A bite from a child occurs with some frequency in small children. Fortunately most bites are minor and do not require specific treatment.
NOTE: Care of a child with a bite injury is discussed in Chapter 26. Animal bites are also handled separately.
Risk factors:
(1) Toddler stage (13 to 30 months of age).
(2) Habitual biter (biting as a learned response for handling problems)
(3) Self-biting (after a fall, or when a digit or lip is in mouth). This needs to be distinguished from self-biting associated with self-mutilation.
(4) Getting into an argument over toys, etc AND lack of alternative skills
(5) Lack of close supervision.
Biting can be reduced by:
(1) Making physical changes to the layout of rooms.
(2) Trying to carefully modify the behavior of repeat biters.
(3) Increasing supervision of problem children, which often involves reducing the ratio of students to teachers.
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Specialty: Pedatrics, Surgery, general, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, orthopedic
