Thumb Sucking: Harmless Habit or Potential Nightmare?

0:00 As a pediatric occupational therapist, I often see parents who are really concerned when their babies start to suck their thumb or fingers. And they want to know if this is a behavior that they need to stop straight away. So in this video, we're going to cover if thumb sucking or finger sucking is truly harmful for babies and when to be concerned. But before we do, make sure you click on that free PDF document in the description box below, which covers the developmental milestones you can be expecting for your little one in their first year of life.

0:29 This will give you invaluable peace of mind as you'll know when to be expecting, certain skills, and when to be concerned. So the first thing to know is that all babies are born to suck, and that is because they are born with the rooting reflex and the sucking reflex. Now, these two reflexes are extremely important for your baby's survival. The rooting reflex encourages your baby to latch onto a teat or a nipple because when their cheek is stroked, they will turn their head in that direction and, and open their mouth.

0:57 Now, the sucking reflex encourages your baby to suck on an object or an item whenever it touches the roof of their mouth. So that might be the nipple, the teat, or a hand. Now, it is because of these two reflexes, all babies really enjoy sucking their hand. But what you will notice is that babies soon learn that when they suck their hand, it actually helps to to calm and soothe them. As parents, we're often not aware of the benefits of having a baby who sucks their fingers or their thumb.

1:30 So if you have a baby who is sucking their fingers or their thumb, then they're going to be less fussy. And that is because they have a way to independently soothe themselves that doesn't actually require any of your help, which is fantastic. So they can just put that thumb or finger in their mouth and they can automatically start to get those hormones which will help soothe and calm them down. They are also going to be less likely to wake up multiple times throughout the night.

1:59 And again, that is because when they come into light wake periods throughout the night, they are going to be able to find their thumb and put it straight into their mouth and then suck on it and then go back to sleep. Whereas if your baby has a dummy or a pacifier, those dummies and pacifiers often fall out of the baby's mouth after they've fallen asleep, and then they get lost in the cot or, or they fall out of the cot completely.

2:23 And as a result, when your baby comes into that light wake period, they scream at you to come into their room and put that dummy back into their mouth so they can fall back asleep. In addition to waking less frequently throughout the night and during day naps, they're also going to be finding it easier to soothe themselves to sleep because, again, they can put that thumb in their mouth. And that can occur at a really, really early age when they so babies are able to put a fist into their mouth at one month of age.

2:55 But if you have a dummy or a pacifier, babies can't independently put that into their mouth until about eight months of age. Before then, you're going to have to put that dummy into your baby's mouth every time they need to go to sleep and throughout their sleep. Although there are significant benefits to having a baby who sucks their thumb or their fingers, parents are often really, really concerned about the potential problems the child may experience in the future if they continue to suc their thumb for multiple years.

3:24 What's important to know is that thumb sucking under the age of two is completely normal behavior and it shouldn't actually be seen as a problem. And most children who suck their thumb will actually drop this habit between the age of 2 and 4 years of age. And it isn't until 4 years of age that the American Dental association actually recommend that you start to gently discourage thumb sucking. So, so thumb sucking or finger sucking before four years of age is really unlikely to cause any changes in your baby's oral development.

3:57 So the structure of their palate or the positioning of their teeth. If a child does continue to suck their thumb when those adult teeth start to come in, which is anywhere from five years of age, then it actually can result in some changes in the structure of their palate, so the roof of their mouth, as well as the position of their teeth. It is because of these potential concerns, which develop as a result of prolonged thumb sucking, that parents often want to encourage their baby who is sucking their thumb or fingers to start to use a pacifier or a dummy.

4:32 Now, this is definitely something you can try, but be aware that not all babies like to use pacifiers. They might prefer to suck on their finger or their thumb. And also, if you're using a pacifier, your baby is going to need that pacifier to fall asleep and to link sleep cycles throughout the night and during their nap. Now, because dummies actually fall out of a baby's mouth quite regularly while they're sleeping and when they're trying to go to sleep, they are often going to be yelling out to you to come in and put that dummy back into their mouth so they can go to sleep in the first place and then link those sleep cycles.

5:09 As a mum and pediatric occupational therapist, I actually see thumb sucking as a helpful strategy that babies use rather than a harmful one. And that is because thumb sucking or finger sucking can result in a baby who is less fussy and one that can self soothe and fall to sleep. And link those sleep cycles and the likelihood of them continuing to suck their thumb past the age of four is extremely rare. Make sure you click on that free PDF document in the description box below and hopefully I'll see you next week where I'll share more parenting tips and tricks.