Quick Answers
Babies lick their parents’ faces for a few main reasons:
- Exploring textures and tastes
- Showing affection
- Trying to communicate
Face licking is very common in young babies and usually harmless. As your baby gets older, you can discourage the behavior if you want.
Exploring Textures and Tastes
For newborns, licking is one of the first ways they explore the world. At birth, a baby’s main senses are touch, smell, and taste. Licking allows them to sample textures, flavors, and scents. Your face offers a variety of sensations for your little one to experience through licking.
When your baby’s mouth makes contact with your face, he/she encounters the smoothness of your cheek, prickly hairs of your beard or mustache, salty taste of sweat, oily properties of moisturizers or make-up. All of these novel flavors and textures provide important sensory input.
Licking helps babies gather information about you. As their parent, you are the most important and familiar person in a newborn’s world. By licking your face over and over, your baby is learning more about you in a developmental process called bonding or attachment.
Showing Affection
For older babies beyond the newborn stage, face licking takes on a new meaning. As babies become more mobile and engaged with the world, licking becomes an instinctive way for them to show love.
Licking another person or animal is a common sign of affection among many mammalian species. The origins of this behavior likely stem from grooming behaviors that strengthen social bonds.
When your baby licks you, it indicates he/she feels safe, comforted, and cared for by you. Licking says “I love you” in the instinctive language of infancy. It shows your little one feels attached to you. So in an older baby, face licking may be an affectionate gesture.
Trying to Communicate
Babies have an innate drive to communicate from birth. But their physical limitations make sending clear messages challenging. Licking allows them to signal some basic needs.
If your baby licks near your mouth, it may indicate he/she wants food. Rooting and sucking behaviors naturally lead toward the mouth. Hunger is a common trigger for increased face licking in young babies.
Licking can also be a sign of teething pain. The pressure and motion of licking brings relief to swollen gums. Drooling increases which wets the lips, promoting more licking. Teething babies may lick faces more often.
By watching your baby’s cues and patterns, you can learn to interpret what different types of licking may mean. With time, your baby will progress to more advanced communication like smiling, babbling, and finger pointing. But licking remains an instinctive part of their attachment behavior.
When to Discourage Face Licking
Most experts agree that you should not discourage face licking in the first 6 months. This early licking fulfills an important developmental role for your baby.
After 6 months, you can begin setting boundaries if excessive licking bothers you. Redirect your baby by offering a teether toy or soft book to lick instead. Also be sure to provide other forms of stimulation through touch, song, and movement.
Get your doctor’s opinion if licking seems obsessive. In rare cases, babies lick compulsively due to a neurological or behavioral disorder. Extreme licking may require occupational therapy or other interventions.
You should also discourage licking if your child is over a year old. At this point, it becomes an unhygienic habit you will want to curb. Offer other ways for your toddler to show affection like hugs, kisses or cuddling.
When to Seek Help
Consult your pediatrician if you notice any of the following:
- Licking accompanied by other symptoms like crying, head banging, lack of eye contact
- Intense, constant licking that does not respond to redirection
- Signs of skin irritation, cuts, or sores developing on your face
- Unusual changes in the amount of licking
These signals may indicate an underlying issue requiring further evaluation. It is especially important to report symptoms to your doctor if licking persists past one year old.
Health Risks
In most cases, newborn face licking does not pose major health risks. However, there are some hygiene factors to consider:
Germs
Babies’ mouths harbor bacteria, viruses, and yeast. By licking, they can spread these microbes to your face. Be diligent about washing your face after interactions with your baby. Seek medical care if licking leads to skin infections.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is a fungal infection that can pass from baby to parent through licking. Prevent transmission by sterilizing pacifiers, bottles, and toys your baby puts in his/her mouth. Call your doctor if you notice white patches in your baby’s mouth.
Cold Sores
The herpes simplex virus causes contagious cold sores. Babies can contract this virus through kissing or sharing utensils with infected individuals. Avoid licking if you or your child has active cold sores.
Allergies
In rare cases, babies may have skin or food allergies to something on your face like cosmetics, moisturizer, soap. Discontinue use of any new products if excessive face licking begins.
| Age | Response |
|---|---|
| 0-6 months | Allow licking as this promotes bonding and exploration |
| 6-12 months | Gently discourage constant licking by redirecting your baby’s attention |
| 1-3 years | Set clear boundaries since licking is unhygienic in toddlers |
Conclusion
Face licking is common, harmless behavior in infants under 6 months old. It allows them to explore textures, show affection, and meet sensory needs. While mostly normal, excessive licking past one year requires discouragement and potential evaluation. Set limits on licking as your baby transitions to toddlerhood but do not hamper the instinct in young babies. With gentle guidance, your child will outgrow the need to lick as other communication skills develop.