If you are a new parent, you might get concerned if you notice your twin babies chewing on crib. Moreover, there are significant health issues that this behavior may cause.

There are many ways on how you can manage the behavior as your baby grows out of this stage. Besides, this can also be considered a milestone for your baby. Let’s find out in this article.

Babies Chewing on Crib: Primary Cause

The primary cause of this chewing behavior on your babies’ crib is due to teething. When babies are teething, they may experience some discomfort or itch in the gums. This may then trigger chewing behavior on almost anything that they can get their hands into.

This ultimately includes their crib. However, this chewing behavior may also have some health consequences, depending on the material of your crib. This behavior has to be discouraged or managed.

What Type of Crib Should You Get?

There are different materials that a crib can be made of. As a parent, you will have to choose this for your babies. You may want to opt for non-toxic crib materials, just in case your babies nibble on them when they are teething. Moreover, choose a crib that can easily be sanitized to prevent the buildup of germs on the crib’s surface.

Is it Dangerous for Babies to Chew on Cribs?

Depending on the cleanliness and material of the crib, it may be dangerous for your baby to chew on it. Moreover, if it is a hand-me-down crib that has been passed on from one baby to the next, you can’t expect it to be in pristine condition all the time. This means that the paint or varnish may already begin to chip off in wooden cribs and your baby may ingest these potentially toxic substances.

For other types of cribs, sanitation may be an issue since germs may remain on the surface as it is not entirely sterilized, like other things that enter your baby’s mouth. This may cause certain diseases as bacteria and viruses may be present on the surface of the crib. That is why the crib has to be sanitized regularly.

The dangers of crib chewing are mainly due to the presence of germs on the surface. Furthermore, there is also a risk of paint or varnish ingestion once your babies chew on painted or varnished wooden cribs. These are some reasons why chewing behavior has to be discouraged and other teething outlets have to be introduced.

What to do When Your Baby Chews on His or Her Crib?

You might begin to get concerned when you notice your babies chewing on their crib. Besides, now that you know that there are certain risks involved with chewing on the crib, then you might want to know potential interventions that you can do to protect your baby from certain dangers. Here are some steps that you can take to prevent your baby from chewing on the crib when teething:

Give a Pacifier

A pacifier may help prevent your baby to chew on the crib. The pacifier keeps your baby’s mouth occupied to hopefully prevent crib chewing. Besides, there are also some gel or silicone type pacifiers that can be chilled to ease the teething discomfort of your baby. There are also some types of pacifiers wherein fruits and other flavors can be put inside to provide your baby with a snack or fruit while using the pacifier.

Provide a Teether

A teether may help ease teething discomfort in babies and once a teether is provided, it may minimize or eliminate crib chewing because it has already kept your baby’s mouth occupied. Moreover, you may provide different types of teethers to keep your baby entertained once they get tired of one type. It can also be chilled to manage teething symptoms that may be causing the crib chewing behavior.

Regularly Give your Baby the Prescribed Vitamin and Mineral Supplement

Your baby’s pediatrician may prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements to maintain your baby’s health at some point in his or her life. Moreover, as a parent you always want to keep your baby healthy, so you may also opt to provide vitamin and mineral supplements that are applicable for your baby’s age. Usually, when your baby is able to eat solid foods, it may also be a good time to introduce these vitamins.

Vitamins and mineral supplements may help protect your baby’s teeth from damage when chewing on the crib. Besides, your baby may still need his or her teeth for several years and as a responsible parent, you don’t want to get your baby’s teeth damaged due to crib chewing. Vitamins and minerals may support the health of your baby’s teeth and immune system.

How to Prevent your Baby From Nibbling on His or Her Crib?

You can provide alternative teething toys, teethers or pacifiers to keep your baby’s attention off the crib. These things are safer to be nibbled as they are clean and are intended for that purpose.

Moreover, these can ease the teething discomfort so that your baby can be relieved during this stage in life. These are some of the steps that you can take to prevent your baby from nibbling on the crib:

• Provide teething toys to manage teething symptoms
• Give toys to keep your baby entertained while in the crib
• Put a cover on the railings of the crib
• Give ice or other cold treats as your baby’s snacks

Babies Chewing on Crib: Final Advice

When babies are chewing on crib, there are several steps that you can take to prevent or discourage this behavior. Moreover, you might want to discourage the crib nibbling behavior due to certain risks that may be attributed to the crib material, paint of the crib and germs on the crib.

If your baby has bad breath, you probably begin to get concerned. Moreover, as soon as you notice his in your baby, you might immediately want to eliminate the problem. Bad breath may be an indicator of an underlying health problem that you have to look out for in your baby. Let’s find out in this article.

What Causes Babies to Have Bad Breath?

Babies, especially the ones that aren’t on solid food yet, are unlikely to have bad breath. Moreover, in babies without teeth, bad breath is something that is unexpected. There are many things that may cause bad breath in your baby.

