Baby shakes while feeding
Why Do They Do This?
Baby Shakes Head: Why Do They Do This?Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — By Kristeen Cherney on March 10, 2016
Overview
Over the course of their first year of life, your baby will reach various milestones related to reflexes and motor skills.
When a baby starts shaking their head, you may be concerned that something is wrong. You might even wonder if your baby is too young to be shaking their head.
Some cases of head shaking are related to neurological or developmental disorders. However, the majority of cases are normal.
Learn why your baby shakes their head and the types of scenarios you should be worried about.
Understanding baby’s motor skills
As a parent, it’s normal to experience protective instincts. After all, your newborn is delicate and unable to defend themselves.
Still, this doesn’t mean that your baby can’t move on their own. According to the March of Dimes, by the end of the first month of life, babies have the ability to move their heads from side to side. This most often occurs when they lie on their sides.
After the first month, head shaking in babies is most often accompanied by playfulness as well as other forms of interaction. Babies who develop “normally” will be able to shake their heads “yes” or “no” by their first year.
During the first few weeks of life, your baby’s movements might be more “jerky” as they develop muscle control.
Shaking head when nursing
One of the first times babies shake their heads is when they nurse from their mothers. This may first occur out of your baby’s attempt to try to latch. As your baby gets the hang of latching on, the shaking may then be a result of excitement.
While your baby might be gaining neck muscles and is able to shake side to side when nursing, you should still support their head for at least the first three months.
You may also find feeding times to be more successful by calming down your newborn’s reflexes so they can latch on more easily.
Shaking head when playing
Beyond the first month, babies might start shaking their heads while playing. In some cases, they might even move their heads around when resting on their tummies or their backs. You may notice that head shaking increases when your baby gets excited.
As your baby grows, they will start to notice behaviors of others and try to interact with them. If you have other children at home, your baby might start to imitate their behaviors through head and hand gestures.
Testing movement
Babies are extremely brave, and they will start to test how much they can move. At around the 4- or 5-month mark, some babies will start rocking their heads. This may move onto rocking the whole body.
While the rocking movements can look scary, it’s considered normal behavior in most babies. In fact, it’s often a precursor to your baby figuring out how to sit up on their own. Rocking and shaking behaviors usually last for no longer than 15 minutes in this age group.
Another cause of worry in many parents is head banging.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, this practice is more common in boys. It also starts around 6 months of age. As long as the banging is not hard and your baby seems happy, most pediatricians don’t worry about this behavior.
Head banging usually stops by the 2-year mark.
When to worry
Head shaking and other related behaviors are often considered a normal part of a baby’s development. However, there are instances in which the behaviors might extend beyond simple shaking. Call your pediatrician if your baby:
- doesn’t interact with you or their siblings
- doesn’t move their eyes normally
- develops knots or bald spots from head banging
- shaking increases during moments of anxiety
- seems like they want to hurt themselves
- fails to reach other developmental milestones outlined by your doctor
- doesn’t respond to your voice, as well as other sounds
- continues these behaviors beyond 2 years of age
The takeaway
While head shaking is not usually a cause for concern, there are some instances in which you should consider talking to your pediatrician.
Frequency is often a telltale sign of whether the shaking is normal or not. If you find that your baby shakes their head a little during feedings or playtime, this is likely not a medical emergency.
On the other hand, if the head shaking is frequent and lasts for a long time, you should see a doctor right away.
Last medically reviewed on March 10, 2016
- Parenthood
- Baby
- 06 Months 1 Year
Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — By Kristeen Cherney on March 10, 2016
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Newborn Reflexes and Behavior
Is this your child's symptom?
- Normal reflexes, noises and behavior questions in newborns
- These are normal and not signs of illness
- Flying and mountain travel with newborns is also covered
Newborn Reflexes - Topics Covered
These harmless behaviors fall into 11 general groups. If your baby is healthy, skip the "What to Do" section. Go directly to the topic number that relates to your question for advice.
