An observational study of object mouthing behavior by young children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Development
• Child Safety
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Mouthing behavior is a normal developmental stage in children under three years old.
• Accurate quantification of oral contact time is crucial for safety assessments of mouthed materials.
• Limited data exists on the duration and types of objects children mouth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and quantify mouthing behavior in children up to three years old.
• To collect data on the duration and types of objects mouthed by young children.
• To inform safety and risk assessments for materials children interact with orally.

Main Methods:

• An observational study using parent-completed diaries to record object mouthing.
• Three phases of data collection involving children aged 0-36 months.
• Focus on duration and type of objects mouthed, excluding pacifiers in Phase III.

Main Results:

• Children aged 0-18 months spent an average of 108 minutes daily on pacifiers and 34 minutes on other objects.
• Children aged 19-36 months spent an average of 126 minutes daily on pacifiers and 4 minutes on other objects.
• Phase III showed an average daily mouthing time of 36 minutes for non-pacifier objects across 168 children.

Conclusions:

• Mouthing behavior is age-dependent, with significant differences in non-pacifier object mouthing between younger and older age groups.
• Pacifier mouthing duration is consistent across age groups, while non-pacifier object mouthing decreases with age.
• Wide variability exists in object types mouthed, including non-toy items, highlighting the need for comprehensive safety evaluations.