Hi Moms,
My 11 month old sucks her thumb, and I and my daughter's pediatrician are OK with it. My problem is that its raw, and with the cold weather her "thumb sucker's callous" is cracked, and I'm worried it might become infected. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get my daughter to give her thumb a short break and heal. Or, does anyone know of something I can put on her thumb that will help it heal, that is safe for her to ingest? She sucks only one thumb and is VERY good at removing gloves and mittens.
Thanks.
I've been putting the lanolin ointment on in and it helped soothe the redness, but she's still sucking her thumb. I also found letting her play a little longer in the tub helps to soften the callous and afterward I put some lanolin ointment or olive oil on her thumb to help moisturize it. Thanks moms for all your help.
I have heard that dentists have a thumb sucking guard?
Oregano oil would be safe to ingest but can be very spicy/and burn like hot sauce. Probably should cut it with another bland oil. Oregano is also antifungal. Anytime I see cracks on skin I think possible fungal issue.
I would say use the lanolin for cracked nipples or whatever is safe for healing nipples for nursing. I say the lanolin because it had just one ingredient so it is simple. I use it on my daughter for diaper rash and it makes a nice barrier on her tushie! Good luck getting that thumb to heal up.
I would say let her suck her thumb. It is offering some sort of comfort. I admit to sucking my thumb until I was 9 years old. I lived in a household where I had no one to count on, I am not saying that is your situation, but kids like to suck their thumbs! She will stop on her own eventually. It probably won't get infected. Maybe offer her a diversion when you see her sucking, but don't mention the sucking itself. It will be ok. I would not put anything on it that would taste bad etc., it seems cruel. mama terri
Sounds like my daughter. She even had blisters at one point. When she was about 24 mos. I put the "MAVALA Stop" ointment on her and she hasn't sucked her thumb since.
Of course she also has not slept in her bed or room since either...she went from telling us she was tired and going to her room on her own to now, only falling asleep on the couch or in our bed.
Her thumb was her comfort, which she related to her bed and her room,without her thumb she doesn't want any now...
Not sure what to do next :(
There is a product that my sis-in-law got from her pediatrician to help her daughter stop sucking her two fingers. I got it about 2 weeks ago for my daughter to stop biting her nails. It's great! Go to folica.com and it's called mavala stop. It goes on like nail polish - just a little bit on the nail. If they put it in their mouth - it's got a real bitter taste. I've tried it on my nails too and it really has helped me and my daughter. My niece has also stopped sucking her fingers that were raw, cracked and would even bleed from her sucking them so hard. My daughter reminds me to put it on every 3 days because it's really helping her. Hope that helps. You can also look on amazon - it might be a little cheaper.
Our son has the same problem. He's now three. We put Aquaphor on it whenever possible. There's no way to keep her from sucking it - especially when sleeping. We asked our pediatrician and our dermatologist. They both recommended Aquaphor. The Dermatologist also recommends Vanicream.
what about the lanolin creme you put on cracked nipples when breastfeeding? Could work and is clearly okay to be ingested given it's intended use.
Hope this helps.
T.
