Mouthing is a common and natural developmental stage. This behavior involves babies and toddlers placing objects, toys, or even their own body parts into their mouths. It serves as an early form of oral exploration, allowing them to gather information about their surrounding environment.
Understanding Why Mouthing Occurs
Infants use their mouths as a primary tool for learning. Their mouths and lips are rich with sensory nerves, enabling them to perceive the texture, shape, and temperature of objects. This helps them distinguish between different materials, such as a hard block versus a soft toy.
Mouthing also offers relief during the teething process. As new teeth emerge, babies often seek comfort by biting down on various objects, applying counter-pressure to sore gums.
Mouthing provides sensory input. It helps children integrate touch, taste, and proprioception, which is the sense of their body’s position and movement. By mouthing, babies strengthen their jaw, cheek, and tongue muscles, developing fundamental skills like chewing, swallowing, and forming speech sounds. This oral play lays the groundwork for future communication and feeding.
Mouthing can also serve as a self-soothing mechanism. Before infants learn to suck their thumb, they might suck or bite on their entire hand or other objects to find comfort. This behavior helps babies regulate their emotions when they feel uncomfortable, such as being hungry, sleepy, or anxious.
This behavior aids in cognitive development. When babies grasp and bring an object to their mouth, it requires coordination of their vision and motor skills. Mouthing can also contribute to understanding concepts like object permanence, the idea that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.
Ensuring Safety and Recognizing Concerns
While mouthing is a natural part of development, it presents several common safety hazards for infants and young children. Choking on small objects is a primary concern, as children under 5 years old can easily choke on items like coins, buttons, small toy parts, and balloons. Foods such as whole grapes, hot dogs, nuts, hard candy, and large chunks of meat are also significant choking risks if not prepared properly.
Exposure to germs from unsanitized items is another risk. Viruses like influenza can survive on toys for hours, leading to infections. Regularly cleaning toys and the child’s environment helps minimize the transfer of bacteria and viruses.
Ingestion of toxic substances poses a threat. Household items such as cleaning supplies, medications, batteries (particularly button batteries), and certain plants can be harmful if mouthed or swallowed. Some plastics in non-toy items or even certain toys can contain harmful chemicals like phthalates or lead, which can leach out when chewed.
Parents should be aware of “red flags” that might indicate mouthing behavior is atypical or excessive. Persistent mouthing of inappropriate objects like clothing, hair, or non-toy items beyond typical developmental stages, usually around 18-24 months, can be a sign. Other indicators include if the behavior interferes with eating or other daily activities, if it causes a rash around the mouth, or if it leads to destruction of clothing.
Consulting a healthcare professional is important if concerns arise. Parents should seek advice from a pediatrician or occupational therapist if mouthing is obsessive, continues past two to three years of age, or is accompanied by other developmental delays. A professional can help identify underlying reasons, such as sensory processing differences or dental issues, and recommend appropriate interventions.
Supporting and Managing Mouthing Behavior
Caregivers can support mouthing behavior by offering safe alternatives. Providing age-appropriate and easy-to-clean mouthing toys, such as silicone teethers with different textures, can satisfy a child’s oral exploration needs. Chewable jewelry or chew tools designed for oral sensory input are also available for older children who continue to need oral stimulation.
Maintaining cleanliness in the child’s environment is necessary to minimize germ exposure. Regularly wash toys with warm water and mild soap, or use natural solutions like diluted white vinegar. Fabric toys can often be machine washed, while plastic toys may be dishwasher-safe, but always check manufacturer instructions.
Constant supervision is necessary, especially when children are mouthing objects. This allows caregivers to intervene quickly if a child attempts to mouth an unsafe item or is at risk of choking. Being present and attentive can prevent hazards.
Gently redirecting a child from inappropriate objects to safe alternatives is a management strategy. When a child mouths something unsafe, calmly remove it and offer a preferred teether or chew toy. This teaches the child what items are acceptable for mouthing.
Parents can be reassured that mouthing is a temporary developmental phase. Most children reduce mouthing behavior as they grow and develop other ways to explore their world, often around 18 to 24 months of age. This natural progression means the behavior will diminish over time.
For older children where mouthing persists, strategies can be implemented. Chewable jewelry, specialized chew tools, or incorporating crunchy or chewy snacks into their diet can provide appropriate oral input. Activities such as blowing bubbles or drinking through straws can also engage oral muscles and satisfy sensory needs. An occupational therapist can help create a “sensory diet” with activities tailored to a child’s individual needs.