thing was that he hadn't really been showing the usual signs of an ear infection, but it turns out his ears were worse than his previous ear infections. ------------- Sue See my blog www.gojandal.com/wubboo http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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