As the mother of a 10-month old, comedian Lisa Landry knows as well as anyone how difficult it is to keep a baby from mouthing everything within reach. In her stand-up act, she even jokes that she keeps her baby safe by not letting him play with anything from China. But seriously, folks, Landry is careful about what her baby chews on.

"My baby wants to put everything in his mouth so once something hits the floor I keep it out of his reach until it's been washed," Landry says.

That's striking a good balance between allowing Baby to explore his world with his mouth and making sure he stays safe, something experts say is important for every baby's development.

The phase of oral exploration doesn't start the first time babies pick up a toy and bring it to their mouths – it actually starts at birth simply because they have no other way to explore their world.

Child development specialist Jane Kostelc, from the Web site Parents as Teachers, says that babies put thing in their mouths out of interest. "When they're born they have that reflex to suck and the mouth becomes a way for them to get information," Kostelc says. "They put things in their mouths because their hands are less sensitive."

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