My Baby Pinches Herself

Babies sometimes exhibit some weird behavior that may either leave parents concerned or worried. According to experts, some children may develop some strange behavior because they want to express themselves. Note that babies, who have not developed language skills, cannot communicate using the spoken word. So, most of them will try to express themselves using certain behaviors.

Some common behaviors among children include pinching, biting, and hair-pulling. Such habits are more common among toddlers. Now, what is disturbing is when you notice that your baby is pinching herself or himself. This behavior will get you worried as a parent because of the pain the baby is inflicting on his or her body.

Now you must be wondering what makes babies pinch themselves? You probably want to know whether it’s just a behavior children develop or if there’s more to that. Well, if you want to understand more about this behavior in children, make sure that you read this entire post. The information here will help you understand this condition well, including how to manage it.

Why Do Babies Pinch Themselves? 

Pinching among babies is normal. And the most common explanation behind babies pinching themselves is what experts call pincer grasp. It is a stage where babies develop their fine motors, and they can move their fingers. So, they use their fine motor skills to analyze the world around them in different ways, such as grabbing and pinching. If you see such behavior in babies, know that they are working on their fine motor skills.

Older babies, especially toddlers, pinch themselves to express themselves. Since they have not acquired language skills yet, they develop pinching to communicate their needs.

Some babies like pinching themselves whenever you change their diapers. The reason behind this could be that the baby feels some itching whenever they soil or wet their diapers. So, the moment you remove them, they will start pinching themselves because of the irritation they feel on the skin.

Is Self-Pinching Normal in Babies?

Whether you have an infant or toddler, self-pinching is typical behavior among babies. Though they do it for different reasons, as explained above, it is an everyday habit. However, children need to outgrow this kind of behavior as they grow older.

Does This Happen to All Babies?

Since all children experience similar developmental milestones, it is evident that the majority of them will develop and experience similar behaviors or habits. So, if you think that this behavior only happens to your baby, then you are wrong. Other babies pinch themselves too.

What Is the impact?

Self-pinching is not a good habit because it does have adverse effects. When you allow your baby to pinch himself or herself, it causes bruises on the skin. When the skin gets exposed, the open wound may get bacterial or fungal infections. This will, in turn, compromise the health of the baby. So, what a parent should do is ensure that they find appropriate ways of preventing babies from pinching themselves.

How to Tame the Behavior

Sometimes babies pinch themselves when they don’t have their clothes on. So, they will pinch any exposed skin on their bodies. Parents need to ensure that they avoid exposing their babies’ skin, particularly those where they like pinching. 

They can do this by ensuring that children have their clothes on most of the time, especially when they are awake and active. In other words, remove the temptation by covering the area of the skin they like pinching.

Also, ensure that you keep babies’ nails short. That way, they won’t be able to pinch their skin off. This will prevent wounds, meaning that there will be no bacterial or fungal infections.

When it comes to toddlers, they pinch themselves for some reason. So, to tame the behavior, you first need to understand the reason behind the habit. Once you realize the reason for pinching, you will know how to deal with the behavior.

Conclusion

Though self-pinching may be expected and part of a baby’s development milestone, it negatively affects. So, this means that it is a behavior that requires taming as the baby grows old. Parents have the responsibility of ensuring that they prohibit certain behaviors like self-pinching.