Thumb Sucking - Chicago, IL

4 months is a little young to worry about it. My daughter had to have an orthodontic appliance at age 12 to stop, but the dentist admitted it wasn't only her thumb-sucking that put her teeth out of alignment; in part it's just the way her mouth was constructed. Most of them outgrow it long before then - all my other 4 (and two stepkids) did.

For what it's worth, I have taught H.S./Junior High for 8 years and have yet to see a kid come to school sucking their thumb. :)

Seriously, though, if it's soothing, let her do it. Unlike a pacifier, she can't lose it and if it pops out at night, she can find it on her own. Likewise, most orthodontia is due to reasons other than thumbsucking. I sucked my thumb until I was 6 and had braces. However, it wasn't due to the thumbsucking so much as it was due to the fact that there wasn't enough room for my teeth.

What I would do is everytime she goes to put her thumb into her mouth, just move her hand away. She will learn not to put her hand up towards her mouth. This worked for me.

Your Baby has found a wonderful way to self-soothe. Celebrate it! It is always with her, never falls on the floor, etc. My son sucked his thumb until he was motivated to stop at about 5 years. He is 13 now, very self-reliant and no orthodontia needed. My daughter who was addicted to her "binky" is now seeing an othodontist at age nine, though her teeth are not that bad--slight crossbite. I think babies need a way to deal with their tension and create pleasure when mommy is not available, in between nursings, etc. Why create early frustration? You don't say what you are worried about, but its part of your daughters natural development. Gloves or mittens are helpful for babies who scratch their face , but sucking is a good thing!

My son, 21 months, has been sucking his thumb since we was about 8 weeks old. His pediatrician has said not to worry about it and all the stuff I read about it says not to worry until adult teeth are in. But most kids stop around 4-5 years on their own, if not before. At that stage, if you want to help her stop she'll have more understanding than doing anything at a younger age. Also, I've read that if the sucking is "active" there can be more problems with jaw alignment, versus just having the thumb in the mouth. I was an "active" thumb sucker myself until the ripe old age of 10 years! And no jaw problems for me! Just braces. I hope this helps. Babies have a natural need to suck, so don't fret right now and let her comfort herself. My son started sleeping through the night as soon as he found his thumb...joyous nights!! Good luck!
M.

A.,
You didn't say if she gets a pacifier or not. My four-month old does the same thing, and I am ambivalent as well. She loves her Soothie pacificer but she'll kick that out and stuff her thumb in. She'll even work her thumb in as she is breastfeeding! I'm curious if you asked your Pediatrician if she is beginning to teeth. Mine said no, it's so rare for it to happen this early, but my daughter bites her bottle nipples, bites her pacifier, and chews her burb cloth (both before and after meals). Does your daughter do the same? If anything else, the pacifier is a separate object that can be taken away at the appropriate age. How do you do this with a thumb?
Anyway

Like so many others, I also sucked my thumb when I was little. Probably until I was about 4. I had my blankie and my thumb.....I remember to this day the comfort that it brought to me. None of my babies sucked their thumb until we got to #4. My oldest was addicted to a binky until he was 2, the next two never took anything. My 4th started sucking her thumb at about 2 months. She is 2 1/2 now and still sucks her thumb and carries her blankie (just like mommy did). She only does this now when she is tired or upset. Otherwise she doesn't carry her blankie or suck her thumb. It is mostly at naptime/bedtime. My teeth were always perfectly straight, never braces, and my dentist always commented on how perfect they were. My daughters are also perfectly straight at this point. I guess it is just a personal decision you are going to have to make. But I honestly don't see the big deal.

I also never got sores on my thumb and neither has my girl.

My son, unlike my daughter, preferred his thumb to his pacifier. I was a bit unhappy with the choice thinking, "I can't take his thumb away from him at X age."

He mainly used his thumb to comfort himself and also to get to sleep. He even had a horrible callous on his thumb knuckle from sucking on it.

He is almost 4 now and I have to say that on his own, he has outgrown it. (We never made a big deal out of it, but I would take his thumb out of his mouth during the day if I caught him. I kind of made it that it was for nighttime/naps only.)

I would say that on his own, starting at about 3 years he started sucking it less and less (some nights he would and others he wouldn't to get himself to sleep). Happily, the nasty callous has also now gone away.

