Bad habits or why do children suck their thumb at 3 years old? Kindergarten teachers, school teachers and educators

After the birth of their long-awaited first child, all parents immediately find themselves under close control from grandmothers, aunts and other relatives. And the generation that has already raised their children has their own personal opinion on everything, and they constantly strive to give advice to young mothers and fathers. The advice is quite varied, but most often it is absolutely useless. And as soon as all-knowing relatives notice that the baby is sucking his finger, they immediately begin to give recommendations on how to rid the baby of this bad habit. But is this necessary? What to do if your baby constantly puts his hands in his mouth? And why does the baby suck his thumb?

Why does a baby put his fingers in his mouth?

The opinion of experts on this matter is clear - satisfaction of the sucking reflex. The baby is accustomed to taking fingers and fists into his mouth even in intrauterine existence. Psychologically, this is perceived as a memory of a carefree period under the protection of the mother’s body.

On the other hand, the baby sucks his fist for a reason: the output of three powerful receptors is concentrated in the mouth. The nasopharyngeal, vagus and ternary nerves are three fundamental mechanisms for the development of the baby’s body, which provide:

brain development;
normal digestion;
absorption of nutrients;
psychological comfort.

During breastfeeding, simultaneous development of the baby’s body occurs due to the activation of the activity of these receptors. If the child does not breastfeed, he is offered milk in a bottle with a nipple. Thus, the sucking instinct is partially satisfied.

Why does a breastfed baby also suck his thumb and fist? This may indicate that the mother is weaning him too early. The child was unable to fully satisfy the need for sucking, so he pulls his fist into his mouth.

Why you shouldn't use restraints

Why is it not recommended to tie a child's hands or use elbow splints or aluminum cuffs to prevent thumb sucking? Firstly, it will make him suffer. Second, restraints usually do not cure a child's problem of thumb sucking. We've all heard about unfortunate mothers who put metal handcuffs and splints on their child's hands and smeared their hands with substances that had an unpleasant taste. They had to do this not for a few days, but for several months. And as soon as they stopped their impact, the finger was immediately placed in the mouth. Of course, these remedies helped in some cases, but, as it turned out, these children sucked their thumb very little (very many children suck their thumbs from time to time. They stop on their own, even if you do not take any action). But I think that using restraints on a "heavy sucker" will make him even more stubborn and he will end up sucking his thumb longer than if he were left alone.

Other causes of fist sucking

There are several other reasons that encourage a baby to put his finger in his mouth. These include:

teething;
lack of mother's attention;
way to calm down;
boredom.

When teething, the baby will pull not only a finger or fist into his mouth, but also any objects at hand. This enthusiasm can be explained by the desire to scratch the gums. It is much worse if a child sucks a finger or fist due to lack of attention from the mother. With this simple action he simply calms himself down.

Here the main role is played by the fact of remembering the intrauterine period, when he was comfortable and cozy. A natural self-defense mechanism is triggered. Older children may put their finger in their mouth simply out of boredom: it serves as entertainment.

Sometimes older children use the sucking reflex to calm down when nervous. A finger in the mouth is a symbol of protection and peace. Psychologists have noticed that in some adults, under nervous stress, the memory of intrauterine existence is triggered - they lie down in the fetal position, curling up into a ball.

Thumb sucking is not an easy problem

There are many conflicting opinions regarding it. I will briefly tell you what is known about this problem and how to avoid it. It used to be that thumb sucking was simply a bad habit. When the child began to suck his thumb, the mother tried to wean him off it until sucking became a “habit.” Now we know that this habit is of a completely different kind, at least at first. The main reason for thumb sucking is an unsatisfied sucking instinct. Dr. David Levy points out that babies who are fed every 3 hours suck their thumb less than those who are fed every 4 hours. Babies who manage to suckle the required amount of milk in 10 minutes (if the nipple is old and soft) will suck their thumb more than those who have to suck for 20 minutes to get enough. Dr. Levy fed the little puppies with an eyedropper so that they were unable to suckle. The puppies behaved in the same way as children who could not satisfy their sucking instinct: the puppies sucked their paws and the paws of their brothers and sisters so intensely that their fur came off.

