Should You Stop Your Baby From Sucking Their Thumb (And How?)
You’ve probably noticed how often babies are feeding, using their pacifiers, or even sucking their thumbs. Sucking is a natural part of babyhood and can even be seen as early as in utero! This is how babies not only rely on being fed but how they comfort themselves as well.
A big worry on plenty of parents’ minds is if thumb-sucking is harmful to their baby’s health. There are many warnings out there that children shouldn’t suck their thumb for extended periods of time. Are they true? Keep reading to learn if thumbsucking or pacifiers are better for your baby.
Why Is My Baby Sucking Their Thumb?
Babies are born with the instinct to suck. Think about it: how else would they survive if they couldn’t drink milk? Sucking is not only a natural instinct but also a way to comfort themselves. Your baby using their thumb or hand to suck on to calm themselves isn’t something that you should shame them for. An added benefit of this is that they can’t lose their hand as easily as they can a pacifier!
Most babies suck their hands fresh from the womb, and it is potentially one of the cutest things to see! However, when these babies get older, out of toddlerhood, it may create more health concerns than it does provide comfort. Once it becomes a long habit, it may be difficult to break it.
Can Thumb Sucking Cause Health Issues?
Although sucking isn’t so much an issue when your baby is small, it can become a problem as they get older. As your child’s habit of thumb or hand sucking is prolonged, their chances of experiencing dental problems increase.
The most common concern when it comes to thumb sucking is the distortion of teeth. If your baby continues to suck their thumb as they get older and have teeth, it can cause their teeth to flare, creating an abnormal set of teeth. While the teeth can migrate back to their normal space, it is possible for this to affect their natural palette if the bone growth has been impacted.
If their bone growth has been affected by thumb sucking, it can also lead to other issues down the line, such as airway and breathing problems. This will usually result in mouth breathing or sleep-disordered breathing. Another important thing to note is that prolonged thumb-sucking could encourage a speech delay.
How Do I Get My Baby to Stop Sucking Their Thumb?
Once you’ve decided it’s time for your child to kick their habit of thumb sucking, it’s time to figure out how to go about it. After all, it is attached to their body! How you should go about your child quitting thumb sucking also depends on how old they are, as the methods will be different.
How to Help Your Baby Stop Thumb Sucking
When your child is a baby, there’s no real need to stop them from sucking their thumb, but some parents prefer to avoid it completely! It’s the preference of the parent if they are okay with it continuing.
When your child is a baby, they are more than likely doing it to comfort themselves, meaning it would be a good idea to find them an alternative. A pacifier is the perfect substitution for their fingers. They will still be sucking on something, but it is less rigid than their fingers. Because pacifiers are softer, they should do less damage to the mouth.
How to Help Your Toddler Stop Thumb Sucking
As your child grows and can communicate with you, it might make it easier for you to ditch the thumb-sucking! Here are some strategies you can use:
Figure out when they are sucking their thumb. Are they sucking their thumb constantly, or is it only at certain times? Like when they are falling asleep, scared, or just plain bored? This might help you determine what they need to stop sucking their thumb.
Point it out. Many kids don’t even notice they’re going to suck their thumb when they do it. Try asking your child if they even know they’re doing it, as they might not!
Try a reward system. Toddlers love nothing more than getting a prize! If you make a reward system, such as five stickers for not sucking their thumb for a prize, it might encourage them to drop their thumb sucking.
Seek alternatives. Their thumb is usually meant to comfort themselves. You can find them an alternative option, such as a cozy stuffed animal to cuddle with to help feel more secure without thumb sucking.
Use a barrier. If all else fails, you can attempt to use a physical barrier to prevent them from thumb-sucking. This could be an elbow brace or a thumb barrier. Keep in mind that if your child is determined enough, they will find ways around this.
Monitor Your Baby’s Accomplishments with Baby Connect
Once you decide it’s time to wean your child from sucking their thumb, you may want to track their progress. Each time they agree to stop sucking their thumb, you can write down the circumstances that worked, such as offering them a sticker. This will help you determine what methods work and what methods don’t.
This is where Baby Connect comes into play. Baby Connect is an app designed for parents to document every important aspect of their child's life from naptime to feedings to bowel movements. Every important piece of information of your child’s life can be plugged into this one app; parenting has never been easier!
