Thumb Sucking

[sunshine873]

I'm sure this has been addressed before, but now it's happening to me so I'm asking again. :)

DD is 7 months old and 4 months adjusted. (she's a preemie, so developmentally she's 4 months.) She found her thumb a month ago and now I'd say she's officially sucking her thumb (sometimes fingers, but usually thumb.) It totally comforts her, and I'm glad that she's found a way to self-soothe, but now I'm getting concerned about side effects. Will this affect her teeth later on? Should I be discouraging this?

She still uses the pacifier when she's really tired, but other than that, she's all about her hands. She never could keep the paci in on her own, so I'm glad that I'm not holding it for her anymore, but is this just opening another can of worms?

[caleymama]

Well, I have two that suck fingers and there's nothing I could have done with either that could have stopped them. My almost 7yo still sucks the ring and middle fingers on one hand. My 4.5yo is a thumb sucker. Older DD took a pacifier for a few months but as soon as she found her fingers (around 4 months) that was the end of that. Younger DD never took a pacifier and was content with her thumb from early on.

I'm sure there are/could be dental effects from this, but both have been to dentists multiple times and no one has ever commented. I thought for sure losing teeth, getting older, etc. would discourage older DD but it hasn't. At this poing, we're not making a big deal out of it and are just encouraging it to be an in the house (bedtime) activity. They do it more when tired, hungry, or bored so keeping their hands busy helps.

In a nutshell, I wasn't opposed to it when they were infants so I didn't actively try to stop it, and I'm not all that bothered by it now. I don't love it by any means, but it is what it is and it's not a battle I am or ever was willing to fight.

[BabyMine]

Both of my DC are/were finger suckers. According to my dentist, they allow the finger(s) sucking until age 4. After 4 is when the damage can get serious.

Your DD just found another way to comfort herself. This is normal. DS1 stopped at 3 years and his teeth are fine. If you are concerned just call any pediatric dentist and ask.

[inmypjs]

My 4.5 yo still sucks his thumb. I talked to his ped about it at his 4 yo visit, and she said not to worry about it. She said that it starts to do damage when permanent teeth come in. I asked my dentist at my last visit and he said basically the same.

[sunshine873]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm totally cool with it for now. It's obviously extremely comforting for her and it has helped her become a content baby. I just want to make sure I'm not encouraging something that I shouldn't be right now.

It sounds like it's fine for her to be doing at this stage. Maybe she'll stop on her own...maybe it'll be something we have to address later. Time will tell.

[AnnieW625]

I was actually really relieved when DD started putting her hands in her mouth at about 4 mos. . I didn't want her to be reliant on the paci once she was at daycare and thankfully never had to worry about it. I'd rather have her suck her thumb than be 2 or 3 and still attached to a paci and have to paci ween. FWIW I sucked my thumb while sleeping until I was at least 8 years old, I had to have braces when I was 13, but both my brother and sister sucked their thumbs for just as long and neither had to have braces.