However, the cause has to be identified to determine possible interventions for your baby with bad breath. Here are some of the common causes of bad breath in babies:

Oral Hygiene

Even when your baby doesn’t have teeth yet, you still need to wipe your baby’s mouth and tongue with a clean cloth after every feeding. Moreover, proper oral hygiene has to be observed whether or not your baby has teeth or not. Once your baby’s first tooth emerges, you have to brush your baby’s tooth or teeth at least once a day to prevent bacteria build up, tooth decay, and bad breath.

Ingesting Food With Strong Smell

Once your baby is able to eat solid food, you may feed your baby with various healthy foods. However, some foods may retain smell even after your baby ingests it. Moreover, your baby may also burp with the smell of this food. Also, the smell of food may linger in your baby’s mouth if you did not brush the teeth of your baby after this particular meal with strong smell.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth may cause bacteria buildup in the mouth of your baby. Moreover, this can also be attributed to your baby breathing through his or her mouth instead of his or her nose. When babies do this, it dries the mouth and causes bacteria buildup that may cause bad breath.

Besides, saliva has some antibacterial properties that prevent this from happening. However, when your baby’s mouth becomes dry, it allows bacteria to thrive as the production of saliva is restricted. This usually happens when your baby’s nose is often clogged due to some illnesses.

Oral Infection

Oral infection may cause your baby to refuse the feeding bottle due to pain and discomfort in the mouth. Moreover, this pain and discomfort can also be accompanied by bad breath. Oral thrush that is caused by the fungi Candida albicans may be accompanied with a distinct odor that may cause bad breath. However, tooth decay and gum disease may also be caused by various pathogens and may cause bad breath in babies.

Gastrointestinal Problems

If your baby has gastrointestinal problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), your baby may have bad breath. Moreover, this is a medical condition that may also cause great discomfort with your baby. Moreover, GERD can cause heartburn that may radiate from the chest towards the neck of your baby that may cause pain and bad breath. GERD may have an acidic or sour smell in your baby’s breath since it is caused by the stomach acids that are rising up where they shouldn’t be.

Illness

When your baby is sick, various things may be happening. Moreover, bad breath may also be a symptom of certain illnesses. If your baby is sick, you have to go to the pediatrician immediately to get the right medication to prevent the illness from progressing. Illnesses in babies that are known to cause bad breath are as follows:

• Respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, and postnasal drip in common colds
• Diabetes
• Chronic acid reflux
• Liver malfunction
• Kidney failure

Some of these illnesses are potentially life-threatening for your baby and it has to be addressed immediately. Your baby’s pediatrician may run some tests to determine the real cause of the problem in your baby’s health. Besides, if these illnesses occur, babies become very fussy as the discomfort sets in. Moreover, once the illness is addressed, bad breath usually fades away soon after your baby is well.

What to do When Baby Has Bad Breath?

There are many ways on how you can combat bad breath on your baby. Moreover, bad breath is highly frowned upon by any parent and since there might be underlying health problems that may cause this. Hence, it is really a cause of concern.

First, you may try the simplest methods of improving your baby’s oral hygiene and avoiding foods with strong smell. However, if bad breath does not go away after changing your baby’s diet and oral hygiene routine, you might want to check your baby’s mouth for potential oral infections that might be going on in your baby’s mouth.

If all of those are cleared and it might not be the cause of bad breath, you might want to check your baby’s nose for potential blockage that causes your baby to breathe through the mouth instead of the nose. Dry mouth can be avoided if your baby breathes through the nose and opens the mouth only when necessary.

Why is Baby Bad Breath Important?

Lastly, if your baby’s bad breath is caused by gastrointestinal problems or illnesses, you might want to pay your baby’s pediatrician a visit to help determine the health problem that might be causing it. Persistent bad breath is not normal for babies, so it might to be caused by something more serious if it doesn’t go away

If your baby has bad breath, it may be due to less serious things such as oral hygiene and foods with strong smells. However, if bad breath persists, it is not normal for babies and it might be due to more serious health problems that are potentially life-threatening if left untreated.

If you are a new parent, you have probably asked the question, “Are babies born with freckles?” Moreover, you might even get confused about whether the markings that you are seeing are either birthmarks or freckles. Let’s find out about the facts of freckles in babies in this article.

1. What are Freckles?

Freckles are tiny brown spots that you might see on your skin. It is due to the overproduction of melanin on your skin due to exposure to ultraviolet rays that usually comes from the sun. They are usually harmless and are not a serious health concern. Moreover, they usually appear in toddlers aged 2-3 years old.

2. What Causes Freckles?

Freckles are caused by melanin in the skin that is produced by cells called melanocytes. The amount of melanin that your skin has depends on your genetics. Generally, Caucasians and other light-skinned people have less melanin in their bodies. On the other hand, people with dark skin produce more melanin.

Melanin is important in protecting our bodies from harmful sun rays. Moreover, melanin production is increased by sun exposure. Furthermore, Freckles are caused by the production of melanin that occurs in specific areas of the body only.

