Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, FAAP

Dear Dr. Gwenn,

Our 4.5 month old baby has recently started jerking his head from side to side (as if exercising the "no" movement, involuntarily). This phenomenon occurs mostly when he seems tired, but is not limited to this situation.

I am quite worried, since the phenomenon appears both "wild" and involuntary.

Many thanks in advance.

Signed,
Odelia

Dear Odelia:

The situation you described is very common - young infants do on occasion have odd movements that can be very alarming to parents. And, falling asleep does seem to be a common time for these movements to occur. Your infant may very well have a very benign head nodding condition called "spasmus nutans" which is head nodding, head titling and eye twitches called nystagmus where the eyes flicker side to side. While it is bothersome to parents, it is not dangerous and self-limited. So, more times than not, it goes away with in a few months as mysteriously as it began.

However, this would be what we would call a "diagnosis of exclusion" meaning this would be diagnosed after other neurological issues were ruled out. At the very least, your pediatrician should examine your infant and perhaps even witness one of these episodes. A video of the episode would be a great diagnostic tool for this purpose. Depending on what your pediatrician thinks, a pediatric neurologist would be the best "expert" to help you really understand what these head jerkings are about - if anything.

Best,
Dr. Gwenn

© 2005 - 2007 Pediatrics Now. All rights reserved.
PEDIATRICS NOW™ is a trademark of Pediatrics Now

Read more articles from Dr. Gwenn on FamilyCorner.com

What's Related
My Child is Obese: What Can I Do to Help Her?
Are You Raising Fit or Fat Kids?
Healthy Eating For Life
Helping the Overweight Child


About the Author
Pediatrician, Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Gwenn is an experienced columnist, educator, and practicing pediatrician. Dr. Gwenn strives to write as if she were talking to a parent. As a parent herself, she knows how important it is to obtain information but also understand how precious little time parents have to find that information on the internet. Pediatrics Now was developed to fill that gap and provide a bridge between the parenting and pediatrics worlds.

Did you enjoy this article? Rate It! | Tell A Friend