If your baby starts sucking his finger or hand, it is best not to stop him immediately, but to let him suck on the breast, pacifier or pacifier for longer. The number and duration of feedings should be taken into account.

Harm or benefit for the baby?

We have looked at the benefits of the sucking instinct. What is the harm? The baby begins to pull his fist into his mouth when he learns to coordinate his movements. This happens by the age of three months: this is when the fist and finger enter his mouth.

Satisfying the sucking instinct between the ages of three months and one year is not harmful or dangerous.

However, many parents strive to wean their child from this habit, which is harmful from their point of view.

If a baby under two years old sucks his thumb, there will be no harm from it. But strengthening this habit and the need to suck fingers at an older age can provoke dental problems. At the age of five, a child’s teeth begin to change, and fist or finger sucking will negatively affect the formation of the bite.

Negative influence

Infection

According to pediatricians, a child's thumb or fist sucking has a number of negative consequences. When a baby puts hands in his mouth, he can infect the oral cavity and, accordingly, the stomach. This process directly leads to the development of dysbiosis. Signs of this disease are diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and colic. That is, treatment with medications will be required.

Parents often wonder: where do these dangerous bacteria come from? The fact is that the baby strives to touch everything he can reach. For example, furniture, any objects, towels, adult clothes, mom's hair, plants.

Dehydration

During sucking, salivation inevitably increases. Because of this, the child’s body loses more fluid than it should, and dehydration may begin. The cheeks and neck also begin to get wet, and this directly leads to irritation of the baby’s delicate skin.

Improper jaw development

Thumb sucking can lead to future deformation or abnormal tooth growth.

Some orthodontists, by the way, claim that finger sucking during tooth growth in no way affects the formation of the bite. There is also an assumption that due to finger sucking in infancy, difficulties with speech development may arise in the future. But this is only if you cannot get rid of the habit for a very long time.

Nail deformity

Constant finger sucking leads to abrasions on the child’s delicate skin, calluses and deformation of the nail plates. Moreover, such a habit threatens not only the penetration of dangerous bacteria into the gastrointestinal tract, but also the penetration of fungus under the surface of the nail.

How to wean a child off the fist

We have found out the mechanism of fist sucking: satisfaction of instinct. To wean your baby from putting his fist in his mouth, you need to provide him with the opportunity to pump during feeding. For this:

extend breastfeeding time;
breastfeed your baby more often;
change nipples on the bottle more often;
do not leave the baby alone for a long time;
Protect your baby from stress.

A baby who is not rushed during breastfeeding is less likely to put his fingers in his mouth. Usually, the baby is satisfied with milk in 10 or 15 minutes, the rest of the time he just sucks for pleasure. Do not stop him from enjoying this procedure: he satisfies his instinct.

If a child is given breastfeeding not according to a schedule, but on demand, he does not need fist sucking. A strict feeding schedule does not always pay off and can lead to chronic stress from unmet needs.

Artificial babies should often replace old nipples with new, tighter ones. If the baby absorbs a portion of the formula in 12-15 minutes, the sucking instinct will not be satisfied. A tight nipple forces the baby to work to obtain milk, which ensures a longer feeding process. However, you should not offer very tight nipples: the baby gets tired quickly and remains half-starved.

What to do when your baby's gums itch? During this period, offer him special rodents; he will be happy to use an interesting toy and pull it into his mouth.

Finger sucking in a bottle-fed baby

This usually begins when he drinks his portion of milk not in 20 minutes, as before, but in 10. This happens because the baby gets older and stronger, and the nipples wear out and become softer. When you buy new nipples, regardless of the time it takes the baby to suck his portion of milk, do not widen the holes - then the baby will need more time to suck his portion of milk. But, if the holes are too small, the baby will get tired and refuse to suck at all. The holes in the nipple should be of such a size that the baby can suck his portion of milk in 20 minutes, at least in the first six months. (This refers to the time when he actually sucks; periods when he rests do not count.)