The causes of freckles are a combination of genetic predisposition and sun exposure. Freckles would not form without the other. That is why in babies, even though they may be predisposed to freckles, they would not have it right after birth. However, once babies are exposed to the sun, it is only then that freckles would form.

3. Are Babies Born With Freckles?

No, babies are not born with freckles. However, some birthmarks might get mistaken for freckles due to their sometimes similar appearance. Freckles are directly caused by sun exposure as this is the trigger for melanin production. Moreover, newborn babies have not yet spent enough time under the sun to have freckles at birth. Besides, they are not yet exposed to sunlight while in the womb.

When babies are born, the markings or pigment that you may find on their skin immediately after birth might be birthmarks. Moreover, some birthmarks resemble freckles at some point, so you might find this confusing. Nevertheless, if your baby has not yet been exposed to sunlight, you may safely assume that what you are looking at is a birthmark rather than freckles.

In twins and multiples, one or more babies may have a unique marking that the others may not have. In this case, it is probably a birthmark instead of freckles, especially if your babies are just right out of the delivery room in the hospital. However, some birthmarks don’t last the entire lifetime of your baby. Some birthmarks are destined to fade over time as your baby grows.

4. Are Freckles Due to Genetics?

Technically, yes, freckles are somehow due to genetics. But, the mechanism of the formation of freckles is slightly more complicated than just that. However, it has clearly been established that lighter-skinned individuals are most susceptible to having freckles. On the other hand, darker-skinned individuals are less likely to have freckles.

Race and genetics play a huge role in determining whether your baby is predisposed to having freckles or not. Besides, if one or both parents have freckles, it is likely that the baby may have freckles after long sun exposure as well. The formation of freckles is due to the race, genetics, nutrition, and amount of sun exposure that your baby has gotten.

5. Are Freckles Dangerous?

No, freckles aren’t generally harmful and whether or not your baby gets it, it is not a cause of health concern. There have been no health complications that are directly linked to the formation of freckles, so if you notice that your baby is developing freckles, it is just fine and it means that your baby is susceptible to it.

The formation of melanin in the skin is normal and necessary to protect your baby from harmful sun rays. Without melanin, your baby would be very susceptible to a type of skin cancer called melanoma. Moreover, excessive sun exposure may not be beneficial for your baby’s health especially during the very hot sunny days.

Even though freckles aren’t dangerous on its own, excessive sun exposure may be detrimental to the health of your baby. Moreover, harmful sun rays may also cause other skin problems apart from sunburn alone. Excessive sun exposure is what causes the greatest dangers in babies and not the formation of freckles. However, babies need some sun exposure for vitamin D. Morning sun is the best for babies and it is less harsh. Besides, the morning sun provides vitamin D and promotes calcium absorption. The exposure to morning sun may also minimize the formation of freckles.

6. How Can my Baby Avoid Having Freckles?

Genetics may predispose a baby to have freckles. But, if you don’t want your baby to have too many freckles later in life, you may try to prevent it with simple measures. Besides, freckles don’t go away on its own once it appears. You can help your baby avoid the development of freckles by following these steps to prevent or limit the production of melanin in your baby’s body:

• Use sunblock on your baby when outdoors
• Use a stroller with an umbrella or top cover
• Lessen sun exposure especially during the hottest times of the day
• Provide adequate nutrition for your baby

Conclusion

Are babies born with freckles? The answer is clearly, no. Babies only acquire freckles from sun exposure. However, some races and colors are predisposed to having freckles. On the contrary, darker-skinned babies are less likely to have freckles throughout their lives. You may also minimize the formation of freckles with some preventive measures.

If you are a new parent, you are probably wondering when your baby reaches his or her new milestone in life such as walking or dropping to one nap. Moreover, there might be questions lingering in your mind and “when do babies stop drooling” might be one of them. Drooling may be caused by various things. Let us find out more about it in this article.

Why do Babies Drool?

Babies drool for various reasons. However, identifying the reasons may help you manage the drooling with your baby. Besides, if you are able to know the reasons, you might even be able to prevent it. Here are some of the common reasons why baby drools constantly:

1. Teething

When babies are teething it may cause immense discomfort to the gums and oral cavity of your baby. Moreover, teething may even affect your baby’s sleep patterns. When your baby is teething, it may cause excessive drooling, especially if your baby is feeling discomfort during teething. Moreover, baby teeth have roots and it may take some time to develop and cause some inflammation in the gums of your baby.

2. Low oral sensory awareness

Babies develop their sensory skills as they develop. Moreover, they learn about their bodies in various ways and they may develop their body map over time. When babies are just a few months old, they usually have low oral sensory awareness which may cause them to drool without noticing it. Sensory awareness eventually develops in babies and it is not a cause of concern in the first few months of your baby’s life.

3. The mouth is often open

Babies may play with their mouths or tongue as they grow. Moreover, they may even stick their tongues out as a way to communicate or for other various reasons. But, when babies stick their tongues out very often, it may cause them to drool excessively. Also, when the mouth is often open, it gives your baby fewer chances to swallow saliva and in turn constantly makes your baby drool.

