Newborn babies cannot put their hands in their mouths to eat because their brain development is not yet complete. When babies reach 2 to 3 months old, their finger functions begin to differentiate, and hand movements start to appear. When a baby can actually put their hand in their mouth to nibble on, it indicates that their motor muscles and muscle control abilities have coordinated and cooperated with each other. This is a signal of the baby's intellectual development, and parents should be happy for their baby's actions.
Eating hands is a psychological need for babies' development.
Famous psychologists Freud and Erikson believe that eating hands can eliminate a baby's anxiety, restlessness, and tension, and have a calming effect. Forcibly stopping a baby from eating hands can lead to a rebellious mentality or psychological shadow. Research abroad has found that if a baby's behavior is strongly constrained during this period and their oral sensitive period is not treated correctly, they are more likely to develop an aggressive personality when they grow up. Babies at 4 to 5 months old are in the oral sensitive period, so they like to suck on their mother's nipple or bite their little hands while sleeping. Having something in their mouth gives them a sense of security, and if their need for sucking and nibbling is not satisfied, they will become restless and have negative emotions such as irritability and depression.
How to avoid forming bad habits
Although eating hands is a normal stage of development and a psychological need for babies, parents do not need to worry too much. However, parents should frequently wash the baby's hands to maintain hand hygiene and prevent bacterial invasion and infections. They should also avoid forming bad habits.
(1) Prepare a "teething toy" for the baby to satisfy their needs during teething, which can reduce the frequency of eating hands.
(2) Parents should give the baby more love, more physical contact, and more cuddling to establish a sense of security.
(3) According to the baby's developmental needs, play with toys, chat, tell stories, etc. with the baby to appropriately divert their attention.
(4) Babies also have a rebellious mentality, so avoid forcibly preventing them from eating hands, as it may have the opposite effect and reinforce this behavior.
(5) Babies over 2 years old should gradually wean off the habit of eating hands, as it can affect tooth alignment and also cause finger peeling, swelling, and even infections.
