United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Does any of your kids bite their bp hand? Tabitha will bite her fingers really bad and then stop for a couple of months and then start again. This time she took off her pinky finger nail. What do you do to stop the biting and how do you prevent it?
Thanks, Tisha Redden

Hi,it was about a week or so ago I ask the same "?"
Seem like it happened to more than just my 2 year old, should be on the board some where....
Our Angelina had surgery about 1 1/2 ago and has started biting her fingers, bites the tips / sides off
Really gross we tryed hot sauce on the nail, not the wound. no go she likes it...lol we finley gave in and gave her the "binkey" back and rub her arm more.
if you come up with a better idea let us know please.

My son used to do the same thing. He used to bit on his fingers so bad that they were all infected and bleeding most of the time. He would bite them down until they look like little nubs of fingers. May I suggest trying eatable Clove Oil. You can buy it in speciality health or kitchen stores. It's kind of expensive, but it works. You just rub it on the spot she likes to chew on and not only does it help heal, but the taste is pretty gross. It's really bitter and tastes like medication. She won't want to bite anymore and it will heal her all up. I usually put it on my son before school and before bed I would really smother him in it.

Good Luck!
Laura

Hi!
Have you considered that it might just be wanting to have some feeling in the tip of their fingers where probably they have less feeling? It might jsut simply be that they're getting back feelings or that they're trying to get feelings on the tip of their fingers...
Do they do it in a very conscious way?

I don't know if it is possible to teach very young children to tap. I have always tapped on my arm with two fingers for some reason. I guess someone taught me to do it when I am uncomfortable. I tap hard up and down my arm.
Kath

My son has been caught so many times biting his fingers his arm and causing them to bleed. The doctor her could not figure it out and boy I got the looks when I told him he bit himself. One day not too long ago I was sitting next to my son and he bit his finger I asked him to stop and then asked him why he bit his finger...his reply, because it was sleepy mommmy. Maybe they get the sensation of his hand falling asleep. What to do about I have no idea. I tried eveything when he was little and he loved it all....including hot sauce and pickling alum. Yuck !