If your baby is so strong that he sucks out his portion of milk in 10-12 minutes even through a new nipple, buy “blind” nipples, that is, nipples without holes, and make the holes yourself with a hot needle.

Take a thin needle and quickly pierce the nipple. Then check how the milk flows from the hole.

What not to do

Under no circumstances should you tie your baby’s hands or scold him for his finger! These measures cause active opposition on the part of the child and do not wean him off the finger. Grandma's old "bitter" finger method may work, but there is a danger of harming the baby's stomach.

In addition to the discomfort and moral damage from the “bitter” finger, there is another reason not to use this method. The baby can scratch his eye with his finger! How much suffering will this cause the baby? Therefore, such a method is simply unacceptable in a civilized society.

Instead of restrictions, tying your hands and bitter ointments on your fists and fingers, eliminate the cause of fist sucking! What this reason could be, the mother must figure out for herself. If the instinct is unsatisfied, prolong feeding; if there is stress, soothe; if the gums are scratched, give a rubber teether.

Try to give your baby more attention, affection and tenderness. Often, the rooting of the habit of sucking fingers up to five, or even seven, years is facilitated by a nervous situation in the house and a lack of affection from the mother. Remember that a finger in the mouth is a symbol of security and peace for the child.

The baby puts his hands into his mouth while he is still in the womb. Sucking is considered an innate instinct. It appears actively by 4 months. Then it will decline. Worrying about a two-month-old baby sucking his fist is not necessary. This is a demonstration of hunger. Also a desire to show a certain concern. Taking the fist into his mouth, the baby believes that he has found a safe position.

Doctor's opinion

The famous doctor also has his own opinion about the problem under consideration. Komarovsky believes that hand sucking is, first of all, a problem for the parents, not the baby. After all, quite often young mothers are pointed out to the “wrong” actions of her child. But if you don’t focus on such a habit, it goes away by itself.

Many babies calm down in this way and help themselves fall asleep faster. And no one sees these actions except mom and dad.

When weaning a baby from the habit of sucking fingers, you need to act carefully. The main goal of mom and dad is not to harm the psycho-emotional state of the baby. It is important to remember that a child may start sucking fingers due to lack of parental attention. First of all, you must always determine the reasons for the development of such addiction and only then decide on ways to combat it.

Why does a 2 month old baby suck his fist?

Many adults consider this action a bad habit. Doctors dispute this opinion. They believe that a 2 month old baby sucks his fist to satisfy the need to suck.

To understand whether this manipulation is harmful or not, analyze the reasons.

When a 2-month-old baby sucks his fist, he is trying to calm himself down; it will be more difficult to wean him off. It can drag on for up to 5 years.

Why does a two month old baby suck his fist?

wants to eat. The time interval between meals is more than 3 hours. The baby manages to get hungry;
A 2 month old baby sucks his fist, prolonging the process of eating for some time. Perhaps saturation comes quickly, but the satisfaction of the instinct has not yet occurred;
The baby considers the fist as a convenient thing for performing this manipulation. The baby sucks his fists at 2 months because they are always there and help him calm down. Some children replace them with the edge of the blanket when they are lying in the crib;
teeth are cutting through. A fist in the mouth helps relieve itching. However, displacement of the teeth may occur, according to the original location.

Having found out the reasons why a 2-month-old baby sucks his fists, do not rush to wean him off. Keep an eye on him for a while. Give this habit a chance to go away on its own. Leave the baby alone, don't scare him. If parents' concerns increase, it is possible to consult a doctor about this issue.

Often the child makes other movements at the same time as thumb sucking

Some children rub or tug at a blanket or diaper or a cloth toy, others stroke their ears or twirl a strand of hair, and some hold a piece of cloth to their face and stroke their nose or lip with a free finger. These habits, like thumb sucking, go away over time.

