Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
|
|
 Ask Dr. Needlman
Infant Making Fists Repeatedly | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My seven-month-old frequently makes a fist with both hands, closing them and opening them again and again. Is this a nervous habit, or is there perhaps something wrong with his hands?— Worried Mommy in Fresno, Calif. | | | ANSWER |
November 20, 2001 | | | Dear Worried Mommy,
Repetitive behaviors in infants, like the fist making you describe, are very difficult to diagnose long-distance. When a doctor looks at your baby, she might be able to judge whether or not the behaviors are intentional. Babies do many things, such as staring at their hands or pulling rhythmically on their ears, apparently because it feels good or is calming. These behaviors are perfectly normal.
Infants at seven months don't really have nervous habits. But in some rare cases, a repetitive movement could be a sign of abnormal brain electrical activity, also called a seizure. To reassure yourself that this isn't the case, let your child's doctor see the behavior firsthand. If the behavior doesn't happen frequently enough to be certain that your baby will "perform" for the doctor, consider making a videotape to bring to the doctor.
Perhaps the most important question is, how is your baby's development in general? A thriving, developmentally on-target infant with an odd hand movement is clearly less concerning than a child who has multiple developmental delays. You can read more about expected milestones and what they mean in our development section.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
|
