Many children suffer from the problem of thumb sucking, and if your child does not stop sucking his thumb at the age of five, you must intervene, as thumb sucking at this age can cause breathing problems, speech problems and crooked teeth.
Most children usually give up thumb sucking between the ages of 2 and 4, and the habit is often quit before 6 or 7 months of age, but if they’re still sucking at 5, the American Academy of Pediatrics says it’s time to intervene..
Finger sucking in children
According to a report by the site insiderThumb sucking can cause long-term dental problems by the age of five, continuous thumb sucking can start to cause damage and sometimes there is no harm, and its damage is to change the shape of the child’s mouth and face and this often depends on how strongly your child sucks his thumb.
“Children who put their thumbs in their mouth and feed gently occasionally are less likely to have problems than children who feed vigorously on a regular basis,” says Esther Liu, M.D., chief of pediatrics at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Center.“.
The reason, she says, is that constant pressure can change the shape of the roof of the mouth and upper jaw, resulting in a narrowing of the jaw or palate. This can reduce the airway and cause changes in breathing patterns and tongue position. It can also cause speech problems.
How to help your child stop sucking his thumb
finger sucking
Identify situations in which your child sucks their thumbs: are they tired or anxious Teach them how to verbally express their feelings so they can learn to recognize those situations If they suck their thumbs when they are tired Offer alternatives such as a stuffed animal to help them sleep.
2. Initiate a frank discussion with your child to explain the consequences of continued thumb sucking. The goal is to get “acceptance” of the plan to change what the child has become in an annoying habit. The success of this approach depends on your child’s age. The older a child is, the more likely they are to be able to understand why they stopped .
3– Reinforce signs of positive change with small rewards: Keeping a whiteboard or progress chart with a list of goals and rewards is especially helpful and don’t over-criticize any setbacks Explain how relapses are part of breaking habits and the idea is to move on and get back on track with positive behaviors.
4– Devices can be used as a last resort: these include ventilators that attach to the thumb and prevent actual sucking from occurring, which takes the fun out of motion, and a bitter, thumb-based gel can be helpful for some babies.
