Why do babies put everything in their mouths?
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The remote, a slipper, your finger. Whatever a baby grabs goes straight into the mouth. Take it away, and they protest. Are they hungry? Many people think it's hunger, or teething. Teething does make babies want to chew, but most of the time they aren't eating at all. So what are they doing? Let's compare. A newborn's hands, eyes and mouth: which one works best?
Start with the hands. A newborn's hand squeezes whatever touches it, but that's a built-in reflex, not a choice. Reaching out on purpose comes at three or four months. Picking up a pea with two fingers? Nine months to a year. Now the eyes. A newborn's world is blurry, sharp only about as far as your face when you hold them. The mouth is different. Still in the womb, babies bring their hands to their mouths. Ultrasounds catch them sucking their fingers. At birth they can already root, suck and swallow. The mouth is the first part they master.
And it's remarkably sensitive. Touch an adult with two points: on the back, they can be centimeters apart and still feel like one; on a fingertip, about two millimeters; on the tip of the tongue, just one. So every new thing goes into the mouth first: hard or soft, round or edged, cool or warm. The mouth explores it for the clumsy hands and blurry eyes. They aren't eating. They're looking, with their mouth. How long does this last? Studies find mouthing peaks between six and nine months. As the hands get skilled, babies turn things, poke them, bang them. The mouth steps back; by one and a half to two, it's much less.
Until then, the mouth is their eyes, so someone has to keep watch. Grab a toilet-paper tube. Anything that fits all the way inside can choke a child under three. Put it out of reach. Lock away button batteries and tiny magnets; swallowed, they can hurt the gut. If you suspect one was swallowed, go to the hospital right away. When babies chew on everything, it's usually not hunger: they're getting to know the world. What did you used to think it was: hunger, or teething?
The remote, a slipper, your finger
Whatever a baby grabs goes straight into the mouth, and take it away and they protest. Many people assume they are hungry, or teething. Teething does make them want to chew, but most of the time they are not eating.
They are “looking” at things with their mouth.
Hands, eyes, mouth: which is ready first?
The tongue beats the fingertip
Gently touch an adult with two points. On the back, they can be several centimetres apart and still feel like one. On a fingertip they need about two millimetres. On the tip of the tongue, one millimetre is enough. The mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of the body.
One bite tells them a lot
While the hands are clumsy and the eyes are blurry, the mouth explores new things for them. Chewing also soothes itchy gums and helps babies calm down; scientists think it is a mix of reasons.
Peak mouthing: six to nine months
As the hands get smarter, babies start turning things over, poking and banging them. The mouth steps back, and by one and a half to two years there is much less of it.
Keep a toilet-paper tube handy
Getting to know the world, with their mouth.
Quick check
A seven-month-old grabs a block and puts it straight in the mouth. What is the baby most likely doing?
Hands are clumsy and eyes are blurry, so the mouth, the first part ready and the most sensitive, does the “looking”.
