Hi Mommies (and some daddies)-
My 14 month old loves to take baths and we usually play in there for 30 minutes. The problem is when I start to soap her up she puts her hand in it and starts eating it. I tasted it thinking it might taste different that regular soap since it is the Kiehl's Baby Foam wash - and it does not taste good at all. Has anyone else had this problem. She literally scoops it up by the handfuls and tries to eat it. When my girlfriend was pregnant she wanted to eat sand all the time - her doctor told her she wasn't getting enough of a particular nutrient so I was wondering if it was something odd like that. Thanks
Give her toys to play with in the clear water, then after she plays soap her up, rinse her off and get her out of the tub. Simple as that. Do the soap LAST.
I'm not a health professional, but some internet research from waaaay back when is leading me to answer your question.
Regarding your girlfriend who wanted to eat sand all the time: when there is a craving for a non-food item ---clay, laundry detergent, cigarette ashes, ice --- that is usually a good indicator of a severe iron deficiency and is known as PICA.
That being said, have you had your 14 month old tested for anemia? It could be possible that she has an iron deficiency and is the reason she is eating soap. If I were in your situation, I'd contact your baby's pediatrician and mention this to him/her. It may be as simple as adding some Iron to her diet (via vitamins, more iron-rich foods, etc.).
Good luck to you!
Since your child is barely older than a year, I doubt it is PICA. If the soap smells good, your little lady is just curious. At that age kids are moving to table foods and are learning to associate smells to tastes. Pretty soon she will figure out it tastes bad and stop. But in the short term, I agree with the first poster and use clear water until the very end of the bath.
Don't forget to ask your Ped at her 18 month checkup.
Hi D.M.,
Children can exhibit a desire for non-food items if they have a nutritional deficiency, however it's likely she would try going for the soap (or other items) at times other than bath time. I wouldn't rule it out if I were you, but first you might consider that this is more of a sensory issue. The soap probably has a texture, or smell that she enjoys.
Here's an idea to try. It might sound weird but it's a a lot of fun. Try putting her in a clean/sanitary tub without water (she could even be in a bathing suit) and use pudding, or whipped cream and let her experience the textures and even eat it. This will give you an opportunity to see if she is being tactile. If she likes that, the next time she takes a bath (which you will want her to do right after playing with the pudding or whipped cream) you can then differentiate between that and eating soap.
Do put boundaries on the soap eating (I'm sure you do already) and explain simply "we use soap to wash our bodies. Eating it is not safe".
If you don't want to try the tub idea you could try replacing the soap with a safe toy she can chew on only in the tub (make sure it's not a choking hazard of course)...something that is a safe tactile experience.
I think many of us ate paste, playdough, etc.....even when we were older than her.
Good luck.
B.
