Little Head Bangers

How to Deal with This Unsettling Behavior

By Melinda Copp

When his son started intentionally banging his head against the back of his highchair, Matt Kraycar, a dad from Bluffton, S.C., immediately became concerned.

"I couldn't figure out why he would do that," Kraycar says. "I thought for sure something was wrong with him. And if not, I thought he'd definitely hurt himself."

But his son was fine, just tired and bumping his head against the chair to soothe himself. And even at 18 months, he still bangs his head occasionally, Kraycar says.

Of all the goofy things a baby or toddler can do to soothe themselves, banging their heads off walls, floors and furniture might be the strangest. And it often alarms parents, who immediately think the behavior indicates autism. However, in most cases, parents can rest assured that their little head banger will grow up completely normal and the thumping will eventually stop.

In most cases, babies and toddlers bang their heads to relax and self-soothe. They do it when they're lying in bed, or when they're tired. And when you think about other things that soothe babies, such as rocking, swinging or sitting in a bouncy chair, then the connection is a little easier to see.

"We've always known that kids are comforted in the car because they are soothed by the vibrating and motion," says Dr. Charles Shubin, the director of pediatrics at Mercy FamilyCare in Baltimore, Md. "Head banging provides the same kind of rhythmic comfort."

Children who bang their heads when they are awake and active may be releasing tension or looking for attention, as it doesn't take kids long to learn that self-destructive behavior usually elicits a response from Mom and Dad. And some kids may bang their heads for stimulation when they're bored or lonely.

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