HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 21, 6 September 1946, Page 7

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

HEAD ROLLING IN CHILDREN (By the Department of Health).

Head rolling in children is an undesirable habit that happens mainly in the first two years of life, but which may persist into older ages. It usually occurs during sleep. The child lies on his back rolling his head from side to side. This may go on for a long time, even hours—so much so that the hair may be rubbed thin.

The cause is not easy to trace. Occasionally there is a physical basis. There may be some irritation in the semi-circular canals of the ear, or definite earache. Or possibly there may be pain in the head, apart from earache. Some authorities suggest teething; that head rolling occurs during the three or four weeks before the cutting of a tooth. In case the cause in any individual may be physical, a doctor should be asked to make sure there is no ear trouble, and that, as far as can be told- everything is all right physically. Psychological causes seem to predominate in head rollers. A baby recast to the emotional tension of the home. There may be over-solici-tude from one or other parent, and the child becomes nervous. There may be jealousy between children in the home, and this leads to nervous tension. For example, a girl of fourteen had the habit of head rolling. On enquiry it turned out that the parents and family friends preferred a prettier and cleverer younger sister, and didn’t hide the fact at all. The older girl became unhappy. When these facts were pointed out to the parents who were worried about the head rolling, they set to work to even up the attention to their daughters. The head rolling ceased. If there is no physical cause for head rolling, remember the psychological angle, and see if 3 ? ou cannot find and eliminate any nervous tension in the home that may be upsetting the child. An expert may help you trace an unsuspected cause.