When a child falls in love with an old rag or a worn-out toy, which he clutched to himself while sucking his thumb, the mother gets annoyed because it looks ugly in appearance. But there's nothing you can do about it. You can discreetly take this item away to wash and dry it. Sometimes the child agrees to replace the old object with a new one, exactly the same. It would be wrong to force him to throw away the thing that brings him such comfort. He will wean himself from this habit as soon as he can.

What to do if a 2 month old baby sucks his fist?

Many parents are concerned about this issue. They see that the baby is pulling his hands into his mouth. They begin to look for ways to get rid of it, considering it a bad habit. However, is this really so? Watch your baby more carefully, notice when he does this. Maybe he just wants to eat or something is bothering him.

Dummy. If parents are firmly convinced of their intentions to wean their baby from fist sucking, try teaching him to use a pacifier. Foreign objects often contribute to the satisfaction of this desire. Over time, the baby will begin to forget his reflexes.

Time. Quite often, doctors, reassuring mothers, claim that there is nothing dangerous in the fact that a child of 2 months sucks his fists. They advise doing nothing. Everything should go away on its own. They see nothing wrong with such manipulations.

If a child sucks his fist at 2 months, and this habit does not go away by 5 years, serious dental problems may arise. An incorrect bite will appear. Baby teeth will not grow properly.

Patch. A child should be weaned from this manipulation from the age of 2, if he has not gotten rid of it on his own before that time. You can start earlier. When a 2.5 month old child sucks his fist, stick a plaster on this place.

Bitter and sour. Another effective action is to lubricate the fist with something bitter or sour, such as lemon juice.

Remember, when a two-month-old baby actively sucks his fist, you cannot scold him for it. The child may lose faith in himself, and this habit, instead of going away, will remain forever. In adulthood, he will feel insecure, constantly fearing the future.

Why does a baby suck his fist or fingers? Is this action considered a bad habit? Modern psychologists and pediatricians do not see anything dangerous or harmful in thumb sucking: it is a manifestation of the baby’s natural instinct. Let's consider the question of the dangers and benefits of sucking in detail.

Thumb sucking in older children

When a child is about a year old, finger sucking has a completely different reason: it is a sedative that the child uses on special occasions. Why do children suck their fingers? A child sucks his thumb when he is bored, or tired, or upset, or in order to fall asleep faster. An older child may relapse into infancy (when sucking was his main joy) and thumb sucking in cases where he cannot cope with the situation or get his way.

Those children still suck their fingers who did it before to satisfy the sucking instinct. It is extremely rare that a child only begins to suck his thumb after one year.

Of course, a child aged 1-2-3 years is not treated with the same means as newborns (i.e., prolonging the time of sucking on the breast or pacifier). I do not think that parents should take action if the child is calm, sociable, cheerful, active most of the time and if he sucks his thumb only before bed and occasionally during the day. But if a child almost constantly sucks his thumb instead of playing, then parents should think about why the child needs to soothe himself almost constantly and whether it is possible to help him with something so that this need disappears. A child may be bored without children's company or have few toys. Maybe you keep him in the stroller for hours. The child may be angry with his mother because she never allows him to do what he is interested in. It’s better to simply distract the child’s attention with some object to play with.

And another child has both a children's society and freedom at home, but he is too shy to take advantage of it. He stands nearby, watches and sucks his finger. I don't mean to say that every child who sucks their thumb is a problem. Even the happiest and most well-groomed children have moments when they feel uneasy. Young children who suck their thumbs can be very calm and cheerful and do not need any changes. So, if your baby sucks his thumb too much, try to make his life more enjoyable for him.

What was said about children sucking their thumb applies equally to sucking the corner of a blanket or the collar of a coat when they are sleepy or bored or lonely. Don't get angry at your child for this and don't pull his finger out of his mouth. You can often hear advice to distract a child with a toy when he sucks his thumb. But if you immediately jump up and shove the first old toy you come across to your child as soon as he puts his finger in his mouth, he will quickly figure out your trick. Some people advise “bribing” a child. If your child is already 5 years old and still sucks his thumb (a very rare occurrence), you are certainly worried that he will damage his permanent teeth that are about to start growing. At this age, “bribing” if you promise your baby something pleasant can help him get rid of the habit. But a 2-3 year old child is practically unable to show willpower and refuse to satisfy an instinct for the sake of a reward. You will become exhausted and achieve nothing.

