What's wrong with a child eating his feet?

For parents, watching their baby grow up day by day is a very happy thing. However, many parents find that their children like to suck their hands and feet. Some parents think that the baby may be hungry or lacking some nutrients. In fact, it is normal for babies to suck their feet. This is the process of babies getting to know their own bodies, so parents don’t have to worry. Let’s take a look at the specific reasons why babies suck their feet.

Why does the baby eat his feet?

It is normal for babies to eat their feet

For babies, sucking their feet is the same as sucking their hands. It is a normal phenomenon in the process of growth and development. Sucking is an innate instinct of babies. For babies, sucking their hands and feet indicates that their psychological development has entered a new stage. The baby can coordinate the movements of his hands and mouth, which is a signal of intellectual development.

Baby eating feet is related to the oral stage

The main way for infants under one year old to obtain satisfaction of their various desires is through their mouth. They will put anything they are interested in around them into their mouths as an activity for self-entertainment and self-enjoyment. This period is the oral stage. Parents don't need to stop it, just keep the baby's hands and feet and toys clean.

For babies aged 2 to 5 months, "mouth" is a tool for exploring the world. They explore and experience the surrounding environment through their mouth. So he will lick whatever he touches. This is the baby learning. When the baby is eating the feet, he does not know that he is eating "feet". He is using his mouth to study this thing with five forks.

Babies eat their feet to calm themselves

In a psychological sense, babies can get psychological satisfaction and pleasure from sucking their toes. Moreover, sucking the baby's feet can stabilize the baby's emotions. When the baby is hungry, tired or angry, sucking his fingers or toes will calm him down.

It is very normal for babies to suck their feet. Parents just need to make sure to wash their babies' feet clean. Generally, as the baby grows, he or she will not be able to suck his or her feet anymore. Never try to stop him by force, let him eat as much as he wants to satisfy his cognitive desire.

Precautions

It is best not to keep small and sharp objects near your baby.

It is best not to let your baby out of your sight.