Nail Biting - San Antonio,TX

Are you sure this is not being prompted from teething or gum sensitivity? If you give her some infant tylonal, do you notice a change in her oral fixation? If so, she might be soothing herself with teething issues.

Around 15-18 months my DD had a rocky time with teething, because her canine teeth (aka: cuspids, eye-teeth) and her molars were coming in. Does your daughter use a pacifier? I know, everyone wants to rip the binkie out of their baby's mouth around age 2... But I noticed that without a pacifier, my DD would gnaw on her hands and fingers much more... and that made me worry about thumb sucking or nail biting habits developing, Yikes, those are much harder habits to break!

Maybe you can see if one of those mesh food sucker/biting gadets will help... (ya know, these things: http://store.babycenter.com/product/code/3925.do. I think Target has some-?) Stick some frozen banana or fruit chunks in and maybe that will help divert her habit of finger gnawing and nail biting...?

Hi L.,
My son now 2 1/2 began biting his nails around 1 1/2 too. He also used to bite his toenails!! I asked his pedi about this and she said it's something he does when he's bored, nervous etc., I'm don't see how he does something like that without being shown..anyway..eventually he just stopped. i kept all of his nails trimmed, I had to clip them a few times a week. He still picks at his cuticles and his toes, he's even made his toe bleed. He knows it hurts but keeps doing it...sigh...I'm sorry I can't explain this behavior but you're not alone and hopefully they will outgrow this.

Take her immediately and have her allergy tested. I know it sounds crazy but it's true. Allergies can be the root of nail biting at that early age. I took my daughter when she was about 2 and had her tested for asthma. They also did allergy testing.

She would not only bite her nails but the skin on her fingertips too. The doctor told us then it was allergy related and once she got on the medicine it would stop. It did. I now realize my nail biting that started at a very young age was also probably due to allergies.

As soon as the medicine kicked in she quit biting her nails and fingers. Unfortunately, the flonase began causing a lesion in her nose after a few months and she had to quit taking it. As soon as she did the nail biting started back up. By the time we were finally able to put her back on the flonase the doctor said the nail biting had become habit and the medicine didn't stop it.

It's worth checking into anyway.

I was a nail biter. When I was elementary age I kept my nails painted when I went to bite the painted nails the paint would chip off on my face and in my mouth and soon after that I stoped biting. They make a thumb sucker solution sold at Walgreens and probley most places. Good luck. I dont know if the polish would be safe at this early age! Just read Dottie B's responce and I did have food allergies as a kid!