Thumb sucking is the language of the newborn’s communication with the mother, but after 6 months this behavior turns into a problem that distorts the teeth and affects pronunciation. Learn about the complications of thumb sucking and ways to stop the child from sucking his finger. And modern techniques are used in case the child refuses to give up this habit.
The habit of thumb sucking begins since the child was a fetus in his mother’s womb, and after the child comes out of life, he continues sucking his thumb because it gives him a sense of calm and comfort and in times of drowsiness, and thumb sucking is a means of communication with the mother during the first 6 months from the moment of his birth, he wants to eat Or feel afraid or need the mother’s lap, or feel upset and angry, and the child may be sick, as well as if he does not take his sufficient share of breast milk, children who spend 20 minutes breastfeeding less thumb sucking than children who spend between 10 to a quarter Only an hour, so you can increase the time of feeding the child for 40 minutes until he takes his need for food and warmth if breastfeeding. In all cases, studies have shown that children who resort to formula milk are more likely to suck fingers than children who eat breast milk from the mother.
Thumb sucking side effects
The habit of thumb sucking is normal in children, but if the child continues sucking his finger after reaching 6 months and continues for several years, it may reach from four to 6 years, in which case this behavior changes to become a pathological behavior, the mother may succeed in treating it, but some cases may require to consult a psychiatrist, and studies have confirmed that if this behavior continues with the child, it is because of the many quarrels between the parents, so the child does not feel safe and feels fear and anxiety, so we monitor for you the most prominent problems that afflict a child sucking his thumb after the age of 6 months:
▪ Teeth do not come out naturally but become deformed. The roof of the child's throat is damaged, and his speech and pronunciation are affected.
The child's breathing problems worsen, and he also finds it difficult to chew food well.
▪ His tongue sticks out when speaking, and he is unable to pronounce the letters ta' and dal.
▪ The shape of the child's jaw changes, as the upper teeth diverge towards the lips, thus affecting the shape of the face from the outside.
Ways to Stop a child from sucking the thumb
distraction
It is the first place in every behavior that the parents do not like and that the child does, so the mother distracts the child with something else, she brings the child what he likes of food or toys or asks him to go out with her to spend some need and thus the child departs from this habit without feeling.
Talk to the child
Some children continue with this habit even after reaching the age of five, the child here is sane and understands the mother’s words well, so the mother should talk to them and ask him to leave this behavior, and tell him that children of his age do not suck their fingers because this is the behavior of newborn children only, The mother should watch the child during sleep and be careful not to have the thumb in his mouth.
lemon
The taste of lemon is sour and not palatable for some children. You can use it by placing lemon drops on your child’s thumb, but if the finger has wounds as a result of the child sucking his finger, lemon is not recommended so as not to cause complications for the child.
thumb guard
It is a cover made of plastic material, which is placed on the finger, but it should not be used more often because it affects the psyche of the child.
Note: This article contains medical advice, although these tips were written by professionals and are safe and harmless to use for most ordinary people, they are not a substitute for the advice of your personal doctor. Use it at your own risk.