Involuntary head movements they can be something that worries parents when by things that we do not know they manifest themselves without more. It may happen that our child is a baby and shakes his head a lot, for no apparent reason. Or maybe our son is a little older and shows that movement that makes you believe a kind of nervous tic.
If you feel the need to discover when a child has this type of movement you can read what type of relationship can be more similar to the medical prognoses already concluded. However, at the first manifestation it is always important to take the child to the doctor for a proper check-up.
Involuntary head movements when they are babies
In the first months of his life the baby begins to acquire his first skills in his "Motor development". His new skills and new movements begin to progress surprisingly so that everything that happens can turn out to be normal.
We can become concerned when these types of movements are acquiring them in an unusual way. We can see it when it constantly shakes its head and that can make us doubt whether they are voluntary or involuntary movements.
One of the most frequent and repetitive movements can be observed when the baby shakes his head "no". Its constant rocking can be called "Head rolling”, Lasts about 15 minutes and is usually associated when you go to sleep.
Generally this behavior is usually associated with bedtime, it is involuntary and you cannot avoid doing it because it helps you sleep. However, if it is associated with some type of strange behavior, you must go to a pediatrician to evaluate it.
Involuntary head movements during childhood
There is another type of involuntary movement that usually appears during childhood. Is named stereotypes and is characterized by creating movements without any intention, it is coordinated, rhythmic, and performed in the same way. This type of movement can be performed on any part of the body and one of them can be the head.
There are different degrees of stereotypes, from the most common to the most complex. In the case of involuntary movements of the head, it becomes part of the most common and according to studies it is usually suffered by up to 70% of children.
How do I know what exactly stereotypes are? There are several factors that can be differentiated from the so-called “Tics”: generally stereotypes appear in the first three years of children's lives and tics develop after 6 years of life.
Another difference is that can be suppressed with some kind of distraction without adding any kind of tension to the child. In the case of tics, movements can vary and even increase and their attempt to suppress can create an unpleasant sensation in the child.
Nervous tics associated with involuntary movements
In this case we can call it involuntary contractions where the muscles are affected. It usually manifests itself in approximately 10% of children and in most cases they are usually transitory. In this case their movements They are the result of a mania or a way of releasing tension. They are associated with the fact that the child is suffering from anxiety or irritability as a result of environmental or learning factors.
For all types of involuntary head movements, it should be noted that in the first two, the stereotypes and the Head Rolling, have no worrisome forecast results, since in most cases its diagnosis is that with the passage of time its movements are canceled. In the case of tics too usually resolve over time and on their own, but if its duration exceeds a year and it becomes more intense, it is advisable to go to a specialist.