Why might a baby start shaking their head?

Common reasons

Gaining control of the head is a major developmental milestone.

At about 2 months old, most babies begin to watch as someone moves or may smile when they talk. They continue gaining head control and can easily lift and move their head and turn toward sounds by 4 months. Some parents and caregivers also notice that head shaking begins around this time.

Developmental reasons why a baby might shake their head include the following.

Experimentation

Babies master new skills by practicing them. For an infant with little control over the world, increasing head control is a major change.

A baby who has recently learned to control their head may turn it from side to side and experiment with moving it into different positions.

Listening to sounds

A baby will commonly move their head toward familiar or interesting sounds, such as a loud crash or a parent’s or caregiver’s voice.

If two or more people are talking or there are several competing noises in a room, a baby may move their head back and forth, trying to follow the sounds.

In a quieter room, these head movements may stop.

Communication

Babies can understand words well before they can talk. As a result, they may start understanding some of what parents or caregivers say to them at about 6 months. A baby may shake their head to communicate with them.

By 12 months, many babies shake their heads to signal “no” or frustration.

Self-soothing

Some babies find it soothing to shake their heads from side to side. They may do this when they are overstimulated, anxious, or trying to fall asleep.

Self-soothing is harmless and may help a baby feel less anxious in new situations.

Underlying medical reasons

When a baby shakes their head because something is wrong, they often experience other simultaneous symptoms.

Parents and caregivers need to monitor head shaking that accompanies other signs and symptoms, such as crying or not meeting developmental milestones.

Some things to watch for include the following.

Pain or ear infection

Some babies may shake their heads to soothe themselves if they are in pain.

Sudden head shaking may be a sign of an ear infection, especially if the baby has a fever or has symptoms of a cold. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics to treat ear infections, but they are not always necessary.

Read about how to treat baby ear infections without antibiotics.

Epilepsy

Some people with epilepsy, including babies, have myoclonic jerks. These are very short seizures that cause sudden contractions in the muscles.

While myoclonic jerks can affect any part of the body, they may cause a baby to turn their head or neck. The jerks are very short, and parents or caregivers may not initially recognize them as seizures.

Myoclonic jerks occur suddenly and can be forceful. If a baby has these, it will not look as though they are voluntarily shaking their head.

Autism and other developmental issues

Some autistic people move their bodies to self-soothe or stimulate themselves. They may nod or shake their head, usually in rhythmic motions.

It is possible that an infant may be autistic if they:

• do not meet developmental milestones
• gain and then lose skills
• do not make eye contact with or respond to parents or caregivers

Neurological disorders

Head shaking may signal a neurological problem, especially if a baby seems unable to control it or has other unusual movements or behaviors.

For example, a condition called rhombencephalosynapsis causes differences in the formation of the brain’s cerebellum. An older 2013 study found that 50 of 59 children with this condition had persistent head shaking for years before a doctor formally diagnosed them.

Babies with neurological disorders may not meet developmental milestones and may have trouble with speech, movement, and other age-typical behaviors.

Shuddering attacks

Very rarely, babies and young children experience so-called shuddering attacks, which seem to occur spontaneously. A baby’s body may shake or shiver, and these movements might extend to the head.

Doctors do not know what causes these attacks, but they are usually harmless. However, a doctor may first rule out other causes, such as neurological conditions or head injuries.

Rhythmic movement disorders

Rhythmic movement disorders are conditions involving repetitive movements, such as head shaking or body rocking, that quickly repeat across a few minutes or hours.

It often occurs in infants and children while falling asleep. Healthcare professionals typically consider it to be benign unless it lasts into adulthood or causes symptoms that disrupt sleep. It may be associated with developmental disorders and sleep disorders.

When to speak with a doctor

It is never too early to consult a doctor for worrisome or atypical behavior in a baby.

Early interventions can help a severe developmental or neurological problem. Additionally, early treatment for ear infections and other common conditions may prevent these conditions from worsening.

A person needs to take a baby to the doctor’s office if they:

• do not meet their developmental milestones — for example, if they do not move their head toward sounds by 4 months
• have other symptoms along with the head shaking, such as fever
• seem distressed
• cannot control their head or movements

Parents or caregivers also need to discuss any new behaviors at the baby’s next well-child visit.

Summary 

As babies discover the world, they continually develop new skills. Sometimes, atypical behaviors accompany these skills.

In most cases, head shaking is a natural, developmentally appropriate behavior that shows that a baby is exploring and interacting with their world.

If a baby has any accompanying symptoms or seems distressed, it is important to take them to see a doctor.