So, if your little one is a thumb sucker, make sure he has an enjoyable life. Remind him sometimes that someday he will grow big and stop sucking his thumb. Friendly encouragement will make him want to get rid of this habit as soon as he can. But don't be mad at him for it. The main thing is to try not to think about it at all. If you worry but remain silent, it will bother your child and cause him to react in the opposite way. Remember that thumb sucking will go away on its own over time. In the vast majority of cases, it goes away before permanent teeth appear. However, this habit does not disappear immediately. Thumb sucking rarely resolves before age 3 years. Usually it decreases and finally disappears between the 3rd and 6th year.

The main reasons for the “bad” childhood habit

Why does a 2 month old baby suck his fist? The reason, first of all, lies in the psychological characteristics of the baby. The baby believes that if he puts his finger in his mouth, then in this way he will console himself, reassure himself, and get rid of his fears. After all, there is simply a huge, unknown world around, and he himself is still very tiny and defenseless.

The second reason why a two-month-old baby constantly keeps his fist in his mouth lies in the instinctive desire to gradually learn and study his body. And this process often begins with a tiny, fragile hand.

First he sucks his finger, and then his whole fist. At this rate, the baby begins to learn about himself, and parents do not need to interfere with this. Unless, of course, the baby does not express obvious signs of anxiety, does not cry or is capricious.

There are other reasons why a two-month-old baby constantly or very often holds a finger or fist in his mouth. Before panicking and attributing non-existent illnesses to the child (including psychological disorders), parents must analyze what could have caused such a desire in their son/daughter. It could be:

Hunger. If a 2-month-old baby often sucks his fist, this may mean that he is not getting enough to eat. Especially if the baby is breastfed. There are 2 ways out of the situation: either put the baby to the breast more often, or introduce special dry formulas into the diet. The choice of baby food should be discussed with your pediatrician or family doctor.
Teething. Of course, this doesn’t happen often, but some babies of this age are already beginning to have their first teeth. Since the baby cannot say this, he tries to signal his anxiety to his parents in other ways. Therefore, young mothers who notice that their baby is constantly gnawing on a fist or finger should examine his gums just in case. Perhaps the process of teething has already begun, and the baby needs help to get rid of discomfort and pain.

One of the simplest and most common reasons why two-month-old babies constantly hold a fist in their mouth is that they simply enjoy this activity. With the same success, a baby can pull the edge of a blanket, a pillow, a rattle, and even his toes into his mouth. All this is temporary, so don’t worry.

If parents want to wean their child from such, in their opinion, a bad habit, they themselves must find an interesting, exciting activity that will distract the baby from fist sucking. But we hasten to disappoint persistent mothers and fathers: as soon as the baby gets bored with the new game, he will return to his previous hobby.

Unacceptable measures

In order to prevent irreparable mistakes when weaning a baby from thumb sucking, the following measures should under no circumstances be used:

Using diapers to wrap your baby's arms and legs. Young parents use this method quite often, but it is absolutely useless. As soon as the baby feels freedom of action, the fingers will be in the mouth again;
Smearing the hands with substances that have a bitter taste. Firstly, substances with bitter tastes, for example, pepper, mustard, can irritate the mucous membrane of a child’s mouth or, even worse, the walls of the stomach. Secondly, as soon as the unpleasant taste disappears, the baby will take up his favorite activity with greater vigor;
There should be no reprimands or punishments for pen sucking. These are unacceptable methods of raising a child. Punishment for such a habit will inevitably entail serious disorders of the child’s psyche.

The above methods of dealing with fingers in the mouth will not help achieve the expected result. They are more likely to complicate the situation and cause the baby’s whims and protest to the demands of mom and dad. Moreover, thumb sucking will become the most effective method of calming a child.

Jaconic

This is normal for your age. All children do this.

