Is Thumbsucking Bad?

How many mamas have heard numerous times “Don’t let baby suck her thumb!”? Then the person will go into the reasons why, such as orthodontic problems with their teeth and their jaw developing improperly. Or perhaps they went even further to say that it will make your child more introverted and not social. WHAT? Where do these things come from?

Well, Piper is a thumb sucker. She has been since we saw her in the first ultrasound picture! When I was in labor, she was not moving down properly because her hand was against her face. Sucking her thumb? Probably. She took a pacifier for a few months after she was born, but as soon as we moved her into her crib (11 weeks old), she found her thumb and never looked back! I still occasionally try to replace her thumb with a pacifier- with no luck. She loves that thumb!

So many people have told both me and Daniel to break the habit now. Since it quiets and comforts her, we never felt that conviction. So my master researcher (Daniel) looked up as much information on the subject as he could. We’re really trying to do this “parenting” thing right.

He found that thumb sucking is not bad while the child is still so young. Daily Mail online found that “ultrasound scanning of pregnant mums has shown that most embryos suck their thumbs whilst in their mother's womb”. This is normal and necessary for the baby to learn how to suck in order to eat. After babies are born, they have a strong need to suck on something because they have learned that it comforts them. Whether this is a thumb, pacifier, finger, blanket, or mom (ouch), IT IS NATURAL. I just preferred to not have my daughter attached to my nipple 24/7 for comfort. To each his own!

As children get older, they are more likely to suck their thumbs when they are tired, upset, or even hungry. Piper only seems to suck her thumb when she is tired. She doesn’t need it at any other time, but she does suck it to go to sleep! And think about the pros- it’s never lost, dropped on the floor, or too small (like pacifiers). Baby can also find it herself and calm her own crying while you are still frantically searching through the diaper bag for the pacifier!

BabyCenter stated in an article that “the American Dental Association says most children can safely suck their thumb — without damaging the alignment of their teeth or jaws — until their permanent teeth begin to appear. (Permanent teeth don't usually erupt until around age 6)”. It also stated that most children stop by this age anyway, either because they have grown out of it or because others have told them that “only babies suck their thumbs”, so they intentionally stop. If your child has not grown their adult teeth yet, thumb sucking is not harmful.

If your child has problems stopping the habit once they are older, there are many remedies to help the problem. My little sister had a hard time stopping, and I remember my parents painting her thumb nail with clear nail polish or putting nail polish remover on the finger. The taste of that stuff sticks! There is no fear of chemicals being ingested because the thumb stays in the mouth about ½ a second. You could also use something sour or bitter- like lemon juice, garlic, mild pepper sauce, aloe vera, or vinegar. Again, these are not harmful, but not yummy! Some parents would also just cover the thumb with a glove or cotton sock to break the habit during the night. Others will distract the child with toys or something else to focus on. Again, this is only necessary once your child has begun to grow adult teeth. My sister’s 3 year old has been taught to only suck her thumb at “night night” time, and I have already started this with Piper.

So if your little one prefers their thumb to anything else- don’t freak out and don’t take it from them! You may be taking away a very important source of comfort. 

Here are the articles I used for this blog post:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-180420/Is-thumb-sucking-bad-daughter.html

http://www.babycenter.com/0_thumb-sucking_11574.bc

If you're going to suck your thumb, this is the best place EVER to do it.