Does your baby suck fingers? Thumb sucking sometimes becomes a thorny issue for parents who unnecessarily worry about their baby sucking thumb. Below we study the issue of thumb sucking, explain when it can become a problem, and recommend steps for parents who don’t know how to stop thumb sucking in their kids. Read this before you get heart palpitations next time you see your friends’ babies sucking fingers. But for now, remember that infant thumb sucking is quite normal.
Is Thumb Sucking Normal?
As we said above: Parents are sometimes unnecessarily concerned about their baby sucking thumb. The truth is that in babies sucking is a normal reflex reaction. It is also still quite common in infants. As a matter of fact, doctors often see x-rays of unborn babies sucking fingers.
Infant thumb sucking is not a sign of anything wrong. Even to see a child of between two and three years old with a finger in mouth (or sometimes several fingers in mouth) is no reason to immediately panic.
Thumb-sucking, also often referred to as non-nutritive sucking (i.e. sucking not providing nutrition) actually has various benefits for a baby. So there is no need to worry about your baby sucking thumb because:
– It’s a natural way to control emotions
– It provides security and comfort
– It helps the infant to focus and relax
For the majority of kids, the need to suck their thumbs naturally disappears as they age. For some, however, it can continue beyond toddlerhood and become an unhealthy habit, especially when they are going to sleep or need soothing. The majority of infant thumb sucking stops without the need for intervention from around the age of two. By age four it’s no longer common to see them with finger in mouth or even less seldom with several fingers in mouth. If you see your baby suck finger, therefore, there is no need to be concerned.
When Should You Be Concerned About Thumb Sucking? When Does Intervention Become Necessary?
While infant thumb sucking is perfectly normal, habitual thumb sucking isn’t good for the skin of your child’s thumb when he or she grows older. It also increases the risk of issues like cracked skin or callus formation. Prolonged thumb-sucking could even constrict the kid’s upper jaw, impact teeth lineup, and open his or her bits. This in turn can cause a gap between the bottom and top teeth.
How severe these issues will depend on the intensity, frequency, and duration of the thumb sucking. If the child stops sucking thumb before age 4, however, these issues are not likely to have any long-term effects. So if you see your baby sucking thumb, relax. To see a baby suck finger is one of those marvelous little joys of life that is not an indication of an underlying problem.
Although infant thumb sucking is harmless, it is vital for parents to make sure their kid breaks the habit before the appearance of permanent teeth. Intervention should preferably start by age 3. This is because between the ages of 3 and 4 years, many thumb sucking kids have already developed a gap between their lower and upper teeth, and their jaw development has been impacted. This often already causes speech problems. The development of their tongue muscles is also affected and they find saying sounds like ‘th’ and ‘s’ difficult. Waiting until after the kid’s permanent teeth has appeared can also lead to the development of ‘buck teeth’.
To summarize: To see your baby suck finger is good. Seeing your sister’s baby with a finger in mouth (or even several fingers in mouth) is also no reason to call 911. To see your friends’ babies sucking fingers is also just fine. But to see your 5-year old kid perpetually sucking finger is bad.
How Can You Help Your Kid To Quit Sucking His Or Her Thumb?
The following can help answer your questions about how to stop thumb sucking in your child:
Start by explaining to the kid in simple terms why babies sucking fingers are OK but it’s not good for a child of his or her age to do so – and that is why you would like them to stop sucking thumb.
Start a reward program to praise the kid when he or she does not suck their thumb. An extra story at bedtime and stickers often work well.
It’s important that you make it very clear that you believe he or she can make this work.
Provide the kid with alternative methods of soothing and comforting, for example, a comfort object such as a stuffed toy.
Start making notes of his or her progress on a calendar against their bedroom wall. Reinforce desired behavior by sticking a star on the calendar on those days when he or she did not suck their thumb. And on the odd day that you do see him or her with a finger in mouth (or even several fingers in mouth), do not overreact.
After a while, a gentle reminder now and again should be sufficient.
Should these methods prove to be ineffective, it’s important to discuss the issue with a dentist, There are nowadays dental appliances on the market that can be placed in the child’s mouth to provide a constant reminder that they should stop thumb sucking.
More Ways To Stop Thumb Sucking
The majority of parents need to combine more than one method to successfully stop thumb sucking. If you’re still wondering how to stop thumb sucking, here are a few more options:
Watching YouTube videos together on the topic can help. Sometimes all that is necessary is for your kid to hear how bad thumb sucking is from somebody else, not mom or dad.
Give the kid chewable jewelry. This still gives them the same pleasure as thumb sucking without the negative consequences.
Use a thumb sucking guard. As the name indicates, a thumb sucking guard blocks the kid from sucking his or her thumb. These thumb sucking guards generally wrap around the kid’s wrist. From there it extends and goes around his or her thumb. A thumb sucking guard is either made of plastic or fabric.
Determine your child’s favorite thumb sucking time. If it’s when the kiddies’ shows start on TV, try switching off the telly for a few minutes every time you see him or her thumb sucking.
Vile-tasting nail polish. Please don’t crucify us – these really don’t do the kid any harm apart from the fact that it tastes bad. You will have to switch to another taste regularly because kids tend to get used to the taste very quickly.
Ace bandage. Wrapping an ace bandage around the child’s elbow makes it uncomfortable for him or her to bend their arm sufficiently to get a thumb or finger in the mouth. These are actually less irritating than hand covers or gloves.
Nipit Hand Stopper. This is actually just an improved ace bandage. It makes it even more difficult to bend the elbow enough to get a finger or thumb to the mouth. Many parents have reported success with this invention.
Our Final Three Ways To Break The Habit of Thumb Sucking
In kids who have expressed a clear wish to stop but who still can’t figure out how to stop thumb sucking, parents could use physical interventions that serve as a gentle reminder. Examples of these include:
– Give the kid a special shirt to wear of which the sleeves have been sewn closed.
– When he or she goes to bed, cover their hands with socks or mittens.
– Place a specialty plastic guard or bandage on the finger or thumb that is being sucked.
Final Tips And Tricks To Make Sure You Succeed With Helping Your Child Stop Thumb Sucking
Do not let the whole thing become one huge confrontation. Don’t threaten the child. Use positive reinforcement instead.
Do not scold the kid if he or she sucks their fingers or thumb after being injured or hurt.
Ask whether he or she thinks their superhero will be sucking his or her thumbs.
Parents often do not realize how anxious the whole experience can make a child. Don’t make this worse by reprimanding him or her in public.
If you’ve read this far, you are now virtually a world expert on thumb sucking. We believe we have covered all the important parts of this topic. Do you agree, or did we miss something? Please do not hesitate to leave a comment below. Otherwise, visit our website to read more about how we can help you and your baby. And you are always welcome to contact us.
Sources:
https://thumbsie.co.uk/how-to-stop-thumb-sucking/
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/9-ways-to-wean-a-child-off-thumb-sucking