- Normal primitive reflexes from immature nervous system
- Normal jitteriness when crying
- Normal sleep movements
- Normal breathing sounds and noises
- Normal irregular breathing patterns
- Normal GI sounds and noises
- Normal sleep sounds and noises
- Normal feeding reflexes
- Normal protective reflexes
- Flying with newborns, safety of
- Mountain travel with newborns, safety of
When to Call for Newborn Reflexes and Behavior
Call 911 Now
- Can't wake up
- Not moving or very weak
- Weak or absent cry and new onset
- Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath)
- New moaning or grunting noises with each breath
- Bluish (or gray) lips, tongue or face now
- You think your child has a life-threatening emergency
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Age less than 1 month old and looks or acts abnormal in any way. Examples are a poor suck or poor color.
- Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
- Breathing stopped for more than 10 seconds and now it's normal
- Trouble breathing, but not severe
- Seizure suspected
- Your child looks or acts very sick
- You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Normal newborn reflexes and behavior
- Flying or mountain travel with a newborn
Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations
If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
- Bellevue
- Everett
- Federal Way
- Seattle
Care Advice for Newborn Reflexes and Behavior
- Normal Primitive Reflexes From Immature Nervous System:
- Startle Reflex (Moro or embrace reflex). Brief stiffening of the body, straightening of arms and opening of hands. Follows noise or abrupt movements. Frequent at birth. Slowly resolves by 4 months of age.
- Tonic-Neck Reflex (Fencer's Reflex). When head is turned to 1 side, the arm and leg on that side straightens. The opposite arm and leg flexes. Goes away by 4 months of age.
- Chin Trembling
- Lower Lip Quivering
- Jitters or Trembling (see Topic 2)
- Normal Jitters or Trembling when Crying:
- Jitters or trembling of the arms and legs during crying is normal in newborns. It should stop by 1 to 2 months of age.
- If your baby is jittery when not crying, it could be abnormal. Give her something to suck on. (Reason: Normal trembling should stop with sucking.)
- Seizures are rare. During seizures, newborns are more than jittery. They have muscle jerking and blinking of the eyes. Babies can also make sucking movements of the mouth. They don't cry during seizures.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- The jitters get worse
- The jitters occur when your baby is calm
- Normal Sleep Movements:
- Sleep is not quiet. Expect some of the following:
- Sudden jerks or twitches of the arms, hands or legs. If they only occur during sleep, they are most likely normal.
- How Long: last a few seconds, but can recur
- Timing: soon after falling asleep
- Normal at all ages, not just in newborns
- Suspect a seizure if: jerking occurs when awake or lasts more than 10 seconds
- Normal Breathing Sounds and Noises:
- Throat Noises. Caused by air passing through normal saliva or refluxed milk. These gurgling noises are likely to build up during sleep. Slowly, the newborn learns to swallow more often.
- Nasal Noises are usually caused by dried mucus in the nose. Your baby most likely doesn't have a cold. A blocked or stuffy nose can interfere with feeding. This is because your baby can't breathe when the mouth is closed with feeding. Therefore, babies need help opening the nasal passages.
- Nasal Saline. Clean out the nose with saline (salt water) nose drops (such as store brand). If not available, can use bottled water. Use 1 drop at a time and do 1 side at a time. Repeat this several times. This will loosen up the dried mucus. Then, it can be sneezed out or swallowed. If needed, use a suction bulb. Avoid Q-tips which can injure the lining of the nose. Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
- Tobacco Smoke. Avoid tobacco smoke which can cause nasal congestion or sneezing. Avoid dust or any strong odors for the same reason.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Nasal washes don't work
- Breathing becomes hard
- Normal Irregular Breathing Patterns:
- Transient Breathing Pauses of Less Than 10 Seconds. Also Called Periodic Breathing. Often, the pause is followed by some faster breathing to "catch-up." These breathing pauses are normal if the baby is comfortable during them. A normal rate should be less than 60 breaths per minute. Usually resolves by 1 month of age. Call your doctor if: Your baby is breathing fast or turned blue.
- Transient Rapid Breathing. Sometimes, newborns take rapid, progressively deeper breaths. This is so they can expand their lungs all the way. This is normal if the breathing slows to normal within a minute or so.
