Wow. The only thing that would really freak me out is if you're living in an older house he could be taking in lead from the paint as well. Maybe ask the pediatrician about checking him for lead? Or having the paint checked to be sure. Because lead for babies is dangerous.
Never had this problem myself but it does sound like its not good for your baby. How abt painting that corner of the wall with something that tastes nasty but is harmless like vinegar or lemon juice or maybe even salsa?
Lilith--a Gramma
I've heard of this being done with other things children shouldn't be chewing on: try putting/spraying something on the wall with a bitter or sour flavor (I think they have special sprays in the stores). Another idea: when my friend's baby was teething, she used to give him small pieces of ice to suck on. It was safe to swallow and relived the pain of the teeth coming in.
You may want to look up information on "Pica." Pica is a diagnosis given when people eat inedible things, like pencils, coins, etc. There may be more to it but hopefully you can find out more on the diagnosis and possible treatment if that is what is appropriate. Good luck.
Someone may have already told you this, but you should have him checked by the pediatrician as it sounds like something called Pica which indicated iron deficiency anemia.
MLand
Sounds like he has a deficiency of some sort. Have a talk with his doctor about it.
To stop the chewing in the meantime maybe you could try restricting him to a play pin during times when you are not able to give him one on one attention. Stick him in there with a chew toy and a couple books and go do your laundry or dishes or whatever. Every time he starts chewing on a wall say "No!" firmly and return him immediately to the play pin. He'll get the point eventually but at least until then you can minimize the amount of paint he is consuming. Also, if your house was built before 1978 you should get him tested for lead poisoning.
my daughter chewed on metal at that age - we finally discovered her iron was low... what vitamins/minerals are in wood/paint???? Just a crazy thought...
Do you get excited when he does it - maybe you look silly and he is just enjoying your reaction...
Hello,
I ate a large amount of sheetrock when I was a child. I am a woman now. I grew to be about six feet tall. I haven’t shrunken an inch. I have a high IQ. I am in my fifties now. I never had a cavity in any tooth. Your child is simply seeking the calcium and minerals that gypsum provides. When I was a child, my father was convinced that rats were gnawing at the sheetrock in the unfinished basement. It wasn’t rats. It was me. My mother provided me with a gallon of milk a day, but that was not enough to meet my needs, so I ate sheetrock.
Thank you to everyone for your responses!!! We are making an appointment for Samuel today to have him checked out for any type of deficiency. The overall response was that he may be lacking iron, or calcium. There were also some mentions of PECI which we will definitely bring up, because they too sound like something we need to look into. Thank you again for all your help. We really appreciate it!