But based on my two, I can say that the daughter who fed every 3 hours sucked her fingers, and the son who ate on demand never put his fingers in his mouth! And there is one article about this, maybe it will clarify the situation a little for you:

“Thumb sucking is not an easy problem.”

You need to take action when your child just starts sucking his thumb.

It's too late for this to become a habit. The fact is that many newborns do not control their limbs well in the first months. You can observe how the child hardly raises his hand and searches for it with his mouth. If he accidentally gets his fist in his mouth, he sucks it greedily until he manages to keep the fist in his mouth. These attempts are a sign that the baby's need for sucking is not being satisfied and it is necessary to increase the time of sucking on either the breast or pacifier.

The baby's need for sucking is especially great in the first 3-4 months. In subsequent months it gradually decreases. Some children are already indifferent to the sucking process at 7 months, while for others this passion goes away only after a year.

The sucking instinct varies from child to child. Some never suck for more than 15 minutes and do not show the slightest desire to suck their thumb. And other babies who suck for 20 minutes or more at each feeding suck their thumb for a long time. Some children start sucking their thumb in the maternity hospital and continue to do so at home. It seems to me that the need to suck a finger is an innate phenomenon.

Don't worry if your baby only sucks his thumb for a few minutes before feeding. He does this out of hunger. When your baby sucks his thumb immediately after feeding or between feedings, you need to think about how to satisfy his need for sucking. Babies usually begin thumb sucking before 3 months of age.

Almost all babies bite their fingers or hands when their teeth begin to grow (usually between 3 and 4 months). Don't confuse this with thumb sucking. Of course, a child who habitually sucks his thumb will also suck and bite his thumb as his teeth grow.

Thumb sucking in breastfeeding babies

It seems to me that babies who suckle are less likely to suck their fingers. Obviously, this happens due to the fact that the mother holds the baby at her breast as long as he wants. The mother does not know whether there is still milk in the breast or not and therefore relies on the baby. When the baby has sucked all the milk from the bottle, he has to stop, either because he does not like sucking air, or the mother simply takes the empty bottle from him. If your breastfed baby starts thumb sucking, the first thing to do is increase the feeding time to 30-40 minutes if time permits. The baby sucks most of the milk from the breast in 5-6 minutes, the rest of the time he sucks to satisfy the sucking instinct and sucks the remaining milk drop by drop. In other words, if he nurses for 35 minutes, he will get almost as much milk as he would in 20 minutes. If you allow your baby to nurse as much as he wants, you will be surprised to find that he will only nurse for 10 minutes one time and 40 minutes another time. This example proves the amazing adaptability of the mammary gland to the needs of the child.

If your baby only nurses on one breast at each feeding and doesn't want any more, you won't get him to nurse more. But a baby who suckles on both breasts at every feeding and still sucks his thumb presents a different problem. Suppose he is given the first breast for 10 minutes, after which he is given the second breast. The baby may suck too much milk from the first breast and, feeling an unpleasantly full stomach, he abandons the second breast after 5 minutes, although his need to suck is not yet satisfied, and he begins to suck his finger. There are two ways you can try to get your baby to breastfeed longer. Try holding him at the first breast for as long as he wants. If he does not have enough milk in the first breast, still hold him longer at the first breast, and then give him the second. Let him suckle on the first breast for about twenty minutes (if he wants), and then attach him to the other breast, which he will also suck on as long as he wants.

How does thumb sucking affect tooth growth?

This question is certainly of great concern to you. Indeed, in children who suck their thumb, the upper front teeth often protrude forward, while the lower front teeth grow slightly back. The more a child sucks his thumb, the more his teeth shift. The movement of teeth depends largely on the position in which the baby's finger is in the mouth when he sucks on it. However, dentists say that thumb sucking has no effect on a child's permanent teeth, which begin to appear at around 6 years of age. In other words, if a child stops thumb sucking before age 6 (which is almost always the case), he is unlikely to damage his permanent teeth.

However, whether thumb sucking affects the teeth or not, you certainly want to stop your child from this habit as soon as possible. The suggestions discussed above will help you stop thumb sucking.