Patient's question:
My daughter is nine years old and in fourth grade. She is very tall and quite fat. It seems like she has everything she needs. Since she was young, she has bitten her fingernails, and she still does it now. Is this a disease?Doctor's answer:
Children love to bite their fingernails, and this habit is related to various factors such as the child's personality, environment, upbringing, and parenting style. It is more common in school-aged children and is known as onychophagia.1: When children cannot find enjoyment psychologically, feel stressed, anxious, or lack sufficient love from their parents, toys, or engaging activities like drawing and sound-light stimulation, and experience loneliness, they may bite their fingernails as a form of self-entertainment and stress relief. Over time, this can become a habit.
2: More love and attention should be given to these children to completely eliminate their feelings of depression and loneliness. When they bite their fingernails, their attention should be redirected to other activities. Encouragement is essential, and scolding should be avoided to prevent them from developing low self-esteem.
Wishing the child a healthy growth~