4. Difficulty in swallowing

Babies may have difficulty in swallowing for various reasons. It may be due to a mouth infection, teething pains or other medical conditions. Due to the difficulty in swallowing that your baby may have experienced, it may cause babies to drool excessively. Once you notice your baby drooling excessively due to a suspected mouth infection or medical condition, you may want to bring your child to his or her pediatrician.

5. Craving

It is a normal reaction for babies to drool when they are craving for something, especially food. However, in babies, this may also happen to non-food items that may look tasty to them. Besides, even adults produce excess saliva when they are craving for something and it is something that is deeply rooted in childhood. When babies crave for something, they may drool excessively for a short time. However, when their craving is satisfied, it usually stops or goes away.

6. Focused on motor activities

Babies don’t always have fine motor skills the moment they enter the outside world. Moreover, motor skills often develop as your baby grows. During the first few months when your baby becomes more mobile, he or she may not be able to focus on multiple things at the same time. Besides, when a baby is very focused on a specific motor task, he or she may have difficulty focusing on their mouths and they eventually begin to drool.

7. Side effects of some medications

Some medications can increase your baby’s saliva as a side effect. Moreover, some medications do not taste good for your baby and may, therefore, cause drooling. Ask your pediatrician about the potential side effects of some medications that your pediatrician has prescribed. But, if drooling is only caused by the taste of the oral medication, you can expect it to go away when your baby is done with the medication.

8. Poor facial muscle strength

Babies develop their motor skills and muscle strength as they grow. However, facial muscle strength may need more time to develop. At first, facial and oral muscles aren’t strong. But, as babies practice their facial muscles, their strength eventually develops. However, some medical conditions affect the overall muscle strength of your baby. Some conditions may cause facial muscle paralysis of all ages. So, you might want to get your baby screened for these conditions if you suspect weak facial muscles. This may cause excessive drooling that may not go away as your baby age. On the contrary, drooling may get worse if the condition is not addressed.

When do Babies Stop Drooling?

Drooling is usually begins to slow down when your baby is 6 months old. However, there may still be some drooling after this age. Babies almost entirely stop drooling at around 24 months old. But, many things may affect the drooling of your baby. But, if you suspect that the excessive drooling is due to a medical condition, you have to consult your pediatrician for possible interventions to help your baby.

How to Help Baby Stop Drooling?

Babies don’t always stop drooling at the same age. If ever your baby has stopped drooling at an earlier age, it is totally fine since even twins and multiples may differ to some extent. On the other hand, if your baby is still drooling past 24 months of age, it may be fine as long as there is no underlying medical condition that is causing it.

When do babies stop drooling? Usually, drooling is lessened when your baby reaches 6 months old and drooling is almost eliminated at 24 months old. Many things may cause your baby to drool which is normal. But, if drooling is caused by a medical condition, it has to be addressed.

When do babies become ticklish? This is a question that new parents mostly have in mind when they get to bond with their babies. Moreover, all parents like seeing their baby laugh or smile. To do this, you might have attempted to tickle your baby a few times. However, your baby might not have responded the way that you expected him or her to respond. Let’s find out about it in this article.

How do Babies Perceive Tickles?

When babies are born, they aren’t immediately able to perceive tickles. Moreover, babies are still learning about their bodies and are just beginning to associate it with various sensations. Initially, babies will not be able to link touch sensations from the person trying to tickle them. Hence, they may not respond as if they were tickled.

However, after several months and the body map has been imprinted in your baby’s mind, he or she may then perceive a tickle sensation and link it to the person touching them.

When do Babies Become Ticklish?

Babies usually become ticklish at about 6 months old. During this time, their touch perception has fully developed and they may feel a ticklish sensation. Moreover, babies that are 6 months old or older may already recognize the person trying to tickle them.

Babies may have already recognized their body parts and may already know when they are touched. However, the tickle sensation may only be felt in certain areas. Besides, babies may feel ticklish in the same area until toddlerhood or older. When babies become ticklish they are also able to recognize people and faces, so they know who is tickling them at that time and may respond differently if a stranger does the same.

Twins and multiples may not begin to be ticklish at the same time. But, this is a developmental milestone that babies may go through at different stages in their lives. For twins and multiples, one may begin to perceive tickle earlier than the other. However, it is still normal and it doesn’t mean that the other is lagging when it comes to their physical development.

Are Tickles Harmful for Your Baby?

Tickles may be harmful to your baby if it is done for a long time and your baby is unable to handle it well. Besides, babies begin to get ticklish even before they may be able to talk, so they may not be able to tell you when to stop. Tickles are generally safe if done moderately as it allows your baby to learn about their bodies, too.

Tickles are generally viewed as safe. However, there are times that babies may encounter problems during tickle times. Babies may have difficulty in burping after feeding if they are being tickled too much. Also, if they are tickled shortly after feeding, babies may regurgitate their meal and may cause discomfort.

