|
|
Thumb Sucking: The Good,
the Bad and the Ugly
Article By Angela Kerevarah, CNM, RN
Sucking is an
infant's chief pleasure, and it may not
be satisfied by breast or bottle
feeding. It is such a strong need
that some newborns are born with sucking
pads on their fingers from in utero
sucking activity. All babies suck
on their fingers at some time during the
first year of life. An infant's
mouth is an important organ, not just for
eating, but for exploration and
pleasure. Even before a baby can
reach for objects, he discovers his
hands, and it's natural to put the newly
discovered objects into the mouth.
The first time, the hands may make it to
the mouth by accident, but the baby
quickly learns that the fingers in the
mouth provide pleasure. Soon he's
sucking his fingers regularly.
There are benefits from infants sucking
their fingers or thumbs. Premature
babies show increased weight gain and
decreased crying. It is a way
infants can help calm themselves.
Toddlers crave the thumb most when their
inner struggle between independence and
dependence is at its worst, or, as with
all sources of comfort, when she's tired,
cranky, not feeling well, or bored.
There is no evidence that thumb sucking
in itself is "dangerous" or a
sign of emotional illness.
Occasional thumb sucking does not cause
distortion of the mouth or crooked teeth
as long as the habit stops by the time
the permanent teeth begin to erupt.
As the child nears the time for permanent
teeth to come in, he is mature enough to
take an active part in breaking the
habit.
Half of all children do some thumb or
finger sucking past infancy. The
sucking peaks on average between 18-21
months. Nearly 80% give it up by
age five, and 95% by age six, usually on
their own.
As with most other comfort habits, thumb
sucking usually begins to subside on its
own by age three.
Constant thumb sucking, unlike occasional
thumb sucking, can do some permanent
damage to the mouth and teeth. It
can also interfere with your toddler's
social interaction, with learning other
ways of coping with stress, and with his
speech development by causing
lisping. You and your toddler will
have to work together to see that this
habit doesn't cause these problems.
Breaking the Habit
Enlist a Professional.
Parents can nag day in and day out and
fail to move a toddler to break the
habit, but a doctor or a pediatric dentis
may only need to say, "It's time to
stop sucking your thumb because it's
going to make your teeth and mouth
crooked," in order to inspire him to
quit.
Enlist your Toddler.
Children can't be forced to give up a
habit. They have to want to do
it. Motivation can be inspired by
the words of a professional, a parent, or
another adult, by the teasing of friends,
by a sense of embarrassment over the
habit, or even by a desire to be more
grown-up, but there must be
motivation. Ask your child about
quitting. Discuss with him when
would be a good time and whether a
cold-turkey or a go-slow approach is more
appealing.
Emphasize the Grown-up.
Don't call your toddler's sucking habits
"babyish," but do take every
opportunity to call attention to
"big boy (or girl)" behavior
such as using the toilet, buttoning a
shirt, or climbing the jungle gym without
help. The more appreciation
garnered for being grown-up, the more
incentive there will be to be grown-up,
and to kick the habits left over from
babyhood.
Supply Substitutes. Keeping
your toddler's mouth occupied with
conversation, song, a musical instrument
that's played with the mouth, or drinks
from a straw, for instance, may satisfy
some of that need for oral gratification
and will help distract him from cravings
for the thumb. At the times of day
when your toddler tends to like to suck
most, provide nourishing snacks that
require a lot of chewing, but be careful
that you don't overfeed or replace one
oral habit with another.
Offer a Reward. A
three-year-old may be willing to try to
give up a sucking habit in exchange for a
special treat. But even with the
promise of a reward, he needs plenty of
help in quitting.
When All the Above Fail. If
your toddler is unable to stop finger
-sucking, even with the help of the above
measures, don't demand and don't
despair. If necessary, more drastic
measures may be recommended when
your toddler is older, anywhere between
three and five, depending on the
condition of his mouth and your dentist's
point of view. Possibilities then
will include applying a foul-tasting
preparation to the sucking finger to make
the habit unpleasant, and temporarily
installing a metal reminder bar across
the palate to make sucking uncomfortable
and remind the child not to do it.
You can also recommend that when the urge
to suck comes on, your toddler make a
fist with the thumb inside. If your
child uses a thumb obsessively, and seems
withdrawn or depressed, the sucking may
represent more than a bad habit.
Consult with your child's doctor in such
a situation and try to uncover and
resolve any underlying problems.
About the Author:
Angela Kerevarah is a certified nurse midwife, mother of
2 grown children and grandmother to three grandchildren.
Top of Page
Copyright
© 2001 Angela Kerevarah, All Rights
Reserved Reprinted with Permission
|
