Thumb sucking and pacifiers

During a baby's first year of life, he will put anything he can lay his hands on into his mouth. This is because he feels things, at this stage, primarily with his mouth and tongue. Later, infants develop thumb sucking or similar habits. These habits develop when they are tired, hungry, bored or frustrated. To solve the problem, feed the child if he is hungry. To relieve boredom and frustration, create a new suitable activity for the child. Talk to the child and play simple games that actively involve him.

If thumb sucking is only at bedtime, do nothing. Do not use thumb guards or apply pungent food or tie a cloth around the thumb. It may result in the baby's acquiring other, perhaps less desirable, habits such as head banging, tongue sucking, removing hair from his own head etc.

Thumb-sucking baby - problem

You should pay attention to thumb-sucking is when the baby first tries to do it, not when he finally succeeds. I make this point because there are lot of babies who, for the first few months of their lives, haven't much control over their arms. You see such a baby struggling to get his hands up, and searching around with his mouth. If ny good luck he gets his fist to his mouth, he sucks it vigorously as long as it happens to stay there. This baby, just as much as the real thumb-sucker, is showing a need to such longer at the breast or bottle.

In most cases thumb-sucking was very mild. Many babies do a little thumb-sucking off and on. They get over it quickly, whether you do anything or not. I think, that restraints only make the confirmed thumb-sucker do it more in the long run.