Question
What’s the situation when a child frequently bites their fingers?
Answer
Frequent finger biting in children is typically a normal physiological and psychological habit, common in infants under the age of 18 months. In the initial few months, when infants feel hungry, they may take pleasure in suckling their fingers, which is a natural behavior. However, if this habit continues, parents should be aware and look for reasons of distress, fear, or jealousy in the child’s home environment, as these may lead to unconscious finger biting. If this habit persists after the change of teeth, it may affect the normal growth and development of teeth and jaws, leading to underdevelopment of the lower jaw, abnormal tooth alignment, and malocclusion, which can hinder chewing function. Therefore, parents should take preventive measures early on to help children break this habit.