Why does a child suck his thumb? Main reasons

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Thumb sucking is one of the inborn reflexes of a newborn. Most children forget about this habit as they grow older, because now they have a pacifier or mother's breast to satisfy the instinct. Other babies continue to suck their thumbs at two or even three years old. Parents, understanding what such a habit is fraught with for the child, try in every possible way to wean the child from it, using all kinds of methods for this. But it's not as easy as it might seem at first glance. What are the reasons that influence the formation of this habit and how to get rid of it once and for all, we will tell in our article.

Why does baby suck his thumb?

Many parents can already see their future baby with a finger in his mouth on an ultrasound scan. In this way, even in the womb, children satisfy their sucking reflex. They do it instinctively. The child sucks his thumb when he wants to eat, when he is afraid oremotional discomfort. With the birth of many newborns, this instinct does not disappear, but, on the contrary, increases, which allows them to adapt more easily in an unfamiliar world.

Monthly thumb-sucking babies are a delight to many parents. At the same time, a completely opposite reaction occurs in people if a child sucks his thumb in a year or two. The main reason for this behavior, according to psychologists, is the sucking reflex that was unsatisfied in infancy. Dealing with this compulsive habit is not easy, although it is possible.

Main causes of thumb sucking

There is no single reason why a child needs to satisfy the sucking reflex in this way. A baby who spends too little time near the mother's breast will always strive to "extinguish" the natural instinct with his own hands, textiles or toys. But far from always sucking fingers can be associated with a congenital reflex. And each kid has his own prerequisites for such behavior. There are a number of main reasons why a child sucks his thumb:

1. Hunger - Formula-fed or breast-fed babies suck on their thumb to let their mom know they're hungry.
2. Teething pain - during this period, the baby's gums swell and become especially sensitive. To calm them down, the baby puts his fingers in his mouth and sucks them.
3. Psychological factor - next to the mother, the child always feels insecurity. If the baby feels a lack of emotional contact with the closest person, he tries to compensate for it by sucking.
4. Boredom - Some babies, especially those aged 2-3 years old, get into a bad habit just because they don't know what to do. They have no interest in what is happening around them and suck their fingers just out of boredom.

In any case, parents should pay attention to this problem in time and take measures to eradicate the bad habit. Nothing good comes from thumb sucking.

Negative consequences of a bad habit

If a child sucks his thumb for a long time, it can be dangerous to his he alth. A bad habit often leads to the following consequences:

1. Curvature and destruction of teeth. If thumb sucking occurs occasionally and the child is not yet four years old, then such a habit may not cause significant harm. But if by this age it was not possible to get rid of the congenital sucking reflex, the child may need the help of an orthodontist. Otherwise, he will have crooked teeth and malocclusion.
2. Speech defects. Toddlers who suck their thumb often have trouble pronouncing certain sounds. To eliminate such a defect, you will need the help of a speech therapist.
3. Inflammation and callus on the "favorite" finger. Constant hydration of the skin and exposure to teeth leads to the fact that it becomes rough. In some cases, on the contrary,the skin wears off and a bleeding wound forms.
4. Social problems. If a child does not get rid of a bad habit by the time he enters school, he may become the object of ridicule for peers.

Do I need to fight the instinct of newborns?

In infants, the innate reflex is developed quite strongly. Usually, a newborn baby begins to suck his thumb before feeding, which indicates that the baby is feeling hungry. In this case, mom has absolutely nothing to worry about. It is quite another matter if the child is 4 months old. sucks fingers between feedings or immediately after eating. This speaks of an unsatisfied instinct, for which it is necessary to look for different ways to “repay” it.

Breast-fed babies are less likely to suck their fingers as their reflex is compensated by the mother's breast. Even after satiating with milk, most babies do not let go of the breast from the mouth for several more minutes. But formula-fed babies do not have such an opportunity, so he sucks his finger much more often, and not only in infancy.

Most pediatricians agree that getting rid of the innate reflex is still worth it, but you just need to do it carefully, not smearing mustard or other spices on your finger, but offering the child an alternative.

