Thumb sucker at 10 months

[lorinick]

How to get a 10 month old to stop sucking thumb. My ds#1 sucked his thumb also but stopped on his own at 6mts. old. Ds# 2 shows no interest in stopping. I'm concerned about his teeth. Does anyone have any idea's?

[toothfairy]

I don't have a solution for stopping thumb sucking at this age, however I can provide some reassurance about his teeth. Thumb sucking will cause alterations in the shape of your child's mouth and bite, but until around age 6 (when permanent teeth begin erupting) a child's mouth and jaws grow so rapidly that any habit-induced changes will usually correct themselves on their own. I know you'd like him to stop now and perhaps another distraction will help him shy away from his thumb. My daughter still uses a paci at age 18 months, both of us are dentists, and we know that we'd like to reduce her paci use mostly for social reasons. I can say that for older children who thumb-suck--over 6 years old--I would have a retainer-like appliance semi-permanently cemented in on their upper teeth. This would deter the thumb from getting comfortably nestled in the mouth and usually help them stop the habit. Then the appliance would be removed. I'm sure other moms will have practical thoughts.

Amy

[CiderLogan]

I say let the thumb-sucking continue. It's great, IMO, when they have a way to calm themselves. I totally encouraged thumb-sucking with my DD2 (after seeing how hard it was to wean DD1 off the paci).

[luv2bmommy]

I have heard from other moms that they'd rather go through the pain of getting rid of a paci, than risk having a long-term use of the thumb, which you can almost never get them to stop using until they are ready, whenever that might be. If you can re-introduce the paci, just long enough to distract DC, then I'd say go for that:)

[Emmas Mom]

I say let the thumb-sucking continue. It's great, IMO, when they have a way to calm themselves. I totally encouraged thumb-sucking with my DD2 (after seeing how hard it was to wean DD1 off the paci).

:yeahthat: Oh how I WISH DD#2 had sucked her thumb! It was a godsend with DD#1 when she was little. She still does it occasionally but we're really not that worried about it. DD#2 was a terrible sleeper & I'd have given anything for her to have some way to soothe herself (she wouldn't take a pacifier anymore after about 6 months). Enjoy the fact that your little one can soothe himself.

[sidmand]

In general I don't mind thumb sucking at all. Like some others have said, it's SO much easier to keep a thumb with you when tired than a pacifier! That being said, I think (although very hard) at least you CAN get rid of a pacifier and you can't get rid of a thumb. Most kids stop sucking their thumb way before it affects their teeth.

I, however, did not. I sucked my thumb (only at night) until my orthodontist told me I'd have braces forever if I didn't stop. So I was around (gasp!) twelve or so. But I am the exception. Very few suck their thumb that long. So far DS sucks his thumb when he's tired, but stops as soon as he falls deeply asleep. I'm okay with that! I think it's kind of cute. If it keeps going, maybe not, but so far I'm okay with it.

FWIW, I still sleep with my hand under my pillow because that was the only way I could stop. My parents tried painting the yucky stuff on it and as soon as I was asleep and didn't notice, I'd suck it again! The retainer sounds interesting though. But unless they're still sucking their thumb when they are six or so, I wouldn't worry much about it.

[maestramommy]

Um, my 1yo has been sucking her thumb since 3-4 months, and I have NO plans to do anything about it for at least another year. Or two. It soothes her, it helps her fall asleep. that's all I need to know.

[lizajane]

my 5 year old sucks his thumb. i have no intention of "teaching" him to stop. kids suck their thumbs to soothe themselves. my child is very anxious and active and without his thumb, he would scream. all the time. seriously. when his thumb is not available because it has something yucky on it or smelly (like hand sanitizer) or a cut, he is DESPERATE for relief from his anxiety and cannot find it. my child NEEDS this thumb. maybe your 10 month old doesn't NEED it like my 5 year old. but since you just can't know at this point, i think i would let it go. not to mention that you would be back to getting up at all hours of the night to soothe your baby back to sleep. believe me, i know. my 2nd child did NOT suck his thumb and didn't sleep all night until 18months. my first thumb sucking child slept all night at 9 weeks. WEEKS. not months. i would have paid money to get my 2nd to suck his thumb.

so the short version is:
don't stress about it. the teeth issue won't appear until age 4 or later.

[egoldber]

my 5 year old sucks his thumb. i have no intention of "teaching" him to stop. kids suck their thumbs to soothe themselves. my child is very anxious and active and without his thumb, he would scream. all the time. seriously. when his thumb is not available because it has something yucky on it or smelly (like hand sanitizer) or a cut, he is DESPERATE for relief from his anxiety and cannot find it. my child NEEDS this thumb. maybe your 10 month old doesn't NEED it like my 5 year old. but since you just can't know at this point, i think i would let it go. not to mention that you would be back to getting up at all hours of the night to soothe your baby back to sleep. believe me, i know. my 2nd child did NOT suck his thumb and didn't sleep all night until 18months. my first thumb sucking child slept all night at 9 weeks. WEEKS. not months. i would have paid money to get my 2nd to suck his thumb.

so the short version is:
don't stress about it. the teeth issue won't appear until age 4 or later.

:yeahthat: THIS. Exactly this. Only my first is 6.75 and the second child did not start sleeping through the night until 19 months LOL (and she still doesn't every night).

She needs that comfort and who am I to deny her that? She would likely only replace it with something else. Like me. I stress eat and struggle with my weight. Which is the worse habit in the long run?

