Why Is My Baby Chewing On Their Clothing?

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Teething baby chewing on cloth
Why Is My Baby Chewing On Their Clothing?

Your Baby chewing on their clothing or anything they can get their hands on is a common phenomenon. This is common among ages 18-24 months but is likely to continue to the age of 2-4 for some kids. Your baby could be teething, trying to stay calm, stay attentive on something or it could be delays in development. With these mentioned we will look at each of these behaviors and its underlying reasons more in detail.

Understanding the Behavior for babies chewing on their clothing 

Your baby chewing on clothing is a normal part of their development. In fact it is as normal as any other milestone your baby is transitioning to. Such as rolling, crawling, walking, feeding off a bottle, etc. It is often a baby’s way of getting to know their surrounding environment and the world in general. 

Having said that, chewing on clothes will have to come to and end at some point. If your toddler continues to chew on their clothes past the age of 3, this could be for different reasons. This could be development delays or other mental health conditions which are to be taken seriously as a parent. Seeking medical advice is also recommended.

On the topic of babies chewing, babies would chew on anything they see and get their hands. This is usually as part of oral stimulation. When babies enter the stage of teething, this could be extremely uncomfortable and painful as their first teeth emerge to the surface through their gums. The discomfort from teething is what would cause them to chew on clothing or anything they grab onto. This is often a way to derive comfort and calmness. 

Potential Reasons for babies chewing on their clothing

Your baby chewing on their clothing is nothing to worry too much about. In fact it’s a very common behavior as part of their development. As a parent, understanding potential reasons as to why your  little one may behave in such a manner is important.

  • Teething

This can be an uncomfortable feeling for babies and this occurs the moment their little teeth are in the process of breaking the surface of their gums. This could take place any time between 4-12 months. Your little one chewing on clothing or anything could be symptoms of teething. Chewing on clothing would be a form of relief from the discomfort and pain.

  • Develop their sensory skills

Your baby will begin to explore the world around them through their different senses which includes taste and touch. Tasting and feeling the different tastes and textures is often a way for babies to understand their sorroundings. This will help them develop different sensory skills.

  • Self soothing

Chewing and sucking helps your little one to stay calm and self soothe. Chewing could help them calm their nervous system especially if there seems to be a sensory overload when their brain is trying to process too much information at the same time. 

  • Pica

Pica could be a reason for babies and toddlers chewing on their clothing. This is a medical condition which involves obsessionally swallowing non-food items that have no nutritional value or purpose. Pica is harmless as babies are curious about the world around them, unless a baby swallows items that are hazardous. 

  • Dental Issues

This could be another way for kids to soothe their jaws especially if molars are surfacing or cavities are forming in their teeth. Checking up with a dentist would help.

  • ADHD

Children may start to chew on clothing as a way to release stress or anxiety. It could also be a sign of ADHD or development issues especially if it occurs often and becomes a habit.

How to Stop Your Child From Chewing on Their Clothing

Toddler chewing on fruit
Toddler chewing on fruit

1. Understand the reason for the behavior of chewing on clothing

Although chewing on clothes can be a common stage, the reason can be different for babies. As your little one begins to chew on clothes this could initially be for reasons such as teething. If this behavior develops into a habit that seems to prolong past the age of 2 years, this could be a cause for concern. As a parent your first step would be to understand the reason and patterns for your child’s behavior. It could be a sign that they are hungry, anxious, stressed, focused, or even trying to calm themselves down. 

Understanding the behavior and reasons for why they might chew on their clothes, could help you provide the right solution.

2. Provide alternatives for baby chewing on clothing

  • Teething toys

If your little one’s first teeth start to breakthrough, they are most likely seeking relief from sore and painful gums. Teething can be very painful and offering teething toys could help to soothe and provide relief to irritated gums and also help you calm a fussy baby.

Teething rings and toys can come in different shapes, sizes and textures and are made of non-toxic material that is safe for your baby to suck and chew on. Teethers of different textures or chilled in the refrigerator could also provide a lot of relief to the sore gums. Keep in mind to offer cold teethers and not frozen because that could be harmful and hurt their delicate gums.

Another alternative is cold foods and liquid, hard or soft or chewy food. For some babies, with teething they may want to avoid meal time or consume food. But offering a colder and harder option for your baby to chew on would help relieve the pain and provide a counter pressure to surfacing teeth. Products like a Teetherpop, where parents can freeze, breastmilk, purees, smoothies, juices  are great as these silicone teething popsicles will help sensitive gums.

  • Sensory toys

Apart from teethers to provide comfort, they can also aid in their development. If your child is chewing for sensory reasons, look for textured sensory toys such as that will help  they nurture their growth, exploration for the world around them and sensory relief.

