We "oooh" and "awww" when we see a
little baby find his/her thumb and begin to suck it. There is something sweet
about a little one finding comfort in thumb-sucking. Approximately one-third to
one-half of preschoolers sucks their thumbs. Children usually outgrow this
habit by kindergarten, often with parental encouragement,(only about six
percent of children persist in thumb-sucking after age seven), but when
thumb-sucking persists into grade school years or even beyond, it can cause
long-term problems.
Dental problems are the most obvious results of long-term
thumb-sucking. This habit can cause malocclusion, which means the child's teeth
do not align properly. Upper teeth most commonly move outwards while lower
teeth move inwards. Improperly aligned teeth often result in an overbite and
require costly orthodontic treatment in adolescence.
Because a child under the age of eight has a jawbone that is
soft and blood-rich thumb-sucking can actually reshape it. The roof of the
mouth, also malleable in young years, can become misshapen.
When a child's jawbone, roof of his/her mouth, and teeth
become misaligned, speech difficulties may arise. The child may have difficulty
pronouncing certain sounds correctly. Additionally, tongue-thrusting may be
impaired and thus the tongue will not be placed correctly for proper speech.
These problems require speech therapy which may be both lengthy and costly.
Thumb-sucking can also result in damage to a child's thumb.
Repetitive sucking causes the thumb to become swollen and calloused. Infections
may arise, as germs are easily transmitted from whatever surface the child has
touched.
Beyond the predictable medical/dental effects of
thumb-sucking, social difficulties are possible for older children who continue
in this habit. They may be teased by peers, leading to embarrassment and
ostracism. Friendships may be affected as peers don't want to be made fun of
for associating with the thumb-sucker. Low self-worth may develop.
Thumb-sucking may also result in difficulty resolving
emotional needs in an age-appropriate fashion. The habit is often a strategy to
cope with feelings of insecurity or loneliness and is ill-suited to mature
problem-solving. It is often used to help a child put himself to sleep, and may
become a crutch that persists into later years. Children may need to re-learn
how to soothe themselves when anxious, and how to create a healthier sleep
protocol.
The thumb-sucking that we tend to see as cute and sweet in a
baby can cause serious and expensive problems if not stopped by the age of
four.
Author Bio
Lyndsi Decker is a freelance writer that is currently
promoting dental practice marketing
such as dental
direct mail. She often blogs about family and parenting issues. She spends
her free time traveling with her husband and two kids.
