Why do children hit their heads repeatedly and rhythmically?

Rhythmic head butting is a common repetitive behavior that begins to appear in children aged 6 12 months. The main manifestation is aimless and rhythmic head butting. 5 19% of infants may have this behavior, which is significantly reduced after the age of 1.5, and most of them stop this behavior before the age of 4. Generally, more boys than girls. At present, the cause is unclear. Some people say it may be related to children’s teething or otitis media. Children’s head butting mostly occurs before sleep, after waking up and when they are excited. It is mainly manifested in the rhythmic impact of the head on a hard object. When hitting the head, the child does not feel uncomfortable. Generally speaking, there is no damage to the brain tissue and does not affect the child’s growth and development. However, such actions may cause accidental danger and need to attract the attention of parents.

Therefore, it is required that:

◆ wrap the place where children often hit their heads with soft materials to prevent head injury caused by impact.

◆ when the child bumps his head, parents should neither show excessive concern nor scold the child, otherwise the child’s behavior will be strengthened and the head bump will aggravate the attack.

◆ take more care of his children and often distract them.