We've been to the dentist several times too and they have made no comment about his teeth related to the thumb sucking.

My daughter (who is now 13) started to intensely suck her thumb @ 6mos (until 2nd gr!). I tried to stop her but a friend pointed out that this is huge - she has learned how to cope and self soothe (something she will need figure out some way or another throughout her life). I, like you were worried about future orthodontia...I will tell you that just about every kid these days get referred to an orthod. specialist. 2 of my 3 sucked their thumbs, the only one who really needed braces - was the one who used a pacifier for 8 mos! The last child who still sucks her thumb (8 1/2 has many of her adult teeth) has the straightest teeth - go figure. Don't let orthodontia be the reason you stop her. Here is another if that doesn't help: the 2 that sucked their thumbs were also sick with colds etc the least...maybe all those extra little germs you can't stop help build their immune system against those little virus' - who knows! Good luck - I am currently trying to get the 8 y.o to stop with a finger splint taped on at night and when she gets home from school. They need to decide when to stop otherwise it is like somebody telling us to go on a diet (doesn't go so well unless you want to!). Good luck

I have a friend who is a dentist, studying to be an orthodontist, and he has two little thumb/finger suckers. His take on it has always been that 1.those are baby teeth and 2.they'll grow out of it. It's a comfort response (they do it when they are sleepy, usually). He says that around pre-school age is when he will begin talking to/weaning away from the thumb/finger sucking. I hope that helps!

my doc encouraged it. it is much better than the pacifier as it is always there. they need something to self comfort with. It will help with sleeping. At that age everything goes in the mouth. Also, even though my little one used her thumb and her fingers in general for self comfort, she doesn't do it a lot now that she is 9 months old. I would just go with the flow with this one. If it is a problem when she is 2 or 3, then you can get that stuff to put on their nails but babies need a little bit of comfort.

My sister did the same thing with her baby - she took the thumb out of the baby's mouth and it worked, but her baby was also not as easily consolable (s/p?).
I sucked my thumb, and yes I don't have straight teeth, but neither do my brother or sister who did not suck their thumbs - so it could just run in the family. I didn't, however, stop sucking my thumb until I was in third grade (I did it at home a lot - yes, I'm ebarrassed about it), so that is something to think about. The other thing is, I develeoped sores on my thumbs from it, and it took until late in high school for them to go away...
It's up to you on how you want to deal with it.

My daughter never had a pacifier and started sucking her thumb at four months-right about the time she started teething. When we were out in public people used to actually walk up to us and pull her hand out of her mouth or say things like, "Oh, she's a thumb sucker." I couldn't believe it! I didn't discourage her because I took it as she was soothing herself for a reason. She stopped on her own before she was nine months with no pushing from me at all.

My son sucks his thumb and my pediatrician has always said not to worry. She said it's great for children to be able to "self soothe." And she added "with pacifiers, do you really want to be crawling around under his crib at 4 am when it fails out and he starts wailing for it?" (These were her word which i never forgot!) He is 4 now and he's been to the dentist and his teeth are fine. (He only sucks it at night now when he first goes to bed.) Like the other mom who responded, I was also a thumb sucker myself and I never needed braces or a retainer or anything. In comparison, my second son doesn't suck his thumb or use a pacifier, so i think kids are just hard-wired to do it or not, and i wouldn't discourage it. Plus, even though they are considered "safe" a baby sucking on plastic all day and night kind of freaks me out. That can't be good! I say let her suck her thumb! Good luck!

Hi, A.! My oldest had a pacifier, and it was horrible when we lost it, but she kept losing them until I refused to buy anymore at 18 months old. The bad thing is, that she was sucking on plastic. Now, with chemicals leaching into kids from plastic bottles, should we stick plastic in their mouths? My other 2 kids are thumb-suckers and that's definitely more natural, but much harder to break. I've heard stories of thumb-sucking up to 12-13 years old. There are good and bad either way you go, you just have to decide which is the better way for baby. Good Luck! -- C.