If your baby is gassy, then tickling your baby can make things worse. This is because tickling your baby may cause him or her to ingest air while laughing too much. Moreover, babies usually aren’t able to tell you when they can’t handle it anymore and may eventually have difficulty breathing while ingesting air.

Are Tickles Beneficial for Your Baby?

Tickles when done in moderation may be beneficial for your baby. Moreover, this is the way your baby may learn about his or her body map. Also, this stimulates the senses for a tactile response which is essential in your baby’s development.

This is very important especially for the hands and feet as your baby needs to develop strong sensations and coordination for these parts of the body to prepare him or her for more advanced tasks later in life.

Tickling is beneficial for your baby’s brain as it stimulates cognition to connect the sensation with a person. This may feed information to your baby’s brain to help with your baby’s development. The connection of the mind and sensory perception may help your baby well when he or she is beginning to stand or walk. Your baby’s brain is always developing and touch stimulation may help your baby’s brain develop well.

Tickles are generally beneficial for your baby as he or she learns about his or her body. It is one of the ways to help your baby form a body map and develop coordination. Also, tickling triggers your baby to laugh or smile which triggers the release of neurotransmitters in the brain that are attributed to happiness.

How to Safely Tickle Your Baby?

As parents, you probably love to hear your baby’s giggles when he or she begins to feel ticklish. However, even though tickles have some benefits for your baby, it may also have some negative effects if done excessively. The key is identifying the cues when your baby has had enough of the tickles. Here are some ways on how you can safely tickle your baby:

• Tickle with some intervals
• Do not tickle your baby excessively without rest. Your baby might seem happy, but he or she might already have difficulty in breathing and just can’t tell you to stop.
• Do not tickle your baby shortly after feeding
• Make sure your baby has already burped before attempting to tickle him or her
• Talk to your baby while tickling him or her to promote language skills
• Attribute tickles with other playtimes
• Do not tickle your baby when he or she is already feeling gassy
• Do not tickle your baby when he or she is already having difficulty in breathing

When do Babies Laugh?

Around month three or four, most newborns will start laughing. But when do babies become ticklish? Babies usually begin to feel ticklish at around 6 months old. However, tickles may both be harmful or beneficial for your baby, so it is important to understand the cues that your baby is showing when he or she needs to take a break from tickles.

Do babies sleep more when teething? This question has probably crossed your mind as a new parent. Moreover, you might notice that your baby’s sleeping patterns ay change drastically as he or she grows. Also, if you have twins or multiples, you might notice that their sleeping patterns and teething may not all happen at the same time. Let’s find out about it in this article.

How to know if your baby is teething?

Teething is characterized by swelling gums before the actual eruption of the tooth. Moreover, during this time it may cause discomfort to your baby. Teeth may begin to erupt anywhere between 4-12 months old. Teething is a developmental milestone of your baby which is similar to walking or dropping to one nap. Here are some of the common tell-tale signs that your baby is already teething:

• Gum inflammation localized in the area where the tooth is about to emerge
• Cheek becomes reddish on the side where the tooth is about to emerge
• Baby continuously rubs his or her ear
• Baby is easily agitated
• Persistent gnawing and chewing of non-food items
• Baby is becoming irritable when touched on the face, especially near the mouth
• Frequent sucking on bottom lip

Do Babies Sleep More When Teething?

Teething babies aren’t all the same. Some babies may feel plenty of discomfort while teething, while others may not feel any discomfort at all and life goes on as usual. However, parents may immediately get concerned about the health of their babies when they are teething.

In contrary to popular belief, babies do not sleep more when they are teething. Moreover, babies may actually sleep less due to the discomfort that they are feeling during teething. Besides, for babies, the few days before the tooth actually erupts is the most painful. Also, some babies may even experience slight fevers during teething which may further lead to more discomfort.

Teething may vary depending on your baby. However, it is very rare that babies just sleep through the pain. There are even times that babies may refuse their bottle during feeding due to teething pains. This is not much of a concern if it is only due to teething and your baby is not obviously losing a lot of weight. But, if other signs of health problems are present and your baby refuses to feed, you might want to seek medical attention to pinpoint what is wrong about your baby.

How to Ameliorate Teething Pains in Babies to Encourage them to Sleep More?

If babies are unable to sleep well when they are teething, you may help alleviate the discomfort by providing your baby with ice or a chilled teether. This may reduce discomfort and inflammation of the gum where the tooth is about to erupt. Moreover, allowing your baby to get enough rest is very important despite the teething.

Teething pains may affect your baby in more ways than one. Besides, depriving your baby of enough rest may have serious health consequences. However, despite this, it is not recommended to use anesthetic gum gels on teething babies. Ameliorating the pain is important in improving your baby’s sleep. Here are some ways that you can reduce discomfort caused by teething:

• Apply ice on the swollen gum
• Provide cold teethers for your baby
• Use chilled pacifiers to ease the teething pains
• Feed your baby with soft food while teething
• Position your baby properly prior to sleep to lessen teething pains

When do You Need to Clean Your Baby’s Teeth?

