Thumb sucking in children

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It is very common for babies to suck their thumbs, both at the toddler stage and sometimes even after they start school. In fact surprisingly babies suck their thumb in the womb, even before they are born!

For children in the first year of life, sucking to fall asleep or for comfort is self-limiting and wonderful. It is a self-soothing activity, an indication of tiredness, boredom, and the need for comfort but not indication anxiety or nervousness in an infant. In fact, it is more a means to satisfy the need in an infant to suck (which varies from child to child) and it is exclusive of its feeding habits.

It is noticed that children who suck their thumbs sleep better at night, as one's thumb is easier to find than a fallen pacifier, by a child. If children wake up in the middle of the night they immediately need something to suck on to go back to sleep and it is when they are unable to find it, that they become restless and cry ending up sleeping badly.

The theory
Earlier thumb sucking was discouraged by doctors but now is sanctioned as an accepted behaviour of a child in its early years. The main reason why thumb sucking was discouraged actively both by doctors and parents, was the danger of the child growing irregular and deformed teeth or an affected jaw line. This is valid even today but now doctors are confident that children give up the habit of thumb sucking prior to the formation of their permanent teeth, which is around the age of 5-6 years, causing no dental problems.

But there is still this concern that what if my child does not stop sucking its thumb by the appropriate age? It is generally noted that most children give up the habit by the time they are a year old, and as they are exposed to new learning experiences and skills they no longer need to be comforted or use as a stimulation. So new parents rest assured that this is just a temporary and very basic phase in your child's life.

When does it become a problem?
Thumb sucking becomes a problem if the child has not, even after 5 or 6 years of age kicked this habit, or, if it is in some way hindering the normal life of the child like affecting his play activities or learning or causing social ostracism.

Older children may use thumb sucking to relieve tension or because they are shy or insecure, to alleviate boredom or to help them fall asleep. A lot of the times parents unwittingly prolong the habit because of forcing the child at a young age to stop thumb sucking and the child just refuses to let the habit go.

There is no need for any medical help unless and until this habit becomes addictive and obsessive and it is affecting the social relationships, emotional health and the overall development of the child.

If these situations occur you can talk to your pediatrician who will recommend a therapist for your child.