Baby Hits Herself

by Anonymous

Should I be concerned that my 8 month old hits herself?






Baby Help Line Response:

Hi!

Short answer – no ;-)

The long answer is that many babies do this out of frustration or even curiosity. It can look quite horrible but will pass. You can always try to say "no" and prevent the hitting, but since your baby is still so young it is not likely to have much of an effect.

You do have to make sure that your baby doesn't harm herself, of course. And if something very traumatic has happened to your baby in the past and she shows other signs of not being well, you might want to discuss it with her health care provider.

But in general, it is just fairly normal "baby behavior". Our oldest kid put his hands in his mouth until he almost threw up. Our daughter banged her head against the wall and our youngest bit himself. Crazy, but normal.

Hope this helps!

/Paula