Thumb sucking is a common habit that usually affects infants and children. It is reported that up to 90% of children will try sucking their thumb at some point between the ages of 2 and 4 years.
Most children stop sucking their thumb after 2 and a half years, and thumb-sucking is often considered to be fine until the age of 3. Parents can use baby thumb guard to stop their child from sucking their thumb.
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Babies suck their fingers because it is soothing and comforting. They shift to their thumbs when they are tired, bored, sick, scared, or try to adapt challenges such as preschool or starting nursery.
Long-lasting effects of finger sucking occurs when a kid's adult teeth start to come through. This usually occurs around the age of 5-6 years. It would be wise to try and stop this habit at the time.
5 Consequences of thumb-sucking
1) The germs on the thumb and the surrounding area can affect kid's body and health. Keeping nails short and frequent handwashing will help to minimize this risk.
2) It affects teeth alignment which leads to underbite or overbite of teeth shape. This may affect face looks and how the teeth meet together.
3) The roof of the mouth becomes more sensitive.
4) A lisp formed by the regular thumb sucking can affect the form of the jaw bone.
5) Thumb sucking increases the chances of skin problems like the skin can become vulnerable. In some cases, the skin can crack or bleed, especially around the nails.
When you are trying to stop the habit of thumb or finger sucking, it is necessary for you to be extra gentle with your child.