Suggestions:

Cool foods: Chilled cucumber, melon, strawberries, Pacifiers

3. Redirect their attention to something else

If your child seems to be chewing onto their clothes by habit, it helps to engage them in other activities to distract them and draw their attention to something else. You could direct their attention by handing them a toy, food or engaging them in any other activity to keep their mind off of chewing on clothing.

When to worry and when to seek professional help?

Baby’s checkup with a pediatrician
Baby’s checkup with a pediatrician

Although chewing on clothing is a very normal stage in your child’s growth and development, this is a behavior that would eventually stop. 

If your child seems to be chewing on their clothes and other objects beyond their toddler years and this seems to be limiting them from performing their daily activities and routines and also causing damage to their belongings, this is something that should not be ignored.

If this behavior develops into a habit and seems to be the only way for your child to stay calm this could also happen at school in front of students, family gatherings or any public place for that matter. This could lead to your child feeling ashamed as friends may question or tease them about it or becomes a topic discussed among family  which could have emotional and psychological effects and impact their social life which could restrict them from making friends, playing sport or being in extracurricular activities, and low self-esteem may cause your child to feel lonely and uncomfortable in social gatherings and interactions.

There could be hazard risks with chewing on clothing or any other objects. There is the risk of your child accidentally swallowing objects or damaging their teeth as well as ink running off objects that could be toxic for your child.

If this concerns you as a parent you may want to seek professional help. Consulting a medical specialist could help you determine the underlying issue and reasons for behavior and provide you ways to prevent it and alternatives to explore to keep your child distracted and move past this behavior. Understanding the reasoning will also help them direct you to the right doctor for the necessary need.

  • Pediatricians

Wll help you understand a child’s growth and development cycle and diagnose the problem as well as necessary actions to be taken. For instance as your baby is teething, they will be able to advise you on the products that could help as well as the right foods that could be given to soothe the discomfort in their gums.

  • Dentist or Orthodontist

Will help you if the cause of your child’s behavior is due to their oral health, for dental caries or tooth alignment.

  • Psychologists

If the underlying issue is related to anxiety, nervousness, ADHD or any other mental issue and a psychologist could determine the issue and cause through by completing evaluations, and other mental conditions and make recommendations on the best course of action.

Conclusion

Your child chewing on their clothing or anything they grab onto allows their sensors to experience the world. This is very much a part of their development. However, this behavior could also transition into a habit. This could limit your child from performing day to day activities as well as affect their self esteem. As a parent there are a number of ways you could support your child through this stage. Understanding their behavior, providing safe alternatives and drawing their attention to other activities are ways to support. If this behavior continues despite your efforts, it would help to seek professional advice. Through it all, approach this concern with a lot of love, patience and understanding knowing that every child is different. Habits such as chewing on clothing will wear off gradually as you provide the necessary care and support.

FAQ 

  • What causes a child to chew on clothes?

There could be a number of reasons as to why your child chews on clothes. Babies may chew on anything they find when they are teething as a form of relief to sensitive gums as they get their first teeth or as oral sensory seeking. Toddlers would chew as a way to calm their nervous system, stay focused, dental issues, help with ADHD or could be a development delay.

  • What age do kids stop chewing on clothing?

Kids use their month as a sensory input to explore the world. Kids often stop chewing at the age of 2 years. This could prolong to 3- 4 years of age where they develop a habit of chewing on clothing or any other object that should be taken as a concern by parents.

  • Is baby chewing on clothing a disorder?

The behavior of chewing on things is normal and is not considered unless your child is 2 and older. This could be a disorder if they struggle with an eating disorder called Pica. This is when your child eats things that are not considered food such as paper, crayons, pencils, dirt, etc. Another could be ADHD which is a behavioral disorder which include signs of hyper activeness, inattentiveness and impulsiveness and chewing stimulated as a result of an oral fixation.

  • Is baby chewing on clothing an ADHD symptom?

Yes. Children chewing on their clothing is often a symptom of ADHD. Chewing can help them calm down from anxiety and stress. Also, it may help them stay attentive or act as a sensory stimulation.

  • How do I get my 5 year old baby to stop chewing on clothing?

A 5 year old child may chew on clothing as a habit and could often be a mechanism to stay calm, stay focused, or could be a dental issue or a sensory disorder.

It would be good to understand why your child may be chewing and observe patterns, triggers and at what moments they may begin to chew. Then clearly communicate to your child the implications and danger of continuing with this behavior and how you could help them break the habit by providing safe alternatives. It is important to celebrate positive behavior changes through praise, rewards and encouragement as they progress and take big steps into overcoming this habit. 

Physical movement and engaging them in other activities helps as a distraction from chewing on their shirt. Activities like going for a walk, or playing outdoors or at the park, riding a bicycle or involving them in chores will help them keep their mind off chewing and feeling bored.

If none of the above activities seem to work, it is always recommended to check with your pediatrician or dentist to rule our reasons for the habit.

 

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