When teeth begin to erupt, you can be sure that your baby is going to test them out. And as your child adds to her collection of teeth, she may also add biting to her bag of tricks.
Baby biting is common, and while your child is probably fascinated by your reaction (her stuffed animals don't let out a yelp when she gives them a chomp), she doesn't mean any harm with her nibbles.
Here's how to handle baby biting, including why your infant might bite you and strategies to redirect the behavior.
Why do babies bite?
Babies may bite for a few different reasons, including teething, frustration, in play or for simple exploration.
Teething
Teething, which usually starts between 4 and 7 months, can be a painful experience for babies. In addition to biting, a baby who is teething might also drool more than usual, have a rash around her mouth, be irritable, refuse to eat, or pull on her ears or cheeks.
As a tooth pokes through her gums, a teething baby may try to ease the discomfort she feels by biting down on something — like your finger, or your nipples if you're breastfeeding.
The counter-pressure afforded by sinking her gums into something hard can offer some relief. Then, even after the offending tooth has made its entrance, your baby may still enjoy trying it out on whatever's handy, including various parts of your body.
Playful biting
Your baby might bite playfully or to see if she can get a reaction from you — and if she does, she might think it's a game.
Exploration
Baby mouthing is a normal part of your little one's development and how she learns to explore her environment. Starting around the 4-month mark, your infant may begin mouthing everything she can get her hands on — and if she has teeth, that might result in a bite to your finger.
Read This Next
Frustration
Although more common in toddlers who are biting, an older infant in particular might bite as a way to deal with frustration or unhappiness. A baby who is frustrated doesn't have the language to express what’s wrong — but she does have teeth!
How can you stop babies from biting?
Your best bet is to nip this habit in the bud before your baby becomes too fond of it, and before she has enough chompers to do much damage.
- Be calm but firm. Making a big deal of a bite, by crying out in pain or scolding her strongly, may only encourage her to try again to see what you'll do next. The best response: a firm, no-nonsense, low-drama statement of the rule ("no biting") as you remove the offending fangs from their target.
- Try distracting her. Sing a song, offer a toy or a visit to the window to see the cars outside. Be consistent with this routine and eventually your baby will get the picture and reserve her bites for inanimate objects.
- Offer something she can bite on. For a baby who is teething, the best way to handle biting is by trying to relieve the discomfort she feels. Provide a cold teething toy, pacifier or chilled washcloth, and tell her it's okay to sink her pearly whites there. Massaging your little one's gums may also help. A baby with teething pain may be treated with weight-based doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, though it's better to try giving her something to chew on first. (And always avoid teething tablets or gels that contain belladonna or benzocaine, which can be dangerous.)
- Don't encourage the behavior. If your baby is biting in a playful way while playing or breastfeeding, do your best not to call out in painful exasperation or playfully bite back — this could encourage her to continue biting because of the attention she gets from you. Instead, show her another way to play and use positive reinforcement, praising her for good playing behavior.
- Watch your language. Of course, an infant won't understand everything you're saying, but behavior and language can still influence little ones. For example, limiting phrases like “I just want to eat you up!” and playfully nipping your baby's fingers, nose or toes might send the wrong message and encourage more playful biting in the future.
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
