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Expert Q&A:
Could ingesting the finish on a coffee table harm a 9 1/2-month-old?

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Linda Jonides
Answered by Linda Jonides R.N., C.P.N.P.
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"I have worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner (P.N.P.) for over 30 years," says Linda Jonides. "I continue to thoroughly enjoy forming new relationships with parents and newborns and working with them through infancy, childhood, and adolescence."

Linda Jonides is a pediatric nurse practitioner in a private pediatric practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She received her Diploma in Nursing and Certificate as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is a past recipient of the Michigan PNP of the Year Award. She has a B.S. in Nursing from Eastern Michigan University. She has published articles and lectured on childhood obesity, infant colic, role of the P.N.P., growth and development issues, and infectious diseases. She was an author of "Clinical Insights Column," published biannually in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care for nine years. Jonides is past president of NAPNAP. Currently, she is a steering group work member of NAPNAP's HEAT (healthy eating and activity together) project. One outcome of this group's work is the clinical practice guideline, "Identifying and Preventing Overweight in Childhood," that was published as a supplement to the March/April '06 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.

Ms. Jonides has been married to John, a university professor, since 1971.
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Question


Could ingesting the finish on a coffee table harm a 9 1/2-month-old?

Answer


Babies at this age often try to chew on anything in sight, in part as a response to teething and also as a way of exploring their environment. You didn't mention what kind of finish is on your coffee table, so I can't say for certain if it would be harmful. But, in any event, repeated chewing of the table eventually will damage the table even if it doesn't harm your daughter.

Try padding the table edges with something soft, such as a rolled towel taped to the table. Or, whenever she goes for the table, offer her something more appropriate to chew on, such as a teething toy or a clean washcloth.

Eventually, she'll get the idea that the table is not for chewing. This will be just one of many items she'll try to ingest. Keep a close eye on her—she's just trying to learn!
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