My daughter started to suck her finger when I stopped nursing her at about 20 months. Everyone told me just to ignore it that it was temporary. It might be for some kids, but not my stubborn girl, she is 10 years old (yes, 10) and just stopped. I tried everything over the years, but finally I promised her a makeover at a local girls shop if she could stop for 30 days (I knew it would break the habit if she could stop for that long.) Anyway- I wouldn't suggest letting it go in the chance that you have a child like mine :)

Hello! My son sucks his thumb and has since he was about 2 mths and he found it. In my last US with him, the nurse said it looked like he had his thumb. He is special needs, so I really dont think it is much of an issue. I sucked my thumb till I was 11 and my teeth are perfectly fine and his are too. I only sucked mine when going to bed though. Erik does not suck his as much now, but he does still quite alot, especially if he is tired, or thinking or unsure or upset. I hope this helps.

S. bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

My son is almost 4 months and in the past month or so has found his thumb, too. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that bc he did not take a pacifier and was just so difficult when it came to getting him to sleep. Now he just sticks his thumb in his mouth to get to sleep and occasionally it finds its way into his mouth while he's awake. My opinion is, and was before he found it, let her do it for now and think about it later when she starts to develop teeth or if you see it becoming a problem. She's too little to be trying to take her comfort away from her. Yes, there are horror stories of thumbsuckers, but sometimes it's on the parents as well bc they don't stay on top of trying to get their children to stop at a later age. But, you seem like you would be and I wouldn't worry. Have you tried a pacifier to see if she will take that instead? Might make you feel better about taking it away later bc it can be thrown away; unlike their little thumbys! Not sure if I helped, but I hope I did! Good luck!

Hi there! Don't worry, thumb sucking is a very natural thing for babies. My son starting sucking on his first two fingers at a fairly young age - it was nice for us because he preferred that over his pacifier. That meant no searching for a paci to help soothe him - he could self soothe. Around nine months, our son got his first two teeth in and the finger sucking stopped almost instantly! I don't think it's as comfortable for them when there are teeth in the way! :-) Whatever you decide will be the right choice for you, but from this Mom to you, it will all work out!

Some children have a greater need to suck than others. You might try a pacifier. I am an RN and was taught in Nursing School that pacifiers were bad. My first daughter sucked her thumb from day one. When she was about 9, the dentist convinced her to stop because of what she was doing to her teeth. She stopped, then started biting her nails. When she got to be a teenager she stopped that. Our second daughter was colicky. I tried to give her a pacifier and she refused it. Our son never had a need to suck. Some of my grandchildren have sucked pacifiers or thumbs and some haven't. None of them have major tooth problems.
Your child will quit sucking something when she is ready.
A.

Sorry, A.! I reread what you wrote and see your child is four MONTHS old, not four YEARS old! OOPS!

Right now comfort is probably why she's sucking her thumb. If she hasn't started teething she may increase her thumb-sucking as she teeths. Try to get her to chew or suck on other toys, like teethers, so that eventually the comfort doesn't become a habit. :)

Sorry for my previous response...I read your child's age wrong! :)

I think it's a comfort thing and not something to be discouraged at this stage. Do you use a pacifier? I guess the thumb is an alternate pacifier.
If it's any consolation, I sucked my thumb for years and years and I've perfect teeth never having had braces!

I am a proud mother of a 22 year old son, that sucked his thumb for his 1st 3 years. Thumb-sucking is a natural method of self soothing, something we all have a need for. This will be an easy, happy child. My son broke the habit between age 3-4 when he was old enough to want to himself, because other kids would tease him. We put socks on his hands at bedtime and after one month no thumb, he earned a reward. No problem.

My girlfriend's daughter started sucking her thumb as a baby. My friend says she kept pulling the thumb out of her mouthto deter the child. It worked, the baby stopped sucking her thumb, but she was also crabby alot and couldn't be soothed easily. My son sucks his thumb and he easily calms himself, but I'm sure it will be a while until he stops sucking. I sucked my thumb as a child, and no tricks worked to get me to stop. My teeth are perfectly straight, no braces, guess I was fortunate. So I guess it would be personal preference.

My almost 4 year old started with this a little older than your daughter and is still going at it. I had mixed feelings about it as well but I am not going to force him to stop something that gives him comfort. Now at this age it is starting to get a little old, but I am hoping that once he starts school he will see that the other kids don't do that or someone will make a comment about it and he will choose to stop. In my experience, there are some things that kids have to choose to stop on their own or have to want to do and no manner of forcing them is going to help unless they make up their mind to do it. So, I wait for that time.