Once your baby’s tooth emerges, you are probably thinking about when to clean your baby’s teeth to prevent tooth decay and damage. Even though your baby might only be drinking milk and eating less, proper dental hygiene is important in keeping your baby’s teeth healthy.

Once the first tooth of your baby erupts, you may then clean it twice a day with a baby toothbrush and clean water. This is especially important before bedtime to prevent tooth decay caused by leftover food that may get stuck on teeth. You may use a tooth gel to clean your baby’s teeth when he or she reaches about 2 years of age.

To prevent tooth decay in your babies, you might want to refrain from giving foods that are high in sugar. Also, sweet drinks may be detrimental for your baby’s health so choose your baby’s food wisely and opt for healthy meals to maintain your baby’s health. Tooth decay is preventable and keep in mind that these temporary teeth are important for the first few years of your baby’s life.

How to Protect Your Baby’s Teeth from Damage?

Baby teeth are important for the first few years of your baby’s life and they may need it until their permanent teeth emerge. As parents, you might want to care for your baby’s teeth as much as possible. However, tooth decay is not the only problem that you have to prevent.

Once your baby already has teeth and you are using a baby bottle, do not allow your baby to sleep with the bottle nipple in his or her mouth. This may affect the growing tooth and may cause teeth to be deformed or pushed to the wrong place. Moreover, you may start using a cup for babies 6 months and up to protect your baby’s teeth.

Here’s a Recap, Do Babies Sleep More When Teething?

Do babies sleep more when teething? No, babies do not sleep more when teething and they may even be deprived of sleep when they are encountering too much discomfort while teething. When this happens, there are many ways you can ameliorate your baby’s teething pains to help ease your baby.

As a parent, you might sometimes get curious about the behavior and habits of your baby. You might even wonder, “Why do babies stick their tongue out?” Moreover, if you have twins or multiples, this behavior might not be exhibited by all of them, which might leave you more puzzled. Let’s find out about this behavior in this article.

Why do Babies Stick Their Tongue Out?

For a variety of reasons, babies may thrust their tongues out. Furthermore, if your baby is still unable to speak, tongue sticking may be a way for him or her to connect with you. As a parent, you must be able to read your baby’s body language in order to discern what they require or want during the period when they are unable to communicate. The following are some of the reasons why your infant might stick his tongue out:

1. Baby Reflex

As your baby develops, he or she may learn more about his or her body. Moreover, during this time, your baby might be exploring their mouths and discovering the sensations that they are experiencing in their mouths. This is the time when babies form their reflexes. Also, you might notice babies sucking their bottom lip during this stage that they are discovering a lot of things about themselves and their mouths.

2. Babies Playing with Their Tongue

Babies can be really playful at times. Moreover, once they’ve established their reflexes and have learned about their mouths and their sensations, babies may then begin to play with their tongues. Besides, you might even notice that this is the time that babies become orally fixated about and want to put almost everything they touch inside their mouths to experience the sensation.

3. Baby has Formed a Habit of Sticking the Tongue out

As babies, this is the time that they begin to form habits. Usually, these habits are the ones that feel really good for babies. In this case, some babies begin to form a habit of sticking their tongues out.

This habit is not dangerous for your baby, but it might not be liked by most parents since it is not viewed as good manners as a baby is growing up. During this time, the parent might begin to correct the habit.

4. Baby Might be Hungry or Full

As new parents, you might get confused about your baby’s feeding schedule. Moreover, the feeding routine may vary depending on your baby’s age and diet. If your baby is still unable to speak, then sticking his or her tongue out might be a way for your baby to communicate with you when he or she is hungry or already full during feeding.

5. Baby has Macroglossia: Larger Than Average Tongue

Macroglossia is a rare condition that enlarges the tongue out of the normal proportions of the mouth which makes the tongue stick out of the mouth. Moreover, this condition is often genetic, so babies affected with macroglossia might often have the condition from birth. However, in rare instances, the condition may also be acquired. Here are the symptoms of macroglossia:

• Excessive drooling
• Speech impairment

• Feeding difficulty
• Stridor
• Airway obstruction
• Abnormal jaw and teeth growth
• Mouth ulceration
• Tongue necrosis

6. Baby has Micrognathia: Smaller-than-Average Tongue

Micrognathia is a condition of a baby that is born with undersized jaws. Moreover, micrognathia is a variant of a craniofacial condition called mandibular hypoplasia. If a baby’s mouth is undersized and the tongue is of normal size, the tongue may protrude from a baby’s mouth.

Micrognathia is often caused by a genetic problem. Therefore, babies are often born with this condition. Moreover, it might be very difficult for affected babies to keep their tongues inside their mouths. Here are the common signs of this condition:

• Sleep apnea
• Difficulty in feeding
• Boisterous breathing
• Inability to sleep
• Poor physical development
• 

7. The Baby Might Have Poor Muscle Strength

If a baby has poor muscle strength, the tongue might get affected since the tongue is also a muscle. Moreover, this might be the reason that a baby’s tongue might stick out very often. If you suspect that your baby has poor muscle strength, you might want to get your baby checked by a pediatrician.

