Infantile masturbation, or Infantile Gratification Disorder, is a normal self-soothing behaviour in babies, and parents should manage it through distraction, not by forcibly stopping the child, as it will fade with time.

FACT: 

True. Infantile masturbation, or Childhood Gratification Disorder, is a common and normal behaviour in young children. It may include rubbing, pelvic movements, or grunting, and can sometimes resemble seizures. Experts advise that parents should gently distract the child or ignore the behaviour, as it usually fades naturally with age, and forcibly stopping or scolding the child is unnecessary.

Parents, this one’s for you. Have you ever noticed a baby rubbing their genitals against the bed or floor and felt alarmed or confused? A viral Instagram reel has reignited this sensitive conversation, leaving many parents worried about whether such behaviour is normal or a warning sign of something serious.

In a widely shared reel, Dr Vipul Vithal reacts to a video of a baby lying on its stomach and rubbing against the bed. Addressing what many parents silently assume, he says, “What you are thinking is exactly what the child is doing. This is called Infantile Gratification Disorder.”

He explains that “the child rubs their private parts as a form of self-soothing behaviour, which is considered absolutely normal in development.” However, he adds, parents often respond with panic. “What do most parents do? They overreact,” he says. On how to manage it, he advises, “Should you let the child continue? Not at all. You should distract the child rather than forcibly stop them, because this behaviour usually gets outgrown with time.” He also warns, “If parents do not understand it properly, it can turn into a lifelong habit.”

Understanding early childhood behaviour

According to Sigmund Freud, childhood experiences play a crucial role in shaping adult personality. Through his psychoanalytic theory, Freud proposed that children pass through five psychosexual stages of development, each marked by a different focus of libidinal energy and a conflict between instinctual drives and social expectations. These stages include the oral stage (birth to 1 year), anal stage (1 to 3 years), phallic stage (3 to 6 years), latent stage (6 years to puberty), and the genital stage (puberty to adulthood).

During the phallic stage (3–6 years), Freud suggested that the child’s attention shifts toward the genitals and that children begin to recognise anatomical differences between males and females.

What is Infantile Gratification Disorder (Infantile Masturbation)?

A 2024 medical review explains that “masturbatory behaviours are not uncommon in children, although they can be quite different from adult practices with a relative lack of actual genital stimulation.”

The review notes that this behaviour is more accurately described as “Childhood Gratification Syndrome (CGS)” rather than a disorder. These episodes may include stroking of the genitals with hands or objects like toys, repetitive pelvic movements, rubbing of thighs, facial flushing, sweating, grunting sounds, and temporary zoning out.

The review adds that “due to their episodic and transient nature, they are often mistaken as neurological events.” It further stresses that “an understanding of this otherwise normal physiological behaviour is important to prevent unnecessary investigations and interventions.”

Is infantile masturbation normal? 

A 2004 retrospective review conducted at the Fraser of Allander Neurosciences Unit examined paediatric neurology outpatient records from 1972 to 2002. The study diagnosed 31 children (11 boys and 20 girls) with gratification disorder. Twenty-one of them were initially referred for suspected epilepsy. The researchers found that the median age of onset was 10.5 months, while the median age of diagnosis was 24.5 months.

Episodes occurred as often as seven times per week and lasted about 2.5 minutes on average. The most common behaviours included dystonic posturing, grunting, rocking, sweating, and unusual imagery-like staring. The study concluded that “gratification disorder, otherwise called infantile masturbation, is an important differential diagnosis for epilepsy and other paroxysmal events in early childhood.” It also highlighted that home video recordings were crucial in avoiding unnecessary medical tests and treatments.

A 2024 case report further reaffirmed that gratification disorder is common between 3 months and 3 years of age and improves with time. The report described a two-year-old girl who was wrongly treated with anti-epileptic drugs before the correct diagnosis was made. After proper assessment and counselling, the parents were advised to ignore the episodes and use distraction, following which the child improved. The report stated that “management usually involves parental psycho-education” and warned that “scolding the child would only result in reinforcement of such behaviour and low self-esteem.” It further emphasised that children usually outgrow this behaviour naturally and that reassurance of anxious parents is the cornerstone of treatment.

What experts advise 

According to Dr Amit Gupta, Senior Neonatologist and Paediatrician at Motherhood Hospitals, such behaviour is “common in young children and should not immediately alarm parents.” He explains that infantile masturbation can sometimes mimic seizures because of facial flushing, redness of the skin, and repetitive body movements, which often leads to unnecessary panic.

Dr Gupta says the behaviour can be seen anywhere from infancy to early childhood, though it is most commonly noticed in toddlers. “There are no specific clinical trials that fix it to one exact age,” he explains, adding that “it is usually seen between two to five years of age, but it can appear even earlier.” He stresses repeatedly that “this is a normal behaviour in children at some point of time.”

He also points out that many adults feel embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing the issue, but silence only adds to anxiety. “Parents often feel shy and frustrated about it, but it is actually very common,” he says. According to him, “episodes can vary widely in duration and frequency, ranging from five to ten minutes to even 30–40 minutes in some children, and may occur once a week or multiple times in a single day.”

Dr Gupta further notes that the behaviour may increase when parents pay excessive attention or repeatedly interfere. “One of the most important things is to ignore it as much as possible,” he advises. “Do not forcibly stop the child. Instead, talk to them and gently distract them.”