I am a first time mom too and my daughter started sucking her thumb at 3 mths. I was happy b/c before that it was non-stop nursing to get her sucking in (she would only take me or a finger - no pacifier). She's 16 mths old now and still sucking her thumb. It makes her happy and helps with us. She isn't a constant sucker...when she's bored, thinking, or tired that's when the thumb goes in. 90% of kids stop on their own by age 4 before any permanent teeth come in and have damage. Just try to relax and be happy that your child is finding a way to sooth herself when you're not around.

H.

Good Evening A.,
My little one is not so little and sucks her thumb. She never wanted a pacifier, even when she 4 months. Now she is almost 18 months and really only sucks the thumb when she is tired or in need of comfort (not often). My pediatrician and books I've read say it won't harm their teeth unless it's the permanent teeth - and you've got a ways to go. I wouldn't worry about it. As for trying to stop it - not sure how you would do that at such a young age. Good LUCK!

If little Jane were turning 4 years, this would be an issue. At 4 months, comfort is what it is. I believe trying to stop her behavior will cause more problems for you--and her--than allowing it. In most cases, children give it up on their own when it's time.

J.

I know this may sound odd, but try putting a pacifier in her mouth (to replace the thumb)... it might take a bit before she will use it, but keep trying.... it's a lot easier to take a child's pacifier away (than her thumb... smile). She needs to suckle, hopefully this will work.... good luck with your angel.. hugs, L.

I was reading what you had wrote. And I wanted to express my issue i have. My daughter is soon to be 9 years old and she suckes on her thumb when she gets tired. We have tried close to everything to get her to stop. But it just hasn't happened. I spoke with her dr.and they told me to keep trying but there is no easy way to get a child to stop. We do have issues with the teeth, but the dentis said that getting her to stop before she is 10 will save her teeth from being total forced out of place. Needless to say, i'm sure we are going to have to put braces on her.

My daughter once was a thumb sucker and I tried everything from putting hot sauce on her thumb to putting some other horrible tasting stuff. I realized those thing didn't work and she really liked the stuff that I was using. She stopped once she started to school.

Hang In there!

My now 15 year old sucked 2 fingers at a time and I worried it would mess up her teeth too. She actually made indentations in her fingers so I put bandaids on them so it didn't break the skin and she didn't like it so she stopped. She was probably 6 years olds at the time she stopped. She had beautiful teeth until about 8 when her eye teeth grew in and there wasn't room. Anyway, now a days braces are a must for kids, it's a status thing almost!!

If you are really against it then I would suggest substituting a pacifier when she starts for the thumb. My second and each consecutive one after started with their thumbs around 3 months, and were done with it by the 6month growth spurt. Only my first one took a pacifier and he was done with that by 3 1/2 months. My now 5 month old sucks occasionally on her 2nd and 3rd fingers, she also started with her thumb, but moved on to these after about 2wks; which my mom tells me are the same 2 fingers she sucked until she was 5yrs old. I have 4 kids total: 2 boys ages 9 and 4yrs, and 2 girls ages 2 1/2 and 5months.

Two of my three children were thumb-suckers and both grew out of it by age 5 or 6. They do not have teeth problems or alignment concerns. In fact, each has a beautiful smile!

At first I worried about the thumb sucking and thought my babies used it as a cue for hunger. So you may want to check--is baby hungry?

If you really don't want her to use her thumb, then you could offer a pacifer (because it can be taken away), however, she may be like my kids and refuse the pacifer. (My babies spit it across the room.)

I quickly learned, if they want their thumb, they're going to get it!

In general, thumb sucking is not a problem until permanent teeth start erupting at about age 5 or 6. So it helps if the child quits sucking the thumb by that time. Most will without any intervention by you. Some kids need a little encouragement.

With my daughter, we helped her quit sucking her thumb during the winter after she turned 5. This way when she started kindergarten, she was done. She still has the jewelry box 'reward' we gave her for quitting.

With my son, he took a little longer to quit and was not motivated by rewards. Finally, he realized he wanted his 'big teeth' to look nice, so he quit on his own.