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Heidi Cunanan-Calma, Philippines

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Baby Head Shaking: What's Normal?

If your baby has been shaking their head from side to side while sleeping, nursing, or playing, you may be wondering when head shaking is part of normal child development and when it may be indicative of a larger problem. Normal Causes of Baby Head Shaking Because head shaking and similar behaviors are considered a normal part of a baby’s development, it’s likely that if your baby seems otherwise happy and healthy, their head shaking is not an immediate cause for concern. Here are the most likely culprits for your baby’s head shaking behavior: Developing Motor Skills As babies learn to control their bodies, develop the muscles they need to hold up their heads on their own, and test their movement abilities, head shaking can help them reach developmental goals. Self-Soothing Behavior Some babies may shake their head side to side as a way of self-soothing and lulling themselves to sleep. Abnormal Causes of Baby Head Shaking While head shaking alone is not typically a cause for concern, in tandem with other symptoms and behaviors, it can indicate an underlying illness or developmental issues. Ear Infection or Discomfort If your baby’s head shaking behavior is accompanied by a cold, fever, lethargy, or ear tugging, you’ll want to contact your pediatrician immediately, as these symptoms and behaviors may be symptoms of an ear infection. Autism Spectrum Disorder If head shaking is frequent and prolonged and accompanied by the following symptoms of autism in babies and toddlers, we recommend consulting your pediatrician: Non-responsiveness to their name, parent and sibling voices, or other sounds Doesn’t smile, communicate, or has unusual gaze Repeats behaviors and movements obsessively Regression of acquired skills, such as language comprehension, verbal, or social skills Frequent and prolonged head banging against crib or wall Myoclonic Epilepsy Some children with epilepsy may experience myoclonic head jerks or spasms, which are neurological in nature and should be evaluated by a physician.

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JSYK

Infants older than eight weeks often go 4 or 5 days without a dirty diaper, and it doesn’t mean they are constipated.  Breastfed babies, especially if they have not started solid foods, can easily go two weeks without a poopy diaper once they are 2-3 months old.  Breastmilk is exactly what your baby needs, and so there is little waste product left for the baby to poop out.  Exclusively breastfed babies are almost never constipated.  They may go a long time without pooping, but their belly is not full of poop.  If your baby seems uncomfortable, there is probably something else wrong.  Breastmilk is a natural laxative and exclusively breastfed babies who have not started solid foods almost never need a laxative. Formula fed babies and babies who have started solid foods often become constipated, but it is easily treated.  If your baby seems uncomfortable, is straining to have a bowel movement, or is having hard, solid stools, they are probably constipated.  Try massaging your baby’s belly, giving him or her a warm bath, or taking a rectal temperature.  Taking a rectal temperature stimulates the rectum and also checks for a fever, which could indicate a more serious reason why your baby is uncomfortable.  If your baby is still constipated and does not have a fever, try one ounce of prune or pear juice and/or or an infant glycerin rectal suppository.  Infant suppositories are available over-the-counter at any pharmacy or by prescription from your pediatrician. Newborn babies often poop after every feeding, about 6 times per day.  In the first few weeks after delivery your baby’s intestines are maturing and becoming more efficient at extracting nutrition from breast milk or formula.  As their intestines get better at digesting food, the time between bowel movements gets longer and longer.  Before you know it you have a two-month-old that is going several days without dirtying their diaper.

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