Thumb-Sucking
Is thumb-sucking normal?
Thumb-sucking is normal behavior in babies and young children. A natural sucking instinct leads some babies to suck their thumbs during their first few months of life, or even before birth. A baby may also suck on his or her fingers, hands, or other items such as pacifiers.
Why do babies suck their thumbs?
Babies have a biological impulse to suck, which usually decreases after the age of 6 months. However, many babies continue to suck their thumbs to soothe themselves. Eventually, thumb-sucking can become a habit in babies and young children who use it to comfort themselves when they feel hungry, afraid, restless, quiet, sleepy, or bored.
About 45% of children under age 4 suck their thumbs. Most of these children gradually stop on their own between ages 3 and 6.
Does thumb-sucking cause any problems?
Prolonged thumb-sucking may cause a child to develop dental problems. Thumb-sucking can cause a child's teeth to become improperly aligned (malocclusion) or push the teeth outward, sometimes malforming the roof of the mouth (upper palate). Malocclusion usually corrects itself when the child stops thumb-sucking. However, the longer thumb-sucking continues, the more likely it is that orthodontic treatment will be needed to correct any resulting dental problems.
A child may also develop speech problems, including mispronouncing Ts and Ds, lisping, and thrusting out the tongue when talking.
At what point does thumb-sucking become a problem?
Thumb-sucking in children younger than 4 years old is normal and is usually not a problem behavior. Children who suck their thumbs frequently or with great intensity after the age of 3 or 4 or those who continue to suck their thumbs after age 5 may develop dental or speech problems.
In rare cases, thumb-sucking after age 5 is in response to an emotional problem or other disorder, such as anxiety. Children with these types of problems need to be evaluated by a health professional. Most other children stop sucking their thumbs after simple treatment measures are introduced.
How is problem thumb-sucking treated?
Most children stop sucking their thumbs on their own sometime between ages 3 and 6. Many experts recommend ignoring thumb-sucking in a child who is preschool age or younger.
- Children who suck their thumbs may need treatment when they:
- Also pull their hair, especially when they are between 12 and 24 months of age.
- Continue to suck a thumb often or with great intensity after the age of 3 or 4.
- Ask for help to stop the behavior.
- Develop dental or speech problems as a result of the behavior.
- Feel embarrassed or are ridiculed by other people because of the behavior.
Usually, treatment can be done at home and includes parents setting rules and providing distractions. Treatment includes limiting times and places that your child is allowed to suck his or her thumb and putting away blankets or other items your child associates with thumb-sucking. As your child matures, usually around age 5, he or she may be able to take a more active role in treatment.
- Talk to your child openly about the effects of thumb-sucking.
- Put gloves on your child's hands or wrap the thumb with an adhesive bandage or a cloth. Explain that the glove, bandage, or cloth is not a punishment but is only there to remind him or her not to thumb-suck.
- Develop a reward system, such as using a calendar to record each day that your child does not suck his or her thumb. After an agreed-upon number of days, have a celebration for your child.
- Use special nail coverings to help your child stop sucking his or her thumb (such as a nontoxic bitter-tasting substance like Stop-Zit). Apply the nail covering like fingernail polish to the thumbnail (or fingernail) each morning, before bed, and whenever you see your child sucking his or her thumb. This treatment is most successful when it is combined with a reward system.
If these treatments aren't successful, other methods—including behavioral therapy, thumb devices, or oral devices—may be used.
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