My 7 Month Old Started Throwing Fits

She could be teething..my son would get really fussy and throw little fits too. So it wouldnt hurt to try some teething cures...like teething rings or something cold to chew on but our favorite was teething tablets. You can find them at babys r us or walmart. They are all natural so it wouldnt hurt to try they always seemed to help my son. Good luck!

We're going through this too and my daughter is almost 6 months. When I put her down to play and she doesn't like it, she of course starting throwing her fit, I calmly tell her that I can't help her until she calms down (yes, I know she doesn't know what I'm saying) and when she stops crying, even for a second, I pick her up praising her that she isn't crying anymore. I think that teaches them that their every whim won't be answered and that sometimes things have to wait.

You cannot disipline a 7 month old. She is probably teething. This shall pass. lol

I've seen a number of kids in my daycare go through these times. They will just become unhappy and you may or may not know why and definitely don't know how to stop it.

I would not advocate any sort of physical punishment at this point. But I would use separation. When she starts to act this way just whisper in her ear that you love her and she must be tired. Say it's night night time now. Put her down in her crib. If she settles down, even just a little bit even, go and get her. If she keeps screaming and holding doesn't help, put her back again. This time let her yell it out til she is all the way quiet or sleeps.

I had a baby a few years ago that could scream and scream for hours on end and nothing worked. His mom and I stayed on the same page and did this. He is now 3 and a half years old and a great kid. This will pass. But know she understands more than you think probably. And if she doesn't get it completely, she will soon. She just doesn't know how to handle her emotions and anger yet. But she needs to learn that anger and fits do not automatically get her what she wants.

Suzi

My daughter threw her first temper tantrum when she was 4 mos old. Say what you will, there was nothing wrong with her. I laid her in her crib for a few minutes to work it out and she finally calmed down enough that I could pick her back up again. It didn't happen again until she was close to 1, but I think it just depends on your child's temperament. Our daughter's tantrums are usually when she's tired or frustrated. She's at that fun toddler stage of testing limits. :) If it's just happening when your daughter's trying to crawl, she's probably just frustrated. If it happens frequently at that age though, for seemingly unconnected reasons, then there may be some other problems. Good luck!

If these are normal little temperamental fits, you have already received great advice. If you see signs of teething, she needs your encouragement and comfort. But, you say you have never seen fits like this in a 7 m/o, so you may want to consider other possibilities.

Not that I want to alarm you, but, if a fit goes on for extended periods of time, occurs too frequently, if the screaming is very high-pitched, if she turns very red, or has other physical symptoms, there may be other causes. Since you report that this came on very suddenly last Wednesday, you might think back to last Monday or Tuesday. Did she experience a bad fall or receive a vaccine? Was she exposed to a new food, laundry detergent, household cleaner, etc.? Some abnormal fits may indicate headache or spinal discomfort following a fall. In this case, see a good chiropractor. In some cases, it can be due to an allergy or some toxic exposure. Like it or not, vaccines are toxic.

All parents should be aware that the MDs are pushing the flu vaccine for children 6 months and older. The US Congress demanded that the mercury-containing preservatives be removed from all REQUIRED childhood vaccines. The flu shot is recommended, not required. So, it still has mercury in it, unless you know to ask for a mercury-free vaccine. Some MDs who have not explored the science behind this issue for themselves tend to get a bit defensive if you start probing into this subject. They may claim there is no scientific proof that the mercury in vaccines is related to neuro-developmental disorders. As a mother, I have researched this subject for more than 20 years. It doesn't help to argue with your MD about such things. You can ask him if he is aware of the boilogical studies about the neuro-toxic effects of mercury conducted at the University of Calgary and offer the following website: http://commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury/. Just click on one of the video icons to view the report. You can find this website by Googling 'University of Calgary mercury'. There is still a lot of confusion about this issue among medical practiioners. I don't understand why, other than the influence of the pharmaceutical companies trying to convince us they have done nothing wrong.

If you feel these fits may be vaccine related, you will find the phone number for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the blue pages of the phone book. You, not your doctor, are responsible for reporting this information.

Hopefully, your baby is just frustrated about learning to control her body and her environment and you don't need to worry about any of the above scenarios. You can try to understand what she is trying to accomplish and help her discover her strengths to do so. If you feel I can be of any further help, feel free to contact me directly.

It could be gas too. The little boy I took care of had that problem. When the gas would start going thru his intestines he would start screaming at the top of his lungs. Sometimes nothing would soothe him and sometimes slightly squeezing his tummy to help it go through would work. Hope this helps some. Good luck and God Bless.

My 8 mo old son did that and had head banging fi22`sperfectly normal and healthy at 4.5yo now, just a little bit of a trial at times. He is the type to get in my face and make lots of noise when he feels he is due some attention. Of course when I am on the phone, or if he feels the kids are ignoring him. Good time to show or teach her how to deal with what it is she feels she needs. But, I wouldn't think discipline would be very helpful at this age, and what kind would be productive at this age?

I would try to give her toys. Boredom is usually the issue with these kinds of fits. If it doesn't resolve itself with that, you may get him a physical by the dr. Could be teething, ear ache, or other discomfort. If it doesn't sound like a pain cry, then it is probably just boredom.

If she keeps kicking hard enough, she will learn to crawl. She is frustrated, let her work through it. Bend her knees and practice crawling with her and then leave her be. You will be surprised at what happens.

Good luck,
D.

A.,

I agree with the moms here: there is something more than meets the eye going on than a random tantrum.

My own little ones got very upset about having gas, as was mentioned. The method that worked for me - without fail - was wetting the tip of my finger, dipping it into baking soda, then rubbing that on the baby's tongue. Burping or passing of gas starts almost immediately, giving baby some much needed relief.

I also found baby massage to be very soothing and comforting for my little guys. You can find methods and tips online.

If none of these suggestions help, mention it to your Ped. at your baby's upcoming visit.

Good Luck!

I dont have much advice for you but remember that little ones respond very well to a mother's facial expressions and mood. When she does these things give her a "look" that lets her know you aren't happy. She will get it! If she doesn't its more than likely that she is choosing not to respond to it. Babies have a need to make their parents happy and if they sense that you are not happy with them, they should respond. Im not sure you can really discipline a child that young but the facial expressions should have some effect. Tone of voice also works, since they dont understand all words yet. Hope this helps!