- Seesaw Breathing. With breathing, the chest seems to contract when the stomach expands. The cause is the soft rib cage of some newborns. It tends to pull in during normal downward movement of the diaphragm.
- Yawning or Sighing (off and on) to open up the lungs
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Breathing becomes hard
- Breathing pauses last more than 10 seconds
- You have other questions or concerns
- Normal GI Sounds And Noises:
- Belching air from stomach
- Passing gas per rectum
- Note: Both of these are releasing swallowed air. They are normal, harmless and lifelong. They do not cause pain or crying.
- Gurgling or growling noises from the movement of food through the intestines
- Normal grunting with pushing out stools
- Hiccups. Hiccups are often caused by overeating. They can also be from a little acid irritating the lower esophagus. Give your baby a few swallows of water to rinse off the lower esophagus.
- Normal Sleep Sounds And Noises: Normal sleep is not motionless or quiet. Expect some of the following:
- Moving during sleep transitions
- Occasional startle reflex or jerks
- Breathing noises - especially gurgling from secretions that sit in the throat.
- During light sleep, babies can normally whimper, cry, groan or make other strange noises.
- Parents who use a nursery monitor often become concerned about these normal sleep sounds.
- GI tract noises from normal movement of digested food
- Normal Feeding Reflexes:
- Rooting Reflex. When the side of the mouth or cheek is touched, your baby turns to that side. He will open his mouth in preparation for nursing. Present until 6 months of age.
- Sucking Reflex. Will suck on anything placed in the mouth. This survival reflex does not imply hunger. It is even present right after a feeding. This reflex fades between 6 and 12 months of age.
- Normal Protective Reflexes:
- Sneezing To Clear Nose of Any Irritant. Sneezing helps to open the nose. It's usually caused by dust, fuzz, tobacco smoke or other strong odors. If sneezing becomes frequent, use nasal washes. This is not caused by an allergy.
- Coughing to clear lower airway
- Blinking. After spending 9 months in darkness, newborns have light-sensitive eyes. At first, they prefer to keep their eyes closed. They blink often with light exposure.
- Flying With Newborns:
- Never fly during the first 7 days of life. If flying is needed, it's safe to fly after 7 days of age.
- If your newborn is not healthy, do not fly. Your child's doctor should give medical clearance first before flying.
- Your baby can be exposed to infections aboard aircraft. Therefore, it is preferable not to fly before 2 or 3 months of age.
- Mountain Travel With Newborns:
- Avoid mountain travel above 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) for the first month of life. (Exception: family lives there year-round)
- Travel to destinations below 8,000 (2,438 meters) feet is safe.
- Brief drives over higher mountain passes are safe.
- If your newborn is not healthy, don't travel above 8,000 feet (2,438 meters). Your child's doctor should give medical clearance first.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Your baby starts to look or act abnormal in any way
- You think your child needs to be seen
And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.
Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.
Last Reviewed: 10/10/2022
Last Revised: 01/13/2022
Copyright 2000-2022. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.
An alarming symptom: pathologies in newborns
Despite the fact that a newborn child is under the careful supervision of a pediatrician and other specialists, the timely detection of certain pathologies in a baby often depends on the mother's attention and reaction.
Natalya Nikolaevna Avdeeva, a pediatrician at the 9 Months clinic, told us about what symptoms should not be missed in a crumb in order to avoid serious health problems in the future.
- Natalya Nikolaevna, what pathologies are most common in newborns?
- Almost 99% of newborns have neurological abnormalities, which are minimal at first and, with adequate management of the child, in most cases level out by the year.
— What does "adequate management of the child" mean?
- I mean a massage performed on time, gymnastics started on time ... Moreover, I want to note that even for an absolutely healthy child under one year old, it is desirable to conduct at least three courses of gymnastics and massage, with the involvement of a good specialist. This is necessary so that the child learns to turn, sit down, get up, walk in time. Such courses are aimed at the development of the nervous and, as a result, the musculoskeletal systems.
— What symptoms can “tell” the mother that the baby has this or that neurological disorder?
