You asked

Why do babies chew on their hands while teething?

Between the age of approximately four to seven months, babies will begin to grow their teeth and they will continue to grow them until they are approximately three years of age. During this time your baby will experience slight discomfort especially when the first few teeth begin to break through the gums. There are several signs that a baby is teething and some babies will only experience a few of the symptoms of teething while others may experience all of the symptoms. Teething gels, teething rings and pain medications are a few of the ways to relieve their pain.

Signs to look for include a decrease in appetite, excessive drooling, fussiness, difficulties sleeping, swollen gums and chewing. A baby that is teething will put anything in their mouth including their hands. This is perfectly normal for a baby to chew on their hand while teething. The pressure they feel while chewing helps to eliminate the discomfort.

It is often helpful to have several teething toys available for your baby to chew on. There are several styles of teething rings available to help with alleviating the pain. Some of the rings are water filled and can be chilled in the refrigerator for extra comfort. The water filled rings should not be placed in the freezer as the baby may get freezer burn on their gums.

A bottle with cool water is also an excellent option for teething babies. The water will replace some of the fluids lost during excessive drooling and they like to chew on the nipple. The nipple should be inspected before use in feeding, however, because they often will chew a large hole in them.

Babies love to chew on fingers and hands while teething, theirs as well as their parent’s fingers. Chewing on hands puts enough pressure on the gums to relieve the pain and discomfort. It is important to keep their hands clean to avoid them putting unsanitary fingers in their mouth. They will put anything they can find in their mouth at this time so it is important to keep small and dangerous items out of reach.

More questions

Concern over give infants cold medicine
Firstly, you need to determine if it is vomiting or if they are just possetting, bringing up small quantities of milk. 
Colic is the medical term used to define excessive and frequent crying in an otherwise healthy infant that lasts for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week for at least a period of three weeks.
Having a new little bundle of joy to look after can make it harder to stay on track with your budget, so it’s a good idea to follow some of these tips...
While you can be sure your baby to be will be worth every penny, the reality is the joy of becoming a parent can be expensive...
Buying clothes for a newborn? Here is what you need to know
Colic won’t harm your baby in any way and most babies outgrow it by the time they are between three months and four months old.
It is recommended that you seek advice from your GP when the colic or persistent crying begins. 
The persistent nature of colic means that there are likely to be times when your baby cries, whatever you do.
Cradle cap (seborrhoeic dermatitis) is a rash that starts as scaling and redness on a baby’s scalp.

Latest

Trending