Topic: 4-Year Old Hits Self Posted By: Zob Date: 02 Feb 2001 6:04 AM
My 4-year old daughter tends to hit herself , mostly on the head and
face, when she is overly angry and upset. It seems very abnormal, but
my wife feels it is nothing more than our child's way of showing her
displeasure at the situation at hand. I am wondering whether this is an
indication of an emotional development problem. My child seems healthy
in most other ways. I also wonder whether this could be related to some
of the delivery problems we experienced when our child was born; she
was in the intesnive care unit after a rough delivery where the doctors
were unsure whether she had lost oxygen during the delivery, and then
didn't breathe on her own for a day. She has exhibited this
self-hitting behavior several times over the last couple of years.
I agree with you that this may be a sign of other things. Even if she
is showing displeasure, as your wife believes, you should still consult
with your pediatrician to get a professional opinion.
