My son is 6 months old and has started hitting himself in the face. At first I thought it was that his nose was stuffy, or that he was tired. But i have noticed him doing this a random times in the day. Any ideas?
6 Month-old babies lack motor control. That's all it is. The pinscer grasp (the ability to pinch a small object between the pointer and thumb fingers) doesn't even come in until months 8-10. If you're still concerned you can always ask your son's doctor, but I'm sure he/she will just tell you it's common.
A.,
I agree with all of the advice you have already recieved. My son, who is now 2, did the same thing around 6 months of age. I remember talking to other moms at the time about it and they all said their kids were doing the same thing! Anyhow, I think it is just something babies do while learning motor skills, etc. If you are seriously concerned, however, it never hurts to consult your pediatrictian. Never feel embarrassed to ask them anything. Good luck!
Hi A.,
This behavior sounds like something that should be checked out by a specialist. I worked with the mentally handicapped for years & have seen this behavior often, I have been out of the field for years so do not know what they have come up w/ recently but just to be sure you should have it checked out.
S.
This is very normal and at 6 months of age, not much you can do about it. My son never really did this, but when I was pregnant, my sister-in-law mentioned it (she has 4 kids). She actually laughs about it and says one day he will realize, hey that hurts, and stop. It actually takes awhile for him to realize the "pain" (probably not the right word, maybe more uncomfortable) he feels is being caused by himself. It will pass.
My son is 7 months old and hits himself on the chin with his hands. I thought he might be doing it because he's teething and it helped with the pain. I asked the doctor and she says he probably just does it because it amuses him.