Causes for concern

A baby who sucks his thumb rarely causes anxiety in adults. Much more cause for concern in adults whose baby is already 1 year old, but heI haven't gotten rid of the bad habit yet. In this case, it is important to correctly understand the cause and try to eliminate it without injuring the child's psyche. A similar situation exists with two-year-olds. If a child sucks his thumb at this age, then parents should think about the emotional well-being of the baby. Behind such behavior are fears, anxieties, self-doubt, attachment, etc. Such a baby needs, first of all, psychological help.

A child who started sucking his thumb after the age of one is of particular concern. The reason for this behavior may be as follows:

• baby deprived of affection and care;
• child traumatized by early or abrupt weaning;
• feared or psychologically stressed.

To prevent children from having obsessive habits, they should always be surrounded by attention from adults.

How to wean a child from sucking his thumb?

It should be noted right away that the older the baby, the deeper are the roots of this problem. And this means that parents will have to make more efforts to get rid of bad habits. It is one thing if a child sucks his thumb at 1 year old and quite another if he performs the same action at 5 or 10 years old. In order not to aggravate the situation, you should pay attention to the first symptoms.

When solving this problem, the age of the child is taken into account in the first place.

Breastfeeding and bad habits

If the childsucks fingers at 1 month, while he feeds exclusively on mother's milk, this behavior indicates that he does not eat up or cannot fully satisfy his sucking reflex during feeding. Mom in this case can do the following:

• increase the duration of feeding - if the baby is at the breast for more than 30 minutes, then he will have time to eat and satisfy the basic instincts;
• do not take the baby's breast if he is distracted during feeding - you just need to wait a bit and the baby will continue eating;
• stop worrying about your baby not getting enough - with breastfeeding, your baby will take as much milk as he needs.

If a baby eats formula and puts his fingers in his mouth between feedings, this indicates that he is feeling hungry. You can cope with the problem if you slightly reduce the intervals between meals. It is also better to use a bottle with a hard nipple and a small hole inside for feeding. This will make the feeding process longer.

Ways to get rid of the habit of thumb sucking from 2 to 5 years

At the age of two, this problem is purely psychological. Children who suck their thumb at 2 or 3 years old are not common. The reasons that prompt them to such action, as a rule, lie in the family. These are strict methods of education, and a dysfunctional family environment, and fears, and a lack of mother's attention. To get rid of a bad habitthumb sucking need to analyze the child's behavior yourself or consult a specialist. He can recommend:

• pay more attention to the child;
• reduce emotional or intellectual stress;
• refuse punishment, especially corporal punishment.

If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, it is better to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist.

What to do with a child sucking his thumb at 5?

At the age of five, this bad habit should seriously alert parents, as it indicates serious psychological problems. In some cases, if a child sucks his thumb, he may be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Parents should also pay attention to other symptoms of this disease, such as biting nails and pencils, winding or pulling hair, scratching or pinching the skin. Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder is treated by a neurologist. Parents are required to:

• provide a comfortable home environment;
• avoid intellectual and emotional overstrain;
• don't focus on compulsions.

What should not be done to break a bad habit?

Some parents will literally do anything to wean their child from sucking their fingers. But there are a number of measures that should never be applied to children:

• do not smear bitter substances on the finger, such as mustard, redpepper, aloe, which can cause a burn of the mucous membrane of the mouth and the walls of the stomach;
• shouting and physically punishing the baby, which can lead to a child's mental disorder;
• do not wrap your hands or wear gloves as this will not affect the final result of weaning.

Don't get too hung up on the problem if a baby sucks his thumbs at 3 months. Perhaps by an older age he will be able to overcome this habit on his own.

Dr. Komarovsky about the problem

A well-known pediatrician explains that children who suck their thumb in this way perform an instinctive action - they satisfy the innate sucking reflex. The best way to get rid of this bad habit for a three-month-old child is to give the baby a pacifier, the harm from which, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is greatly exaggerated.

The pediatrician believes that it is useless to fight instinct. It would be wrong to take a finger from a child and not give him anything in return. Therefore, he needs to offer an alternative in the form of a pacifier. If the child does not want to accept it, you will have to take drastic measures, for example, swaddle the baby, fixing his hands, and experiment with pacifiers (size, shape, quality of rubber). In any case, the habit of thumb sucking is easily outgrown by most children.