Why do babies chew on their hands?

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Q: My 3-month-old baby keeps chewing on her hands. Is she teething?

A: At 3 months your baby might be teething -- most babies start teething between 4 and 7 months. But at this age, a more likely possibility is that your baby has started to "find" her hands, which may become her new favorite playthings. Once that happens, putting them in her mouth is part of exploring them and discovering that they are part of her and under her control. It's a great sign of growing up. Just one word of warning: Once your baby's mastered the hand-sucking thing, that means she'll soon be skilled enough to hold other things and put them in her mouth. You'll need to start being more vigilant about babyproofing and always keeping an eye on her.

Copyright 2002 Meredith Corporation. Updated 2009.

Answered by Parents.com-Team

Comments (5)

Anonymous
November 12, 2019
Your baby could be hungry, this is generally a hunger sign. When a baby is hungry they will start to “eat their hands”.
Anonymous
November 12, 2019
Your baby could be hungry, this is generally a hunger sign. When a baby is hungry they will start to “eat their hands”.
Anonymous
November 12, 2019
Your baby could be hungry, this is generally a hunger sign. When a baby is hungry they will start to “eat their hands”.
Anonymous
December 2, 2018
My baby never slept well (especially through the night) until I started using the website >>SleepBaby .org<< - that website has been by far one of the best things I've ever got my hands on to get him to fall asleep quickly. Best time is 45 seconds from awake to asleep! Can’t imagine life without it! I heard about it through a kindergarten teacher who uses it to put to sleep a group of 30 children. Check it out! >>SleepBaby .org<< - sorry, you can't post links here so you'll have to turn it into a normal link :) Best of luck to you and your family!
Anonymous
December 1, 2018
My baby never slept well (especially through the night) until I started using the website www.SleepBaby.org - that website has been by far one of the best things I've ever got my hands on to get him to fall asleep quickly. Best time is 45 seconds from awake to asleep! Can’t imagine life without it! I heard about it through a kindergarten teacher who uses it to put to sleep a group of 30 children. Check it out! Best of luck to you and your family :)
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