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Infant Chewing on Wood
by Brian
(United States)
Our daughter is not quite 18 months old. She has started to gnaw and chew on a bed made of wood. She does not eat the wood but spits it out. We have put several different condiments on the spot she chews on.
She could be getting in her molar teeth (the back ones). These can be particularly painful and may feel better when she gnaws on the hard wood. You can purchase wooden teething rings if that's the case. You could also have a few teething toys laying around in her crib, giving her an option on what she chews on.
Second Option
There is another condition, called Pica, that involves the inappropriate eating of non-nutritous foods. My sister suffered from the most common form of Pica in all 5 of her pregnancies: she absolutely HAD to chew ice. Her body craved something that contributed nothing to her overall nutritional needs.
Check for Lead
Either way, I would be 100% SURE there is no lead paint on the wood that she's chewing. Lead can cause permanent brain damage in young children (why so many recalls of toys are due to using lead-paint.) To be on the safe side, I would have your pediatrician do a simple blood test and check her lead levels.
If it continues to be a problem, perhaps you should consider having her sleep in a play yard instead, until the habit seems to be broken. You could also try smearing a little teething medication (like baby Orajel) on the wood to discourage her eating it. It tastes terrible but won't harm her.
Of course, if this continues and you're still worried, call your doctor. He can give you other ideas, or, at the very least, set your mind at ease.
Mar 14, 2010 Rating
same issue my newfew bites on wood! by: red
i want to know if there is any reason for the bitting only on wood, my nefews has the whole crib chewed up anything that is wood he is biting on and he about to be 2 in may, does any1 know anything else on this? i been searching for answers and ran into this thanks god! help guys and my email add is redpoizionnena@aol.com its comcerning me because the crib or anything wood can contain lead =/
May 17, 2010 Rating
child chewing on wood by: Anonymous
I have a 7 year old who has completely gnawed up and down the rail on the side of his bunk bed and the head and foot boards. I just noticed he has started on the trim around the bar in the kitchen! His front teeth are just nubs!
May 17, 2010 Rating
How we stopped the habit with my 6-year-old by: Heather ;-)
Dear friend,
My 6-year-old Lauren has been chewing things (including her brand-new bunk bed rail - mommy not happy) for the past year. I brought this up with my doctor, and he assured me this happens with some children. However, even if it's normal, I've paid good money for these things, and don't like seeing them ruined just because she "likes to chew". (He assured me it that at least in her case, it isn't a vitamin deficiency.)
Since she's older, and knows what she's doing, we've been able to "encourage" her to use self control.
We started with a system of rewards for controlling the urge to chew. If she has the urge to chew something and brings me the item instead (or tells me), we will give her a "Daddy Dollar". I also give her a Daddy Dollar if she brings me a chewed item, and confesses that she chewed it. (Wanting to encourage her to come to us when she has made a mistake and not try to hide it.)
She can redeem her Daddy Dollars at "Mommy Mart" to purchase various blessings like sugar cereal, ice cream with Daddy, having a friend over, etc.
Side Note: Daddy Dollars are copies of real dollars (or pounds, whatever you use) with your husband's face instead of Washington, you can make them here.)
Besides throwing the toy, and offering rewards for self-control and honesty, if we find an item newly chewed that she tried to hide, we give her 1 drop of tabasco on a spoon. (or you could give black-strap molasses). It doesn't hurt her long-term, and we provide a glass of milk to soothe.
She HATES this. Combine this with the Daddy Dollars reward, and you have a strong encouragement for self-control. She has siknce stopped chewing things.
Hope this gives you some ideas! Chewing things is dangerous, b/c what if they chew something small and they choke?! Try to break the habit as soon as possible.
Good luck!
Heather
Jun 13, 2010 Rating
WHY WOOD? by: Anonymous
my 10 month old has 8 teeth and chews on table corners, the lever on the recliner etc. he has several different kids of "chew toys" but isists on chewing on wood? Is there something I can do to get him to stop? Is there something I am doing wrong or is he lacking something in his diet?
Aug 30, 2010 Rating
I have the exact same problem with my 10 month old by: Anonymous
My 10 month old has 8 teeth as well and insists on chewing on wood even though we have sooo many teething rings and everything else available for him.
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I wonder if that would work...