- Parents should definitely pay attention to such a symptom as twitching of the chin. This may indicate that there is an underdevelopment of the nervous system and individual structures of the brain. It should also cause concern when the child stands on tiptoe. As a rule, no attention is paid to such a phenomenon. But if the baby stands on tiptoe and at the same time crosses his legs, leans poorly - this may be a mild symptom of flaccid lower paraparesis, and later, by the age of one, it may result in cerebral palsy.
The fact is that usually cerebral palsy is not diagnosed until a year old, since this period of time is a long rehabilitation period, when the crumbs have a good potential for recovery. The first year of life in general, in terms of its restorative capacity, is incommensurable with any other interval in a person's life. Here, a very large work of the mother herself must take place, in combination with the work of a neuropathologist, a manual therapy doctor, a massage therapist, and an exercise therapy doctor. The treatment includes water therapy, drug therapy, massage, gymnastics, etc.
Hand tremor should be another alarming symptom for the mother. Pay attention to the situations in which this occurs. The norm is if it is a reaction to a bright light, a strong sound. If a baby older than a month often throws up his hands in an absolutely calm environment, this may indicate convulsions. Here, too, a full examination is necessary. You will need to measure the intracranial pressure in a child, make an electroencephalogram, check the reaction to light and sound stimuli at rest, in sleep, etc.
If, in combination with shudders and fears, the baby also has a protrusion of the tongue, this may indicate such an endocrinological pathology as congenital hypothyroidism. Initially, screening is carried out in the maternity hospital, when blood is taken for 5 infections, and geneticists look at it. But further consultation with an endocrinologist is necessary. Early initiation of treatment prevents the disability of the child. In connection with the foregoing, I want to note that an early discharge from the hospital is highly undesirable - for 3-4 days. After all, many such moments are revealed just on the 4th-5th day - that is, when the mother, who was discharged earlier, is already alone with the child and with the problem that has arisen.
— In addition to neurological, what other pathologies can parents independently suspect in a child?
— The baby's reaction to external stimuli says a lot. So, if a child in 2-3 months does not respond to sounds (rattles, voice), you need to urgently contact an otolaryngologist. The first hearing test is carried out at the maternity hospital, but at the age of three months, the ENT doctor must definitely examine the baby. In Kazan, for example, quite often children are identified who initially respond well to checks, but in the end, conductive hearing loss is found in them. The fact is that before that, the child could react purely intuitively, say, not to his mother's voice, but to facial expressions. It happens that as early as 3 years old, such children begin to be treated as autistic, although in reality it's all about hearing loss.
There should also be concerns if the child does not follow objects (at a distance of 30 cm - the brightest vision in newborns - the baby should "catch" his mother's face and reach for it, try to keep it in his field of vision), by 3 months reacts to light, to colors. Of course, the baby does not yet identify the colors themselves, but the change of colors should cause him some emotions (joy or, conversely, irritation). The mother can also track the reaction of the pupil to light on her own. To do this, you need to take the baby to bright light from a dark room. If at the same time the pupils of the crumbs did not narrow, they remained as wide as in the dark, it means that the child does not see light, which indicates a pathology of the retina. At the same time, the same constriction of the pupil is already a neurological pathology. In any case, you need to urgently contact the specialists.
At a scheduled examination by a surgeon at the age of one month, you should definitely pay attention to the doctor if the baby burps frequently and profusely. In fact, the child should spit up. For the first three months, the baby burps after almost every feeding. But he should not give out all the food outside with a "fountain". If this happens, and the child gains weight poorly in the first month or two, it is necessary to exclude pylorospasm, a serious surgical pathology that requires hospitalization.
Also, the mother should carefully monitor the frequency and volume of urination in the child. It is believed that until the age of three months, the child should urinate little by little, but every hour. If urinary retention occurs, the baby rarely gives out, but a lot of urine is a very alarming symptom that may indicate such a serious disease of the urinary system as ureterohydronephrosis, which, unfortunately, has been quite common lately. It can be detected already in late pregnancy with an ultrasound examination. To exclude the same pathology, ultrasound is performed at the age of one month. It is important not to lose time here, since by 3 months, in the absence of treatment, the kidney tissue dies.
