Parents may get concerned due to some habits in babies. However, some habits like toe sucking and excessive drooling are common in babies. Read about the common baby quirks.Does your little one wrap her little finger around yours every time you give her a feeding bottle? Have you wondered what your baby is trying to communicate by doing so? Infants often display strange behaviour and habits which parents may find it difficult to understand.
Common Infant Quirks
Have a quick look at the brief explanation about common baby quirks.
Finger Wrapping
Since an infant cannot communication by
talking, wrapping her finger around yours is one of the ways of her displaying her love for you. As the baby grows older she may start holding onto fingers. Infants also love to hear a familiar voice and will react positively by kicking or gurgling when spoken to.
Putting Fingers in Mouth or Toe Sucking
Never fibres in the mouth of
babies are far more sensitive than the nerves present on other body parts like the arms. Hence, babies enjoy the sensation when they suck on their body parts. While babies love to suck just about anything they can lay their lips on it is very easy to put their fingers or toes in their mouth. Small bodies are very flexible making it very easy for the baby to put her feet in the mouth and suck her toe.
Sweet Smells
Have you wondered what could be the reason for you infant smelling really sweet. The Apocrine glands which are primarily responsible for strong body odour are not active until a child reaches puberty. This gland is found in armpits, breasts, and groin area. This is one of the main reasons for infants smelling really pleasant.
Getting Startled Easily
Most newborns get easily startled by hearing the slightest of sounds. It is natural for a baby to fling her arms, spread her hands and cry out for the mother or care giver when startled by common sounds like clanking of a kitchen utensil. Over a period of time as the brain of a newborn baby matures she will be in a position to differentiate between sounds and control her reflexes.
Excessive Drooling
Constant drooling is another thing common in infants. The underdeveloped nervous system of an infant is responsible for improper motor control of their mouth which causes drooling. This is no cause of concern and will normally subside by the time the child turns a year old.
Head Thumping
Many parents get scared when they notice their baby thumping her head while trying to
sleep. Thumping is just a way of infant lulling herself to sleep. Statistically almost 20% of babies do this and it is more common in boys than girls. Unless head thumping continues even after a baby is over a year old it is not really a cause of concern.
Miscellaneous
Many small babies like to
suck their thumb through a piece of cloth. The sleeve of a t-shirt, a bib or a blanket is placed over the thumb while sucking. Sometimes small children touch the face of the parents or play with their ears while going to sleep. These are simple ways in which they communicate their love.
It is important for parents to understand what some of the common baby quirks denote and not get unduly stressed about it. At the same time parents should be in a position to identify normal behaviour of a baby from an abnormal one. Strange abnormal behaviour is not the same as a quirk and in most cases would require medical intervention.