[emily_gracesmama]

Here's my experience so far, my first sucked her thumb and only got turned on to a binky from my mom around 9-10 mths. She slept her naps and at night with it until we stopped giving it to her at 26 mths old. She was extremely easy to break of it, she just asked for it a few nights in a row and then stopped. My second who is 10 mths goes to sleep with a binky too at naps and night and has started sucking her thumb, and a finger sometimes during the day. I am more pro-binky just cause I sucked my thumb until probably 12 years old and definitely wore my braces much longer cause of it. They couldn't cut my thumb off although I know my orthodontist would have if he could cause he used to get so upset!

[pb&j]

DS is 2.5 and a thumbsucker. We don't really worry about it - he only does it when he is tired or needs comforting. I am not about to take away that foolproof source of comfort for him. I do insist that he takes it out when he's talking, though. Between DH's and my crooked teeth, he'll probably need braces whether or not he continues to suck his thumb.

FWIW, I never used a paci or sucked my thumb and I had to have braces twice, for a total of 5 years, plus I had to wear headgear, a special appliance to widen my upper jaw, and have all four impacted wisdom teeth surgically removed. Yes, adolescence was so much fun!!! ;) I wore my retainer religiously until I was 21. And my teeth are still crooked.

[Happy 2B mommy]

DD is 19 mo and a champion thumb-sucker. I don't worry about it too much. HOwever I'm now telling her to take the thumb out of her mouth when she is playing or reading or just hanging out. I don't care when she's tired or stressed, but I don't want thumb-sucking to become a habit. IMHO there is a difference between self-soothing and a bad habit.

[lorinick]

Here's my experience so far, my first sucked her thumb and only got turned on to a binky from my mom around 9-10 mths. She slept her naps and at night with it until we stopped giving it to her at 26 mths old. She was extremely easy to break of it, she just asked for it a few nights in a row and then stopped. My second who is 10 mths goes to sleep with a binky too at naps and night and has started sucking her thumb, and a finger sometimes during the day. I am more pro-binky just cause I sucked my thumb until probably 12 years old and definitely wore my braces much longer cause of it. They couldn't cut my thumb off although I know my orthodontist would have if he could cause he used to get so upset!
That is my biggest fear. Needing to wear braces. Because of thumb sucking. Being a Dental Asst. for many years I know it's not good. Though Another post said she was a dentist and not to worry yet. That makes me feel better. But hearing about thumb sucking a 5 and 6 and yourself at 12 scares me. I would like him to find another way to soothe himself. My ds 1 stopped at 6mt. on his own and he slept through the night since 5 weeks and never looked back even after he didn't suck his thumb.

[elephantmeg]

In general I don't mind thumb sucking at all. Like some others have said, it's SO much easier to keep a thumb with you when tired than a pacifier! That being said, I think (although very hard) at least you CAN get rid of a pacifier and you can't get rid of a thumb. Most kids stop sucking their thumb way before it affects their teeth.

I, however, did not. I sucked my thumb (only at night) until my orthodontist told me I'd have braces forever if I didn't stop. So I was around (gasp!) twelve or so. But I am the exception. Very few suck their thumb that long. So far DS sucks his thumb when he's tired, but stops as soon as he falls deeply asleep. I'm okay with that! I think it's kind of cute. If it keeps going, maybe not, but so far I'm okay with it.

FWIW, I still sleep with my hand under my pillow because that was the only way I could stop. My parents tried painting the yucky stuff on it and as soon as I was asleep and didn't notice, I'd suck it again! The retainer sounds interesting though. But unless they're still sucking their thumb when they are six or so, I wouldn't worry much about it.

yeah that, I sucked my thumb until I was 11 (yes years and yes only at night in my own room)! And only quit when we were evacuated and I left my blankie by accident and it wasn't the same without it. DD is showing some desire for her thumb and I'm torn about whether *I* want to encourage it or not (NAK)

ETA never needed braces though....

[emily_gracesmama]

yeah that, I sucked my thumb until I was 11 (yes years and yes only at night in my own room)! And only quit when we were evacuated and I left my blankie by accident and it wasn't the same without it. DD is showing some desire for her thumb and I'm torn about whether *I* want to encourage it or not (NAK)

ETA never needed braces though....

Oh the blankie, let's just say that I would still probably have my blanket now, which was only very dingy yellow threads BARELY strung together if the cleaning people at the Borgata in AC didn't throw it out with the dirty sheets when we stayed there in 2005. Yes, I had my blankie from birth until age 29. I slept with it under my head after I quit sucking my thumb. It was kind of another pillow to me. I was HYSTERICAL finding out they threw it out. My husband thought something happened to me when I called him from the room crying when I found out it was gone.

[smilequeen]

I really wouldn't worry about it. My 11 month old is also a thumbsucker. He was sucking his thumb on the way from L&D to our roomin the hospital.

Most kids stop by school age and if they suck their thumb in such a way that causes changes in their teeth, it usually manages to correct itself. It is more of a problem if a child continues to suck their thumb when the permanent teeth are coming in.

I like the thumb, it calms him and it never gets lost :)

[Piglet]

Me too - I never sucked my thumb or had a paci, but had to wear braces for years. DS1 is a thumb sucker but the dentist said he hardly can tell when he does a check up because DS1 is also a good sleeper and only sucks his thumb for a few minutes when he is falling alseep. Since he falls asleep easily, he doesn't suck his thumb for more than 5 minutes a day. No damage as far as the dentist can see. Also, I have no fears about braces. DH had them, I had them, my mom had them. Chances are good that my kids will need them the same as they will likely need glasses (DS1 already has them). It is just the way it goes for many kids.