Some folk rumors say that the earlier a baby eats their hands, the smarter they become. Is this really credible? In fact, this statement is unscientific. Eating hands is not related to intellectual development. At this point, novice parents have a question: should they stop their baby from eating hands?
Reasons why babies eat their hands
The incomplete development of various perceptual functions in early childhood can cause instinctive sucking when the lips come into contact with objects. Hand eating babies are not uncommon among large children and are a normal physiological phenomenon during their growth process. And the baby eating their hands may also be due to hunger, reminding parents to take care of the baby in a timely manner to check if they are hungry.
If the baby is not fed immediately, they will seek comfort by eating their hands. And eating hands is a manifestation of the sucking reflex, which is similar to breastfeeding for mothers and can help babies regain a sense of security and relieve their own anxiety.
Do we need to intervene in hand eating
Eating hands is not only not a sign of intelligence for babies, but it may also bring some disadvantages, such as making their teeth grow irregularly when eating hands, which can affect their appearance and speech. Moreover, eating hands can lead to health problems such as bacterial infections and peeling of fingers. And if the baby is still eating their hands after the age of three, they should seek advice from a pediatrician, which may indicate psychological anxiety and other issues.
In short, the timing of a baby eating their hands cannot reflect their intelligence. The editor suggests that parents should not blindly believe in folk sayings and should adopt scientific parenting.
