Why My Baby Tucks In Bottom Lip? Find Out Now!
You undoubtedly get curious about the cause of your baby’s bottom lip tucking in. You may be wondering why he has this habit and what the implications are. In this post, we’ll go through some of the causes and repercussions of having your lip tucked in. Keep reading!
Reasons for Tucking In Bottom Lip
Your infant may be tucking his bottom lip in for a variety of reasons, including:
1. Hunger
Not all newborns scream while they are teething, and not all babies cry out in response to hunger. Infants will occasionally use their fingers, hands, thumbs, and, yes, even their bottom lip, to “feed” themselves.
Your baby may, out of instinct, start to make the same sucking motion with his bottom lip as he would with a nipple in his mouth as the next feeding approaches.
This hunger indication may be confusing to you, especially if your infant just had a meal and won’t be getting another one for a few hours. Before you worry about having to feed him again, keep in mind that newborns go through growth spurts and what is known as “cluster feeding,” which could be the cause of his lip-sucking. To check whether he is indeed hungry, try offering the breast or bottle.
2. Teething
Every parent dreads the time when teething first starts. We’ve all heard the terrifying tales of infants who wake up in the middle of the night screaming and biting on their fists or whatever else they can get their hands on. Of course, not all newborns experience teeth development in this way.
Your kid may be starting the teething process if you find him sucking on his bottom lip. Other symptoms to look out for include excessive drool, rose-colored cheeks, and, of course, stiffened gums. These indications, together with the bottom lip tucking, can suggest that a tooth is about to erupt.
3. Self-Soothing
You must keep in mind that your little kid had just his thumb to play with when he was snuggled up inside of you. Babies can be seen waving, extending their fingers, and sucking their thumbs in several ultrasound images.
Your baby may find it difficult to easily reach his thumb to suck on while he is outside of your womb, which makes lip tucking more likely.
Naturally, he will learn to utilize whatever tools are available and close by, which may very well be his bottom lip rather than his fingers or thumbs. Babies have a natural tendency to comfort themselves, which experts suggest is present as early as a week old. His lip is right there, and the motion of sucking is quite calming, much like the effect of a pacifier.
4. Baby Is Eager To Try Solid Food
Your baby may be attempting to try some of the food on your plate if you catch them licking her bottom lip while you are eating adult food.
Whether they have been breastfed or given formula, most newborns are ready to begin eating pureed vegetables, meat, and fruit between the ages of 3 and 6 months.
Although you may purchase ready-to-eat baby food at the supermarket, I suggest making your own at home using a baby food steamer and blender. By doing this, you can be sure that it doesn’t have an excessive quantity of sugar in it that can be bad for your baby’s health.
5. Medical Issues
Even while the majority of infants stop lip-sucking by the time they are six months old, especially if solid foods are offered, there may be some small ones who are adamant about keeping up the habit. Constant bottom lip tucking raises a few medical issues, so you should be informed of them just in case.
6. Severe Misalignment
Your toddler is very likely to suck on the lower lip because of the misaligned upper baby teeth. Visit your pediatric dentist as soon as you can since the most typical solution for this issue is braces.
Consequences Of Tucking In Bottom Lip
There probably won’t be any problems if your infant simply sometimes tucks in either hir top or lower lip. However, you can observe certain changes to your child’s mouth region if this turns into a habit of sucking.
1. Blisters
When your baby’s first tooth erupts, there’s a chance that prolonged sucking or lip-biting can lead to blister development. You might want to discuss potential treatments with your physician if they don’t heal correctly as a result of being exposed to saliva regularly in order to avoid the region becoming infected.
2. Lip Irritation
At any age, excessive lip licking or sucking is a bad habit because it exposes the lips’ sensitive skin to saliva, which can make them irritated, red, or chapped skin.
Even though saliva temporarily soothes chapped lips, it also includes enzymes that exacerbate the condition. Even if you haven’t witnessed your baby sucking on her lips, if her lips seem sore, it’s conceivable that he does it when she wakes up in the middle of the night to lull himself back to sleep.
3. Overbite
A baby who continues to tuck lips far into their toddler years (after becoming one year old) may suffer major dental health effects.
The top teeth and lip advance when the lower lip is continuously drawn into the mouth. Over time, an overbite might form, and you’ll need to see the dentist to get it fixed.
4. Red Ring Appears Around The Mouth
Lip licker’s dermatitis, more commonly recognized as a red ring around the mouth from excessive lip licking, can also develop. It affects a lot of school-aged children, especially during the winter when the weather is colder and the skin is drier and is brought on by saliva causing damage to the skin around the lips.
5. Speech Problems
Along with the potential for an overbite, your child also runs the risk of having speech difficulties. He may attempt to talk while holding her lip in his mouth if her lip-sucking habit gets excessive. Speech therapy has to start since he might not know how to pronounce some letters properly.
How Can You Stop Your Kid From Tucking In His Bottom Lip?
You don’t need to worry about correcting this practice right now unless your baby’s lips are displaying symptoms of huge discomfort or he hasn’t stopped by the time he turns one because most newborns go through a lip-sucking temporary phase while they are teething or learning how to calm themselves.
The most crucial thing is to avoid yelling at or punishing your infant for this common behavior since he is still too young to comprehend.
Try one of the following remedies instead.
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Use Pacifier
If your child is breastfed on breast milk supply, you may have some worries regarding pacifiers. Some parents might be concerned about having to correct nipple confusion, while others don’t want to go through the process of weaning their child from their pacifier in a few years. However, a pacifier might be beneficial since it satisfies your baby’s urge to suck while simultaneously protecting her lips.
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Give Them Teething Toys
If your baby’s tendency of sucking or biting her lips is due to her teeth coming in, you may also give her a teething toy to chew on.
Conclusion
If your infant is between the ages of 3 to 6 months and you find that they are sucking on their bottom lip, you shouldn’t be alarmed. It is a typical stage that most infants pass through without any issues. Furthermore, while he or she is still unable to talk, it is your baby’s first means of communication with you.