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Frequency of mouthing behavior in young children
Nicolle S Tulve1, Jack C Suggs, Thomas McCurdy
1National Exposure Research Laboratory, US EPA, MD-E20504, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. tulve.nicolle@epa.gov
Summary
Young children under 24 months exhibit higher mouthing behavior, increasing pesticide exposure risk. This mouthing frequency significantly decreases as children age past 24 months.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Young children's mouthing behaviors increase their risk of pesticide exposure from residential applications.
- Limited research has specifically examined mouthing behaviors in children under five years old.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze previously unpublished data on children's mouthing behaviors.
- To assess the relationship between age, gender, and mouthing frequency in young children.
- To inform pesticide exposure risk assessments for children.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed mouthing behavior data from 72 children (aged 11-60 months).
- Recorded daily frequency of hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth contacts, excluding eating.
- Used a mixed effects linear model and tree analysis to examine age and gender associations.
Main Results:
- No significant association found between mouthing frequency and gender.
- A significant decrease in mouthing frequency was observed with increasing age.
- Children 24 months and younger showed significantly higher mouthing frequencies (81 events/h) compared to older children (42 events/h).
Conclusions:
- Mouthing behavior decreases significantly as children age.
- Age-related changes in mouthing behavior are critical for accurate residential pesticide exposure assessments.
- Findings highlight the heightened vulnerability of younger children to environmental contaminants through mouthing behaviors.