Another disturbing "bell" for the mother may be the pallor and cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle in the baby, when the child turns blue when feeding, crying. All this can be caused by low hemoglobin, and in this case it is enough to prescribe treatment to a nursing mother. However, it is important not to miss cardiological pathology. Again, in the last stages of pregnancy during an ultrasound examination, gross heart defects are determined, but there may also be small anomalies that are detected only after the birth of the baby. Often, by the age of three, minor anomalies level out by themselves, but it is quite possible that intervention will be required. Therefore, if the mother noticed that the child regularly turns blue, he has shortness of breath, he is sweating (normally, babies do not sweat!), there is pallor and blueness of the nail phalanges - this may indicate a hidden heart defect. You need to draw the attention of the pediatrician to this, make a cardiogram, an ultrasound of the heart and make an appointment with a cardiologist.
In conclusion, I would like to appeal to all young mothers: be attentive to your babies, trust your intuition and do not hesitate to ask questions to the doctor, tell about all your suspicions.
A well-timed alarm is the key to timely and successful treatment, and hence the health of your baby!
Table of alarm symptoms
Pathologies | Symptoms | Actions |
Neurological abnormalities | Twitching of the chin. Rising of the child on tiptoe, while the baby crosses the legs, leans poorly. This may be a symptom of flaccid lower paraparesis, in the future (by a year) it may result in cerebral palsy. Hand tremor, you need to pay attention to the situations in which it occurs. The norm is if this is a reaction to a bright light, a strong sound, etc. If a baby older than a month often throws up his hands in an absolutely calm environment, this may indicate convulsions. Protrusion of tongue. In combination with tremors, it can speak of endocrinological pathology - congenital hypothyroidism. | You need to contact a neurologist. In many children, neurological abnormalities are minimal and, with adequate management of the child, level out by the year. Massage, gymnastics, water therapy, drug therapy, etc. are used. Additional examinations may be required. |
hearing loss | The child does not respond to sound stimuli (rattles, voice). | Contact an otolaryngologist. The first screening is carried out in the maternity hospital, but the ENT doctor must definitely examine the baby at 3 months. |
Pathology of the retina | 1. The child does not follow objects, by 3 months does not react to light, to colors (the change of colors does not cause any emotions). 2. After the child was taken out of a dark room into a bright light, his pupils did not narrow, they remained wide. | Contact an oculist. Pay close attention to the child's reaction. A newborn 30 cm has the brightest vision. The baby should "catch" at a distance of 30 cm mother's face and reach for him, try to keep him in his field of vision. |
Surgical pathology | The child often spits up a "fountain", does not gain weight well with adequate feeding. All this may indicate pylorospasm. | At a scheduled examination by a surgeon, it is necessary to focus on the existing problem. |
Urinary pathology | It is believed that normally a child under 3 months of age should urinate a little, but every hour. If urinary retention occurs, the baby rarely gives out, but a lot of urine - this may indicate a serious disease - ureterohydronephrosis, which, in the absence of timely treatment, leads to the death of kidney tissue. | Ureterohydronephrosis is often detected late in pregnancy by ultrasound. To exclude the same pathology, ultrasound is performed at the age of one month. |
Heart defects | Paleness and cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle. The child turns blue when feeding, crying. All this may indicate low hemoglobin, and in this case it is often enough to prescribe treatment to a nursing mother. However, if at the same time the baby has shortness of breath, he is sweating, there are pallor and blue nail phalanges - this may indicate a hidden heart disease. | It is necessary to contact a pediatrician who will prescribe an electrocardiogram and ultrasound of the heart for the child. Contact a cardiologist with the results. |
Even in an absolutely healthy child up to a year old, it is desirable to conduct at least three courses of gymnastics and massage, with the involvement of a good specialist.
The first year of life in general, in terms of its restorative capacity, is incommensurable with any other interval in a person's life.
