Question
Last night at around 9 PM, a three-month-old baby’s mouth moved non-stop, as if he was suckling. His mouth moved so fast that he couldn’t keep up, and his legs were moving frantically as well. He was also playing and laughing to himself, so is there a problem?
Answer
Before six months, the act of sucking in infants is purely for the enjoyment of the act, which is why it is particularly evident in artificially fed babies and hungry babies. The sucking reflex is an innate unconditional reflex; when the lips of a three-month-old baby are touched, they will exhibit a sucking reflex. This reflex is an instinct to maintain survival and is highly excitatory. Therefore, babies, especially those younger than three months, often use their fingers as stimuli to express their dislike for finger-sucking. Breastfed babies can enjoy the act of suckling more freely and have more time to experience the instinct, which is why the phenomenon of finger-sucking is less common in breastfed infants.