8. Babies Might be Breathing Through Their Mouth

If a baby is breathing through his or her mouth, then the tongue may stick out when doing so. Moreover, babies are supposed to breathe through their noses, so if your baby is breathing through his or her mouth there might be an underlying problem. If your baby is breathing through his or her mouth very often, it might mean that his or her nose is clogged or blocked.

9. The Baby is Feeling Gassy

Your baby might be feeling gassy and still unable to talk, so in an attempt to communicate with you about how they feel, babies may stick their tongue out. If babies are gassy, they feel discomfort and pain. They might stick their tongue out to let you know that they are feeling gassy and might need to be burped.

10. The Baby Might Have an Oral Infection

Oral infection is common in babies since they are susceptible to various infections especially if they put various things in their mouths. Moreover, oral infections may be painful and may cause babies to cry after eating and stick their tongue out in an attempt to keep their tongues away from the painful infection.

Conclusion

Why do babies stick their tongue out? Babies may stick out their tongues for a variety of reasons, including self-discovery or an attempt to communicate with you about their feelings.

Furthermore, if you feel your baby has an underlying medical condition that is causing him or her to stick his or her tongue so often, you should have your baby examined by a pediatrician to rule out any additional health issues that could influence your baby’s well-being in the future.

Babies may have erratic sleep patterns that might lead you to wonder, “Why do babies fight sleep?”

It is probably a question that most parents want answers to. As new parents, you might probably think that you are still missing something about your baby’s sleep regimen that is why your baby stays awake. Let’s find out in this article.

How Can you Tell if Your Baby is Fighting Sleep?

You can tell that your baby is fighting sleep once you see the tell-tale signs that your baby is already sleepy, but refuses to fall asleep. Moreover, if your baby is fighting sleep, he or she is probably communicating something to you. Besides, I might be the only way for your baby to tell you that he or she wants to do something before sleeping, especially if he or she is still unable to talk. Here are some signs that you can look out for to tell whether or not your baby is fighting sleep:

• Crying
• Being fussy
• Squirming
• Kicking and excessive body movements
• Arching of the back
• Twin language communication to prevent sleep

Why Do Babies Fight Sleep?

A baby may fight sleep for various reasons. However, if they are still unable to speak, they would usually let you know what they want by their body language. Identifying the reason behind fighting sleep is the key to preventing your baby from fighting sleep.

Baby is very tired or fatigued

In contrary to popular belief, babies may refuse to sleep if they are very tired or fatigued. This may happen right after some physical activity like attempting to stand or preparing to walk. Moreover, if your baby is already starting to walk, he or she might immediately get tired from several baby steps in a day.

When this happens, usually the baby needs to rest and calm down for a bit before he or she is ready to sleep. Moreover, if your baby is very tired or fatigued he or she might be hungry or thirsty, so you might want to offer some soft food or milk. Once your baby begins to calm down he or she may then be ready to sleep.

Baby is Hungry

When a baby is hungry, he or she will surely not sleep. So, you might want to feed your baby before preparing him or her for sleep. Besides, if your baby cries after eating, you can’t expect him or her to go to bed very easily. If your baby cries after eating, you might want to check the root cause of the problem to prevent your baby from fighting sleep when it is already his or her sleeping time.

Baby Wants to Play

As part of the normal development of babies, they may sometimes want to play more than they would like to sleep. Moreover, during this stage of development, babies may become very energetic and refuse to sleep on their normal schedule. Besides, once babies become more energetic, it might also be a sign that they are ready to walk soon.

If babies persist to play or attempt to stand or walk on their sleeping schedules, you might want to exhaust some of their energy first, by playing with them for easier bedtime. Also, your baby might just want more time to play and they aren’t ready to sleep just yet. Babies may have changing nap times as part of their development and they may eventually drop to one nap and probably refuse other sleeping times.

Baby has Separation Anxiety

Baby separation anxiety has two types. One is the separation anxiety towards a twin, while the other is separation anxiety towards their parents. Either way, separation anxiety isn’t really difficult to address during this time. You may give your babies a chance to be together and don’t separate twins at a very young age if separation anxiety towards a twin is the cause of fighting sleep. On the other hand, if separation anxiety is towards a parent, you may want to join your baby while he or she is about to sleep, so they may still feel your presence as they drift off to sleep.

Baby Refuses to Sleep in a Bassinet

As newborns, a bassinet might be what your baby needs to sleep comfortably. Moreover, if a bassinet is inclined or slightly sways, your baby might fall asleep faster. However, there are some instances that a baby won’t sleep in a bassinet. This might be because your baby is not yet accustomed to sleeping in a bassinet. Moreover, it may be more favorable for your baby to have a fixed routine while being in a bassinet.

How to Prevent Babies From Fighting Sleep?

First, you have to know the reason why your baby is fighting sleep. Once you have identified what is keeping your baby awake, you may then want to address what is preventing your baby from sleeping. Moreover, you have to look out for developmental milestones for your baby such as preparing to walk or dropping to one nap.

