How to Know When to See a Doctor for Early Handedness

Handedness refers to a child's natural development of dominance with either the right hand or the left, or both in the case of ambidextrous individuals. Hand dominance generally emerges during the toddler years, and sometimes later in the case of some children with initial ambidexterity. Early handedness occurs when a child demonstrates hand dominance before 18 months, and may indicate hemiplegia or other motor development problems. Read on to learn how to know when to see a doctor for early handedness.

Things You'll Need

• Pediatrician or family doctor

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Instructions

Monitor Your Child's Handedness Preferences During Play

• 1

  Play with your child regularly and watch for signs of preference or dominance of one hand or the other in activities such as reaching for a ball or a toy.

• 2

  Monitor any possible insistent preference for one side or the other by testing your child's dexterity with the hand that she seems to be using less frequently. If her dexterity and skills seem similar with both hands, it is unlikely that she is exhibiting true early handedness. You may just be seeing a passing preference.

• 3

  Watch for signs that a child's motor development skills may become exclusively one-sided, even after dominance is resolved by two or three years of age. This could signal abnormally tight muscle tone and associated neurological issues, and you should see a doctor or let your doctor know of such developments immediately.

Know When to See a Doctor for Early Handedness

• 4

  Contact your doctor or let him know right away when you see your child shows insistent dominant handedness or pronounced lack of dexterity on one side of his body before the age of 18 months.

• 5

  Ask your doctor to test for signs of early handedness or uneven dexterity during regular checkups and exams.

• 6

  Discuss any diagnosis of early handedness, or concerns you may have about it, with your pediatrician or family doctor. The condition may indicate motor control issues that may be associated with a serious neurological disorder such as cerebral palsy.