My One Year Olds Odd Behavior

I think you should video tape the staring episodes, and include a close up of his eyes. What are they doing? Are they fixated on one thing or rolled off the back or sides?

Then take said child and video to your pediatricians. Go from there.

Gently and constantly disrupt your son from banging his head. Also tell your doctor. Could be separate issues, could not.

I would consult a PED asap. Everyone zones out from time to time..it might be nothing but it might be something. For peace of mind check it out.

Since it is an extreme case of behavioral changes, I would take him in.

Ditto mum4ever.

It could be totally normal (probably is... saving up his energy to get into real mischief ;) it could be partial seizures, signs of developmental delay, signs of needing glasses OR that his eyesight is improving... tons of things it "could" be. And if he's been banging his head a LOT (all kids do to an extent) he could also be giving himself concussions. Record the actions, and head to the Peds.

Dontcha love technology?

chances are it is just an odd habit. Probably everything is just fine. Try dissuading the head banging and engaging him when he is "spaced out"... if the behavior persists or he reacts negatively to your intervening- call the doctor and see if you can make an appointment.

Pay attention to anything else that is "off"- does he communicate well socially, is his speech development normal? Has he regressed in anything?

Again- it is PROBABLY just a weird habit, but there is no harm in getting him checked out anyways.

Good Luck!
-M.

Could be normal, but I would be concerned enough to talk to a pediatrician about it. A video is a great idea, since symptoms can be hard to describe and may not show up at the doctor's office.

Your son may have something as common as sensory integration problems (either over- or under-stimulated by sound, lights, textures or other physical senses) or he could have a brain or nervous system abnormality. Finding out whether there's a problem and getting appropriate treatment early can make a huge difference in a child's development.

One other possibility that may be worth investigating is whether your son has developed a sensitivity to one or more common household chemicals, or common additives like colors and preservatives in foods. Sensitivities/allergies can make children physically or mentally uncomfortable and hard to please, always at odds with their own bodies.

I have severe chemical sensitivities, and get both physical and emotional symptoms to exposures to perfumed toiletries, home cleaning products, fabric softeners and air "fresheners." (Many of these are just downright toxic.) In group testing situations, I have watched children go from contentedly coloring to bouncing off walls, screaming, crying, or being impossibly stubborn just minutes after having drops of some dilute solution squirted under their tongues.

It would be worth checking out. You can try sealing all suspicious products in plastic bags and using free and clear detergent, baking soda or vinegar for most cleaning for the next 2-3 weeks, and watch for any improvements. If reintroducing the products back into the home then results in worse behavior, you'll have a possible solution to work on.

I know this sounds like a lot of change, but it's really not that hard to try. Most of the household miracle products and toiletries commonly used are really not needed, and they are expensive, they are often toxic, and honestly, they don't clean better than a few simple, cheap ingredients. We believe we need them because the advertising is so compelling.

But I've used very little for cleaning in my home besides baking soda, white vinegar, borax, hydrogen peroxide, and scent-free detergent for over 20 years. My house always smells clean and pleasant – and visitors often remark that the atmosphere is "calming." My pet theory is that their bodies are noticing the lack of toxins in the air.

I would get him looked at by the pediatrician first. Not to freak you out, but my own brother developed full-blown cataracts and went totally blind over a weekend when he was 18 months old. The doctors had never seen anything like it. He had just had a check-up earlier in the week and over the weekend my parents noticed him suddenly being very tentative about walking, hugging the walls and not wanting to come down the stairs. He would bump into stuff. He would sit in the middle of the floor and just scream, he was so frustrated. My mom took him in on that Monday and he has lost all vision in both eyes. He ended up needing cataract surgery and then was fine - he still needs glasses or contacts to see but otherwise is okay (this was 1978).

So for your own peace of mind, I would get him seen - good luck to you...

This is pretty normal for his age. He should have a check up at 15 months, so bring it up then but I dont think it warrants a visit ASAP.

As everyone said, it could be nothing. It could also be everything everyone has mentioned. It could also be autism. Autistic children develp normally for a certain period and then something just switches off. Autism also can be characterized by staring and head-banging. I like the idea of vidoeing incidences to show your ped.

Definitely take him to the ped. Sometimes it's very comforting to be told you're stressing over nothing.