Baby Sticking Tongue Out

Why does my baby keep sticking their tongue out?

Usually because tongues are how babies feed, explore and play. Rooting and sucking are reflexes, pushing food back out is a normal stage before swallowing solids, and a tongue poked out at a face may be play. What it means depends mostly on your baby's age and what else is going on.

Is my baby sticking their tongue out because they are hungry?

Often, in the early weeks. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes the rooting reflex, which makes a newborn turn towards your hand when you stroke their cheek or mouth, and says: "Rooting, sucking, and bringing his hand to his mouth are considered feeding cues in the first weeks after birth." A tongue moving in and out alongside rooting and hands to the mouth fits that picture. The AAP's reflex table has rooting fading by around four months. See newborn hunger cues.

The movements carry on after feeds for another reason. The AAP says that once breastfeeding is established, babies "start to use these movements to console" themselves. Tongue and lip movements after a full feed are often settling, not hunger.

Why does my baby push food out with their tongue?

Many babies push their first spoonfuls straight back out with the tongue, often called the tongue-thrust or extrusion reflex. The NHS names three signs that, appearing together from around six months, show a baby is ready for solid food: staying in a sitting position with a steady head, co-ordinating eyes, hands and mouth to pick food up and put it in their mouth, and being able to "swallow food (rather than spit it back out)". A baby who pushes everything out has not reached the third sign yet; see signs of readiness for solids.

Once eating is under way, the tongue shows up in gagging. The NHS lists the signs of gagging as watering eyes, pushing the tongue forward or out of the mouth, and retching to bring food forward or vomiting, and says babies gag because they are learning to deal with solid foods and how much they can chew and swallow at once. See choking versus gagging.

Is my baby copying me when they stick their tongue out?

Possibly; researchers have argued about it for decades. In 1977 Meltzoff and Moore reported that newborns imitate facial and hand gestures, and tongue protrusion is the gesture at the centre of the later dispute.

In 2016, what its authors called the most comprehensive longitudinal study of newborn imitation to date tested 106 babies at 1, 3, 6 and 9 weeks with nine social and two non-social models. Oostenbroek and colleagues found the babies "did not imitate any of the models, as they were just as likely to produce the gestures in response to control models as they were to matching models".

Meltzoff and a group of other researchers then obtained the raw data, identified what they called 11 flaws in the design, and reported "significant tongue-protrusion imitation at all four ages tested (1, 3, 6, and 9 weeks old)". The debate has not been settled: your baby may be copying you, responding to an interesting face, or both, and it is harmless play either way. For the tongue's next trick, see when babies blow raspberries.

Is it teething?

Possibly, but tongue-poking is not on the NHS list. It says most babies start teething at around six months, some before four months and some after twelve, and lists the signs as a sore, red gum where the tooth is coming through, a slightly raised temperature below 38C, one flushed cheek, a rash on the face, rubbing an ear, dribbling more than usual, gnawing and chewing, being more fretful, and not sleeping well. If tongue-poking comes with several of those, teething is a reasonable explanation; if it comes alone, look to feeding or play first. See teething signs and timeline.

When can sticking the tongue out be a sign of something?

Tongue-tie

The NHS describes tongue-tie as the piece of skin joining the tongue to the floor of the mouth being shorter or tighter than usual. It can make it hard to move the tongue side to side, lift it or stick it out, and the tongue "may also look heart-shaped when it's lifted or stuck out". In babies it can cause difficulty latching, long and very frequent feeds, dribbling, coughing or clicking during feeds, and slow weight gain. The NHS also says tongue-tie may cause no problems, and treatment is not usually needed if it does not. See tongue-tie and breastfeeding.

A tongue that looks thick and stays out

MedlinePlus, from the US National Library of Medicine, says most babies with an underactive thyroid at birth have few or no symptoms, but those with a severe form can have a puffy face and a "thick tongue that sticks out", alongside poor feeding, constipation, a hoarse cry, jaundice, sleepiness and low muscle tone. Congenital hypothyroidism is one of the conditions checked by the NHS newborn blood spot test, usually done when a baby is 5 days old, and MedlinePlus says most US states require newborn screening for it. A thick tongue that is always out is not the same as a tongue that pokes out and goes back in.

When to speak to a health visitor or doctor

The NHS says to speak to a midwife, health visitor or GP if you think your baby has tongue-tie or if they are having difficulty breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Speak to your GP soon if your baby's tongue looks thick and rests outside the mouth most of the time, especially with poor feeding, unusual sleepiness, constipation or floppiness. Mention constant tongue-poking you cannot explain at your baby's next review.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my 2 month old keep sticking their tongue out?

Usually feeding or play. The AAP counts rooting, sucking and hands to the mouth as feeding cues in the early weeks, and rooting fades by around four months. Researchers still disagree about whether babies this young copy a tongue poked out at them. If feeding and weight gain are fine, it is normal.

Why does my baby stick their tongue out after feeding?

Usually for comfort. The AAP says that once breastfeeding is established, babies use rooting and sucking movements to console themselves, so tongue and lip movements after a full feed are often settling rather than hunger. If feeds are long, clicky or leave your baby hungry, ask about tongue-tie.

Does pushing food out with the tongue mean my baby is not ready for solids?

It can. The NHS lists swallowing food rather than spitting it back out as one of three readiness signs that appear together from around six months, alongside sitting with a steady head and getting food to the mouth by themselves. A baby who pushes every spoonful out is not showing that sign yet, so give it more time.

Can a newborn really copy you sticking your tongue out?

Researchers disagree. A 2016 study of 106 babies found no imitation of any gesture, but a 2018 reanalysis of the same data by other researchers reported significant tongue-protrusion imitation at 1, 3, 6 and 9 weeks. Your baby may be copying, or reacting to your face. It is harmless either way.