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What's up, baby? Your child's baffling behaviour

How to tackle your tot's trying tricks

Lisa Bendall,

Originally published in Today's Parent May 2006

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Aw, look at baby! She’s adorable. Watch her clap her hands, smile and coo. Wait, what’s that she’s doing now? Shoving her fist down her throat — and triggering her gag reflex? Huh? That can’t be good!

While we delight in many of our baby’s behaviours, there are others that can leave parents perplexed and even panicky. Fortunately, most of the time they are a normal part of healthy development. Here’s a look at some baffling baby behaviour — and strategies for handling it:

Gag me
Most babies stumble on this parlour trick by accident, but win adult attention when they do it. That’s usually enough to hold their interest for a few more attempts. Babies are learning cause and effect, and they delight in any event they can control. Eventually most infants will decide they don’t particularly like the sensation of gagging on their own fingers, and will stop — especially if parents tone down their reactions.

That said, talk to your baby’s doctor if it happens constantly, especially during mealtime. And, of course, vomiting without an obvious cause should be checked out.

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