FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET
Head banging
Head
banging is one of the childhood problems such as restless legs and
hyperactivity that have increased dramatically since the introduction of
processed foods in the 1960s in the
Children
often start head banging around the end of their first year. It is more common
in boys than girls, and in children with autism. Toddlers usually bang their
heads against their cot, but it can be walls, floors and other objects.
Children who frequently engage in this behaviour can develop a bald spot or
long lasting bruising as a result.
Paediatricians
and psychologists generally suggest that head banging is an attention seeking
or pleasurable repetitive behaviour and that parents should ignore it.
In my
experience, head banging in both autistic and non-autistic children is related
to food chemicals. Children aged three and under are unable to explain why they
do it, although when they avoid certain food chemicals, their head banging
stops. One mother who was already avoiding artificial colours reported that her
two-year-old's head banging dropped from 10 episodes per day to only one within
two days of avoiding annatto natural yellow colour (160b).
A twelve
year old former head banger doing the failsafe diet for behaviour and learning
problems reverted to banging his head repeatedly against a brick wall during
his annatto challenge. After the episode, he was able to describe a headache so
severe and overwhelming that banging his head seemed to be the only way to obtain
relief.
Annatto
160b (from the seed coat of a tropical tree) is the most commonly used food
colour in our food supply. It is found in a wide range of both healthy and junk
foods, from breakfast cereals, yoghurt, custard, margarine and crumbed or battered
foods such as fish fingers to icecream, biscuits and snack foods. Parents often
choose foods labeled 'all natural - no artificial colours, flavours or
preservatives' unaware that they can contain natural colour annatto 160b which
has been shown to affect more people than artificial colours. The reaction is
likely to be more delayed than with artificial colours, which makes it even
more difficult to identify.
Preservatives,
artificial flavours and other food chemicals can also cause head banging. The
mother of a child with autistic spectrum disorder described how her young son
reacted to a children's colour-free paracetamol:
"He became incredibly agitated, head banging,
aggressive, thrashing ... inconsolable... we rushed to the doctor (because we
were to hop on an international flight the next day!) and he sent us off for
urgent blood and urine tests. While waiting for the tests (about 3 hours later
I think) my son suddenly regained his composure and became calm."
Children
generally grow out of head banging by the age of three or four. This is because
the smallest children are most vulnerable to the effects of food chemicals -
the effects of food chemicals are related to dose, and dose for weight,
children eat, drink and breathe more than adults. As they grow, their tolerance
increases. In autistic children, extremely food sensitive children, or those
with a high intake of processed foods, episodes of head banging may persist.
Betacarotene
natural colour 160, as found in carrots, is a safe alternative to annatto
natural yellow colour and artificial yellow. Although Australian food
manufacturers say it is too difficult and expensive to use, betacarotene is
used extensively as a colouring in
Reader’s story
[562] Yellow addiction (May 2007)
My son was restless from
the day he was born. His paediatrician told me to not feed him dairy or wheat
and suggested I feed him meat and vegetables and fruit for the first year of
his life. When he was one, I decided to broaden his diet a bit and started
feeding him vanilla ice cream. I didn’t understand at the time, but he started
throwing the most awful tantrums and head banging. He became obsessed with the
colour yellow. He only wanted to wear yellow clothes, draw with yellow pencils
and chose toys that were yellow. My friends constantly commented on his yellow
addiction. I used to feed him corn and cheese omelettes for dinner with vanilla
ice cream and banana for dessert. I’d mix the banana in thoroughly so the ice
cream looked more yellow. It wasn’t until 18 months later that I started
learning about nasty food chemicals, and learned that annatto 160b natural
yellow colouring was causing a lot of problems. When we got together with other
mothers, he’d go straight for yellow food and always want yellow drinks. It was
a bit of a joke really. He’d choose yellow lollies over other colours and when
I asked him what colour he wanted his room painted, he of course said Yellow. I
stopped allowing him food with 160b in it, but still let him have it when he
went out. My friends thought I was over the top with food.
One day after meeting with
my friends, and my son eating their yellow food, he went off the rails. I
managed to get him into the car, (which is hard when they stiffen their bodies
like a board) and drove him to my friend’s house. He was screaming in his car
seat, Let me out, let me out and was struggling like crazy in his seat. We
drove up her driveway and my friend said Oh my god, what’s happened to Liam? I explained this is what happens when he eats
bad food chemicals. It was only after this that she actually believed me. I
then became strict and totally eliminated it from his diet. His headbanging
stopped and his outrageous tantrums stopped also. I then realised that his
obsession with yellow was caused from an addiction to yellow food. When I
eliminated it from his diet, he began to choose other colours to wear. He’d
choose other coloured lunchboxes, drink bottles and hats. I’ve never heard any
other parent mention the colour phenomenon, but I still believe it was
connected to his addiction to 160b. – Helen, NSW (similar stories to suedengate@ozemail.com.au please)
What you can do
1. For
autistic children, go straight to step 5.
2. Read all
ingredient labels
3. Avoid
artificial colours and annatto 160b. The following items are examples of colour
free products:
- Peters Original Vanilla
Icecream
- Vaalia plain yoghurt (you can
add your own flavourings)
4. Avoid
preservatives and artificial flavours, especially in children's medications
5. If head
banging persists, you might want to do a trial of the failsafe diet, to find
out exactly which food chemicals are causing your child's problem. See
Factsheet 'How to start the failsafe diet'.
The information given is not intended as
medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians
Association of
© Sue Dengate update
February 2005
