A Thumb Sucking Child: Why You Should Act Now

Suckling is a natural instinct that a baby has even before they are born into the world. There have been many ultrasound photos taken of babies in the womb already sucking their thumbs. This is something that many pediatricians believe is a form of self-discovery and is only the child’s way of discovering their body.

Though it starts out normal, it can lead to a habit as the child grows and can even go into adulthood. There are major reasons why you should act now if your child has started sucking their thumb. These reasons range from health issues to emotional issues down the road.

Here are a few reasons why you should act now: 

Dental Issues – Sucking the thumb, as an infant will not affect the way the child’s teeth grow, it will however affect a child who is getting their adult teeth. It has been known to misalign the teeth and cause the front teeth to “buck” out.  

Tongue Thrusting –This condition is believed to be caused by thumbsucking and is where the tongue uncontrollably thrusts from the mouth.

Speech Issues – Lisps and difficulties saying certain words have been linked to thumb sucking and the effects it has on the growth of the teeth.

Infections and Skin Irritations –Finger sucking toddlers can have problems with thrush or bacterial infections in the mouth and on their thumbs due to excessive wetness. The bacteria they constantly place in their mouth contributes to this as well.

Emotional Issues – The effects that thumb sucking has on a child reaches much deeper than the physical, it can lead to emotional issues. One of the main reasons a child starts this habit it to console or comfort themselves in situations they cannot handle.

Bullying or Teasing –Once the child is old enough to go to school or have play dates he runs the risk of being teased for his finger sucking habits. This can also cause emotional damage that can stay with them for years.

The best thing you can do as a parent is try and discourage your child from sucking their thumb and developed ways in which you can act now to stop it.

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