What Are the Causes of Children Chewing on Cribs?

If your little baby beaver's constant gnawing on his crib rails has left toothmarks all over, he's a pretty normal kid. Most babies chew when they're getting teeth -- which is most of their first two years -- and crib railings are both handy and hard enough to feel good on sore gums. You might worry about him hurting himself, however, or you may just want to keep your crib intact for your next baby. You can't stop a teething baby from chewing, but if you understand why he chews, you can offer alternative sources.

  1. Soothing Oral Discomfort

    • Getting teeth -- which starts around 3 months of age and continues until the arrival of the back molars around 2 years of age, according to child development experts at the Kids Health website -- is a new sensation for your baby. His gums might feel swollen or uncomfortable, so he relieves the discomfort in a way that comes naturally: biting down on the nearest hard object. This could be the crib rail, once he's old enough to pull himself up to it.

    Exploring With His Mouth

    • Infants and toddlers bite objects to learn about them as well as to soothe their gums. Babies use their hands and mouths to explore their world, which is why everything goes in their mouths. Some children have more of an oral fixation than others, which usually means more mouthing, chewing and biting on objects like crib rails into toddlerhood and beyond, the Early Intervention Support website states.

    Concerns

    • If you're using a crib less than 10 years old, as the Consumer Product Safety Commission website recommends, the paint or varnish used to finish the wood should be free from lead or other potentially dangerous substances. You still might not want your little one swallowing the crib's finish -- or little shards or wood if he's persistent enough in his chewing to break a piece off. Plastic coverings over the rails can also become brittle and break off if your baby chews on them.

    Providing Alternatives

    • To make the crib rails less tasty and also softer, which reduces their appeal, you can cover the railings with commercially manufactured crib rail covers. Some crib rail covers provide connectors from which to hang teething toys, which will provide your baby with a more appropriate chewing surface. Don't tie teethers to a crib with long strings or hang them around his neck; both could cause strangulation. Commercially made teethers can soothe your baby's gums more effectively than crib railings, especially if you cool them first. Don't buy teethers that have loose pieces that could break off and present a choking hazard or teethers with liquid inside, which could leak out if your child bites through it.

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