Worried about head lag - please help.

[KateJ59]

Hey everyone.

My daughter is 6 months on the 25th June (birth date not by due date)

She's currently hit all her milestones so far (the only ones she's yet to hit for 6 months are consonants, sitting and I guess answering back and forth but it's hard to tell if she's already doing it.

She's an extremely happy baby, always smiling and babbling to the point where people comment on how chatty she is, and she literally can not stop rolling from her back to front - she's obsessed! She can also can roll the other way but rarely does.

We had to take her to A&E last week as we were worried she'd bumped her head and they did all her development checks. They said she was great but the one thing that they said was slightly behind was her pull to sit and that she had a slight lag. We came home, we worried and we did it like 5000 times and after her nap she actually was fine and there was no lag - so we put it down tiredness.

Now to cut a long story short but my husband is slightly obsessed with her milestones as he has a bit of PTSD from a scare at the hospital (I had delayed milk and she went a bit weak for a couple of hours, our midwife was reluctant to give us formula but eventually did) she was fine but it really affected him and he ended up reading far too much online about hypoglycaemia and now is worried she could have had a big loss of sugar meaning some kind of brain damage. The problem is I am an anxious person anyway and it makes me bad when he's bad.

Anyway just now I was putting her down for her nap after a long walk - and whilst changing her nappy I did the pull to sit and the lag happened again and it was quite bad... should I be worried? I am freaking out!!!

Thanks 🙏 x

Also one last thing.

The last few days she's been shaking her head from side to side a lot but always looks happy when she does it?

She has been doing it in her sleep for ages but now she's doing it whilst awake... is that worrying?

Oh so sorry it's a worry for you. It doesn't sound like you need to though. If she doesn't have headlag the vast majority of the time then it's fine. The two occasions she has she probably hasn't been ready/was tired. I'd have head lag if someone pulled me to sit and I wasn't concentrating if you see what I mean! It's understandable with the history your DH has high anxiety but I really wouldn't worry here.

The head movement is really normal too. Both my boys have done this. It's self soothing. They did it particularly when tired

Oh and the head shaking thing might also just feel nice! My 6 month old has started hanging his head backwards off my arm and laughs when he sees the world upside down. They are funny things.

@KateJ59 hi kate, how did your little one get on? Any updates? I have this problem with mine, thanks x

@10187Mummyof2 hey love,

I am so sorry you're worried, what has made you think anything is a concern? Just so I can understand? ❤️

So all turned out absolutely fine - she's an extremely mobile 1 year old on the cusp of walking. She definitely excels in communication and started saying words earlier than she could crawl (like dog!) but she crawled at 10 months and now she just won't stop, stands up and climbs everything.

She waves, knows certain objects and has incredible eye contact etc etc

She does still occasionally shake her head side to side but I am honestly not worried, she's always smiling when she does it and like one of the responses on here, I think she actually enjoys it! She also has really thick hair and doesn't let me keep a hair tie in, so sometimes think it's because hair is in her face!

I am obviously just going off my daughter, and everyone's different so of course seek medical attention if you're worried, but I think at this stage it's so early in their development stage xx

Hello,

Wow sounds like she is doing fab, so happy and pleased for you. Yeah I think the head shaking thing is normal amongst toddlers isn't it- I know autistic kids do it but its excess isn't it and neurotypical kids do it too. Sounds like she's right on track with development it must be such a relief.

I'm going abit mad with my DS2! He has severe head lag during pull to sit, won't put weight on his arms and shoulders during tummy time, when I pick him up under shoulders he slips through. I think its hypotonia but obvs not a dr! He also does not sleep!! At all during day, wakes up hourly at night. He falls asleep in the day, after 10 minutes his eye shoot open and he is wide awake. E.g. he hasn't slept today at all, we started his bedtime routine 6.30, he had his bath and feed. I have been walking around rocking him for an hour but gave it! (Hes 16lbs). We are now sat in my room in the dark he is on my lap eyes wide open staring at me sucking his pacifier, usually falls asleep around 10! Then up at 7am...he doesn't get enough sleep! I am worried about him, I keep coming on here for reassurance but it doesn't help!

Otherwise he is doing well, really social: coos laughs/babbles. Also very clever, grasping objects etc- but neglects his right side. Hasn't grasped anything with his right yet or reached- so thats worrying too! They are just such a worry arent they! Never had this with my first though x

Oh sorry- hes 13 weeks now x

@10187Mummyof2 How's you little one now?

My son is 17 weeks and has head lag, trying not Google is but its very difficult.

Hi, just wondering how your little one is doing now? My health visitor was out at 16 weeks and noted head lag, we’ve been trying pull to sit since and his head lag is evident. His not bad in tummy time and meeting all other milestones don’t know whether to worry and what to do next

@FTMum1 DS is nearly 9 months now and doing really well. When it was first noted he couldn't really lift his head at tummy time and his head control in general was really poor.

He's had loads of tests (although he had other developmental delay and weight loss) and all have finally come back clear. Just the last couple of weeks he's now putting himself in a sitting position and is nearly crawling so starting to meet milestones at last. So he's come along way. I dont know when he last had bad head lag but its gone now. I dont think there is any benefit to keeping trying it at home as it just worries you.

Are you going to physio? We still go, they are very good. I feel lucky to have had such early intervention but its very stressful going through it.

Thank you so much for replying @Boogiewoogieanddance im so happy to hear your wee one is doing well and all tests are clear ☺️

I must try to get a referral to physio, did you self refer or did you health visitor refer yous?
my health visitor has just said she will keep an eye on it but never said when it would be reviewed or what would happen going forward.

@FTMum1

My health visitor did, but he couldn't lift his head a tummy time either or even when i was holding him, his head would always be rested on my shoulder. So that played a part in the referral aswell I think.

Even now sometime DS would do the head lag thing if hes distracted but alot of the time he keeps it in line. I think its if it is persistent it's a worry, and 16 weeks is still very early. The fact that they gave caught on though and will keep an eye on it is good.

I find with the physio they pick up on every little flag, even if it isn't that worrying so it can almost sound worse than it is. I'm not complaining at all, but I think if he wasn't ar physio and the HV picked up on certain things there wouldn't be need for a referral it would just be monitored at home if that makes sense?

I'll not tell you not to worry because its annoying constantly being told that and you've every right to worry but it's positive that something which could be a flag has been picked up on very early so if intervention is needed it can be offered xx