As your baby ages, he or she might want to play and engage in other activities more than sleeping. Once this happens you might want to provide more toys and spend more time with your baby so he or she may learn. Furthermore, you may prevent your baby from fighting sleep by exhausting just enough energy from your baby to make him or her feel drowsy.

Conclusion: Why do babies fight sleep?

Why do babies fight sleep? It is mostly because they are encountering some developmental milestones that most babies go through. Moreover, once your baby fights sleep more often it might be an indication that your baby is getting ready to accomplish more things.

If you are a new parent, you might probably get shocked when your baby is suddenly refusing a bottle for feeding. However, before you get very alarmed, you might want to know some of the reasons why your baby doesn’t want the bottle. Let’s find out in this article.

Reasons Why Your Baby Suddenly Refusing Bottle

If your baby suddenly refuses the bottle, you might get baffled and concerned since you might think that your baby may starve. However, that is not likely to happen if you are able to point out the root cause of why your baby is refusing the bottle. Moreover, as a parent, you have to understand the body language of your baby to identify the reason and possible solution about your baby’s bottle refusal.

Baby Still Prefers Being Breastfed

If you are just transitioning from breastfeeding into bottle feeding, your baby might not immediately be very receptive to this change. Moreover, even though you put your breast milk in the feeding bottle, your baby may still refuse it because of the different feeding experience brought by the feeding bottle. Also, breastfeeding offers a different milk flow and temperature that your baby may prefer over bottle feeding.

Baby Needs a Different Feeding Bottle

There are different feeding bottles in the market that you may choose from. Moreover, these bottles offer different milk flow and overall feeding experience to your baby. The different nipples on the feeding bottle may help your baby feed properly. Feeding bottles may be fast feeding bottles or slow feeding bottles. Your baby may favor one over the other, so you might want to give both a try to determine which your baby prefers during feeding.

Teething

If your baby is teething he or she may refuse to feed on a bottle because of the pain that is being experienced by your baby during feeding. Besides, teething discomfort may not last very long and you may find ways to relieve your baby’s teething discomfort to promote bottle feeding. If you notice that your baby is refusing the bottle due to teething discomfort, you may apply ice to the inflamed gums of your baby to alleviate the discomfort.

Overfed

If you are a new parent, it might be difficult to determine when your baby should eat. Moreover, due to this, you might already be overfeeding your baby without realizing it. When this happens, your baby may refuse to feed on the next feeding schedule because he or she may still feel full when the feeding bottle is offered.

Oral Infection

Oral thrush is an infection caused by fungi in the mouth of your baby. If this type of infection develops, your baby may have trouble feeding because this condition causes immense discomfort in the mouth of your baby. If your baby has an oral infection, he or she may refuse the feeding bottle due to the pain and discomfort caused by the infection.

If the oral infection is the cause of your baby refusing the feeding bottle, the infection has to be addressed to promote the natural appetite of your baby. Moreover, you may also get your baby checked by a pediatrician for possible interventions for the infection if it continues to persist.

Baby is Distracted During Feeding

If your baby gets distracted during feeding, he or she may refuse to feed altogether. To prevent this, you may feed your baby in a room or a calm place with minimal distractions in the surroundings. Moreover, if your baby is not used to so many distractions during feeding, he or she may need time to adjust to feeding with various stimuli from the surroundings. Also, with many distractions, it may stimulate your baby to play instead of feed.

Improper Feeding Position

If your baby is feeding in the wrong position, the flow of milk might not be suitable for your baby that may lead to your baby to refuse the feeding bottle. Moreover, improper feeding position can make your baby feel uncomfortable during feeding. If your baby is refusing the bottle in a specific position, you may want to change the feeding position and find the right position that works for your baby to promote proper feeding.

Baby Dislikes Milk Temperature in the Bottle

If you recently transitioned from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding, your baby might be more used to the milk temperature of breast milk, your baby may dislike the milk temperature from the bottle. During the transition, it may be beneficial for your baby to offer milk at different temperatures that work for your baby. Moreover, your baby might prefer room temperature milk or warm milk that is almost the same temperature as your body.

Tips to Avoid Baby Bottle Refusal

Once you have identified the cause of your baby’s bottle refusal, you might want to try some of these tips to encourage your baby to bottle feed. Moreover, it is important to understand the body language of your baby to determine the possible solution to maintain the healthy feeding routine of your baby. Here are some tips to encourage your baby to bottle feed:

• Use a pacifier to stimulate sucking reflex
• Try bottles and nipples that provide different milk flow
• Avoid distractions during feeding
• Start bottle-feeding early to minimize chances of refusal
• Have someone else offer the bottle to your baby
• Observe proper feeding positions

Conclusion

If your baby is suddenly refusing the bottle, there are some things that you can do to encourage your baby to feed. Moreover, it might help to have different bottle options for your baby to determine which type of bottle works. Identifying the reason behind the bottle refusal may be the key to proving a solution and encourage your baby’s normal feeding.