RE: the 18 month old who was picking at mom's moles as she dropped off to sleep Has mom tried covering the moles (bandage strips etc..) ? How about having then removed? Is there a safe substitute-- buttons sewn on cloth might be worth a try (round tops about the size of the moles) Toddlers seem to develop rituals that help them fall off to sleep. As this mom knows, if the behavior is interrupted the baby won't go to sleep. I have two girls that sucked their thumbs and picked at their belly-buttons to the point of drawing blood. (both BF long term) My husband's mother thinks its cute because he did the same thing when he was little. My husband remembers his pediatrician telling him (about age 5) that if he picked too hard his bottom would fall off. :-) My son, on the other hand, picked at his ear. So I never *knew* when he had an ear infection. He developed scarlet fever before we even knew he was sick. (This is the same kid that wanted to keep playing with a broken arm.) I had one mom who couldn't get her child to sleep unless he was pulling her hair. Not only was her hair thinning but the toddler would end up with hair wrapped around his fingers. We were able to fake him out with a wig.