Why kids eat boogers

It's entirely possible that if one child at preschool habitually picks her nose without shame, other children will join in. Of course, it's also just as likely the nose-picking child will gross out her counterparts especially if she is among older children and relegate her nose picking to private -- if she continues to do it at all.

A child's interest in picking his nose may have something to do with the composition of the boogers themselves. Scott Napper, a biochemistry professor at the University of Saskatchewan, theorizes that boogers, whose makeup are slightly sweet, may actually taste good to kids. More to the point, he believes that if children pick their noses and eat their boogers, they may actually be revving their immune systems in the process.

According to Napper, children who eat boogers may have a physical advantage. Besides, he posits, the body continually makes nasal secretions and everyone, even adults, swallows these secretions. Eating them via nose retrieval is simply a different delivery method.

As of , however, his theory remains untested [source: Jaslow ]. Nose picking isn't only for children. A population survey about nose picking revealed that almost all adults do it to a varying degree. Scientists who have studied obsessive nose picking, known as rhinotillexomania, have found it difficult to determine the threshold between "normal" nose picking and nose picking that crosses the line. What they do know is that it's a common obsessive disorder that, if overdone, can result in infections, nosebleeds and damage to the nostrils [source: Jefferson ].

Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Kids Expand child menu Expand. Learn Expand child menu Expand. Learning Expand child menu Expand. Mom Expand child menu Expand. Science Experiments for Kids Expand child menu Expand. But how do I get them to stop wiping them on the underside of the couch cushion? Kids are so gross. The A. By Meghan Moravcik Walbert. The website suggested " identifying underlying causes ," like allergies, which would lead to a runny or stuffy nose, which leads to nose picking and then leads to booger eating.

Try children's Claritin or Zyrtec, after discussing with your pediatrician first. To keep those boogers from becoming hard and irresistible to pick, Healthline also suggested having your child use saline nose drops and cool-air humidifiers. They can't pick and eat liquid — I don't think? Additionally, Dr. Lisa Lewis , board certified pediatrician and author of Feed the Baby Hummus, Pediatrician-Backed Secrets From Cultures Around The World, tells Romper "An effective way to reduce and possibly eliminate booger eating is to use an emollient, such as Vaseline, in the nose twice daily.

Use a clean finger, and apply a dime sized dab of Vaseline at the entrance of each nostril.