Why do babies put everything in their mouth?

Babies spend the first few months of their little lives being passive observers. Unable to do much more than sit and take everything in. They garner control of their mouth and tongue pretty early on, and as they grow and develop, they slowly become more able to move and interact with their surroundings. And so naturally as they learn to grip on to things, their instinct is to bring it to their mouth to inspect it further.

It might seem odd to us, but this is their way of understanding and making sense of the world around them. Developmentally this is very important and a great sign and will help them as they start on solid foods and using cutlery to bring the food to their mouths.

Some babies also find this very calming, which is why you’ll often find their comforter or favourite toy is always in their mouth.

So this is when you need to start watching what is in their reach – and especially once they are on the move – because anything that is near, them, will more than likely end up in their mouth. You need to be careful that they don’t get hold of anything they may be able to choke on.

And try not to worry too much about germs, little ones will pick up things and put things in their mouths (most mums will have a story) but rarely will they get sick from this. It’s helping to build their immune system. Make sure you clean their toys regularly and if you are out at someone’s house or out in public you are mindful of what they are touching or playing with and anything poisonous or dangerous is well out of reach.