Early discharge from the maternity hospital is highly undesirable - for 3-4 days. After all, many such moments are revealed just on the 4th-5th day - that is, when the mother, who was discharged earlier, is already alone with the child and with the problem that has arisen.
At a distance of 30 cm, the newborn should "catch" the mother's face and reach for it, try to keep it in its field of vision.
Until the age of three months, the child should urinate little by little, but every hour.
If the mother noticed that the child regularly turns blue, he has shortness of breath, he is sweating, there is pallor and blueness of the nail phalanges - this may indicate a hidden heart disease.
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Understanding tongue movement in babies
2 min.
Sept. 2021
This resource is for healthcare professionals
Researchers have used ultrasound video for the first time to see differences in tongue movements between breastfed infants and adults when swallowing.
The tongue is an active muscle and a miracle of coordination. When we drink, the tongue prepares for swallowing by collecting liquid in the mouth, taking the shape of a bowl. It then quickly pushes the liquid back where it is swallowed, while still allowing us to continue breathing.
When we eat, the tongue works by holding the food in the mouth, moving it with saliva and turning it into a lump, which is then pushed back for swallowing. Both adults and infants use a peristaltic type of movement when swallowing.
Language training before birth
Teaching our tongue to do all this work begins in the womb. Before birth, the tongue begins to work by swallowing the amniotic fluid. After the birth of a child, the tongue plays a key role - it helps to squeeze milk out of the mother's breasts, working in conjunction with the jaws and lips.
When the baby is suckled to the mother's breast, the nipple and areola retract into the mouth so that the nipple reaches the junction of the hard and soft palate. After the baby has sucked well, the tongue begins to work, rhythmically squeezing the nipple with peristaltic movements that squeeze the milk from the mammary gland into the back of the throat, where it is swallowed. Babies naturally coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing.
Bottle feeding
This process changes slightly when a baby is bottle fed. The stiffness of the artificial material does not allow the nipple to stretch and take the shape of the baby's mouth. Peristaltic movements of the tongue are difficult and milk can flow almost without effort on the part of the child.
Parents should remember that during breastfeeding, babies make an effort to get milk. When bottle-feeding, milk often flows very easily and babies can drink the same amount of milk much faster (compared to breastfeeding). This may seem like a good way to save time, but as with many other things in life, slower is often better. If you choose a bottle that works more like a breast, with a slower flow, it allows the baby to stop and pause, the baby enjoys comfortable feeding, and the corresponding satiety signals are developed more slowly.
Research task
Usually everything goes smoothly. But from time to time, babies have difficulty swallowing. This may be due to various problems and they are not always easy to learn and understand.
At the beginning of the atomic era, diagnostics were carried out using X-ray cinematography (filming of X-ray images). For the first time in history, people could see the amazing internal processes in the mouth and observe how the tongue helps to swallow. When concerns arose about the effects of radiation on technicians and patients, the practice was discontinued. Currently, video recording using ultrasound and MRI is often used. However, even with the use of less invasive methods or technologies, scientists still have to find ways to study babies while breastfeeding that do not affect their actions.
Tongue Movement Study
The 2020 study "Quantification of Tongue Movement During Feeding in Infants and Swallowing in Adults" shows certain patterns. The scientists used ultrasound video to study tongue movements.
“We observed the most organized and rhythmic tongue movements in exclusively breastfed infants, less mobility in those who had conditions that interfere with normal feeding, such as tongue tie, and more “disorganized” movements with bottle feeding than breastfeeding,” the researchers report. “This highlights the key role of tongue movements in breast or bottle sucking.”
Disorganized movements with bottle feeding than with breastfeeding,” researchers report. “This highlights the key role of tongue movements in breast or bottle sucking.” They could also observe differences in tongue mobility before and after treatment in infants with tongue and lip frenulum. And for the first time, pictures of a baby with torticollis during breastfeeding and bottle feeding were obtained. The results showed "somewhat less rhythmic sucking than usual during breastfeeding and irregular sucking during bottle feeding".
Although this study was limited, the use of ultrasound video was effective in obtaining objective information about tongue movements.