The Story Behind the Baby on the Floor

Why Babies Put Everything in Their Mouths

Medically Reviewed past Kyle Monk, 1000.D.

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on October 13, 2021

It may seem gross to you, but mouthing is a normal part of your infant's development.

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Favorite blankie, rubber ducky, lath book, fuzz on the rug, yesterday's cereal on the floor — you proper noun it, it's likely been in your babe's mouth. Welcome to baby mouthing, a completely normal part of your child's evolution (as unpleasant equally it may seem).

When do babies start mouthing?

Babies typically start mouthing by 4 months, once they're able to bring their hands to their mouths and suck on their fingers. At 6 months, this habit kicks into overdrive, and your little ane will start mouthing just nearly anything she can grab.

As cringe-inducing as it is to sentinel your infant eat a dust bunny off the floor, baby mouthing is a totally normal phase of evolution. If your baby isn't bringing her hands and other objects to her mouth past the age of 6 months, it's probably not a crusade for concern, but mention it to your pediatrician just in case.

Why do babies put everything in their mouths?

The erstwhile fashion of thinking about an infant'due south everything-goes-in-their-mouth addiction was that information technology was a central component of babe development — that mouthing is how babies learn near the world, i lick at a time.

And while that'due south true, some experts at present recall at that place's fifty-fifty more to mouthing. Here are just a few reasons babies put everything in their mouths.

Self-soothing

From the moment she's born, your infant is looking for ways to comfort herself when she's tired, uncomfortable or hungry. And in one case she discovers that her easily and fingers are, well, ever on paw, she'll realize that she has a built-in mode to soothe herself.

Exploring the earth around them

As months become by, babies kickoff to notice that their hands are useful tools for exploring new environments. Y'all'll notice your little one start to swat, grasp and reach out for whatever's nearby — and one time your baby can hold onto an object, she'due south guaranteed to put it in her oral fissure.

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Teething

Babies commonly cut their first tooth around half-dozen months, although some little ones get their start tooth a few months earlier or later (sometimes even afterwards 12 months). Earlier a tooth erupts, you may discover an increase in your baby'south desire to stick everything in her mouth — and so chomp on it to ease the pain.

Peradventure improving their immune arrangement

When your baby picks something up off the ground — the pacifier that'due south been hanging out with the old Cheerios under the sofa, for case — and sticks information technology in her mouth, the leaner and viruses she exposes herself to give her immune system a chance to fight them off — and makes your baby stronger.

In fact, one hypothesis is that babies who aren't exposed to plenty bacteria, germs and brute dander may have an increased risk of allergies and asthma. While that doesn't necessarily mean you should neglect all cleaning duties, the expert news is that you don't have to worry too much about all those old Cheerios.

Safety tips for a baby who is mouthing everything

Regardless of why your baby puts everything in her mouth, know that certain items should be off-limits. Most chiefly, choking hazards similar coins, buttons and marbles, plus anything that's covered in lots of germs (retrieve kitchen sponges and prison cell phones) that could exist harmful to your baby or make her sick.

While babies tend to have a skilful gag reflex, it'southward non foolproof. Use these tips to keep your baby safe:

• Remove choking hazards. Patrol the rooms in your home — especially baby's room and playroom — for small items that could be a choking hazard. Remove anything small enough to fit all the fashion within your baby's mouth (think beyond an older kid's toys with minor parts; also consider toys like marbles, die and balloons, too as household items like plastic bags, buttons, pilus ties and small batteries).
• Keep anything poisonous out of attain. Babies don't know what'south safe and what isn't — it's all fascinating to them. So put anything that'south potentially poisonous — like medicine, nail shine, cleaning products, firm plants, bug spray, markers, vino, eastward-cigarettes, soaps and detergents — out of reach and out of sight.
• Put away items that pose suffocation or strangulation risks. Everyday household items like power cords, yarn and the cords on blinds can conduct a take chances of suffocation or strangulation to your little one if she uses information technology for mouthing. Secure these objects or store them locked up high and out of babe's reach. Even infant items, similar infant blankets, stuffed toys, bibs, pacifier clips and babe headbands pose a risk if used unsupervised.
• Look out for old food. That stale slice of cereal that was on the kitchen floor a second ago and is now in your baby's mouth is probably okay. But nutrient that's spoiling (or set up to — like the food in the dog's bowl) isn't safe because those bacteria could make your baby sick. Another concern: food that falls onto a damp or moisture area (bacteria multiply more apace on moisture surfaces) or food that's been mouthed and then left behind.
• Provide a safe mouthing zone. Encourage your baby'southward mouthing habit past giving her access to safe objects similar teething toys. Just stay abroad from hazards like amber bead teething necklaces, which take not been establish to work and can be unsafe.
• Keep it make clean. If there'southward an old crumb on the floor, baby will find information technology, and then consider sweeping or vacuuming areas where she plays on the flooring regularly to keep her from mouthing on unsavory items that have been left backside. And don't let your baby play with germ-ridden objects like your dog's favorite chew toy.

Bottom line? While you should keep anything dangerous abroad from your baby, accept that no thing what, your baby will rima oris things y'all never would — at least, not since y'all were an adorable mouthing babe yourself!

Make a practiced-faith effort to keep things basically clean — call back "clean plenty," not "pristine" — and to prevent your baby from doing something that could put her in harm's way. You and your footling one will be better for this straightforward (and relatively easygoing) mental attitude.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Await When Y'all're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content authentic and upwards-to-date past reading our medical review and editorial policy.

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