Thumb sucking and finger sucking-
harmless or harmful?
It’s always challenging to write something based on research to provide parents with information without alarming everyone. The goal is to share when a habit is considered normal, when it becomes problematic, possible reasons for persistent sucking behavior, and the potential effects of it.
Non-nutritive sucking doesn’t relate to feeding and nutrition. Almost all babies will engage in non-nutritive sucking; they may suck on their thumbs, fingers, hands, pacifiers, or other objects like a stuffed animal. This is expected behavior. Most children will outgrow this between the ages of 1-3 years. It is generally recommended not to intervene before this age—often a patient, stress-free approach is the easiest way for both you and your child, unless there are physical or mental health concerns or disturbances to sleep due to the sucking behavior.
Why worry about thumb sucking?
Persistent thumb sucking or other oral habits can lead to dental problems, as well as issues with jaw and facial development. Continuous pressure on the teeth or palate can cause dental problems such as open bites, overbites, and craniofacial abnormalities. The duration and intensity of the sucking behavior play a role in whether these problems arise.
There is evidence that children who suck their thumb for more than 3-4 years are at an increased risk of experiencing impacts on their speech development.
Persistent thumb sucking can also damage the skin on the thumb or fingers and, in some cases, increase the risk of infection.
Possible causes of persistent thumb sucking
Understanding the reason behind thumb sucking will make planning for changes easier and the process more efficient.
- Simply a habit
- Anxiety
- Emotional/psychological reasons
- Airway obstruction
- Oral dysfunction
How can you help your child?
What I advise against:
First of all, there should be no feelings of shame or pressure placed on your child. Avoid comments like „You’re a big girl/boy now,“ highlighting the sucking habit in public, or constantly asking your child to stop. As adults, we need to guide our children, not apply unintentional pressure to make them stop. This can reinforce the habit and make it harder to quit.
What I recommend and steps you can take:
Observe your child and get a sense of when they tend to suck their thumb or fingers—for example, while watching TV, in the car, or in bed. Identify other patterns that may accompany thumb sucking or finger sucking, like hair twirling or pulling, always holding a stuffed animal or blanket. Once you’ve identified triggers, try to explore ways to minimize them. Here are some examples:
- While watching TV, keep their hands occupied with something else—hold their hand, offer a fidget toy, squeezable objects, or tactile items.
- Tie back their hair to prevent hair twirling.
- Limit the use of stuffed animals and blankets to bedtime, instead of allowing access throughout the day.
- During car rides, try to distract them with toys or something else to keep their hands busy.
- Offer oral toys, chewy foods, cold and crunchy foods, and a variety of textures.
- If your child uses the sucking habit for comfort and soothing, experiment with helping them regulate in other ways—such as helping them name and identify emotions through co-regulation.
Alternatives for thumb sucking or finger sucking
If your child is seeking oral stimulation, you can help by providing them with foods they can suck on, different textures, and chew toys. The goal is to satisfy any oral sensory needs and reduce the habit.
Examples include:
- Freezing ice sticks for crunching
- Silicone straws for chewing
- Cutting foods like carrots and cucumbers into sticks and freezing them
- Crunchy foods that require a lot of chewing
These examples aim to minimize the habit and prepare for eventually stopping it. Don’t rush the process. Your child will slowly begin to show changes in their behavior. Avoid putting too much pressure on falling asleep without thumb sucking, and instead try to introduce other sleep associations, such as a consistent bedtime routine and good sleep practices, along with a comfort object. This will be helpful in reaching the goal of ending the habit.
Age will play a significant role in successfully ending these habits. Attempting to stop while the habit is still developmentally appropriate can lead to increased stress for both parents and children. Once your child is old enough to be part of the plan and actively participate, it will improve the chances of successfully quitting.
Where can I look for help?
If you’re concerned that your child is sucking beyond what is considered age-appropriate, the following professionals can help:
- Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
- General Practitioner with a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist
- Pediatric Speech Therapist
- Pediatric Occupational Therapist
- Thumb-sucking cessation specialist
I hope this helps ease your concerns if your child is still occasionally sucking their thumb at the age of three. Additionally, I hope this blog post gives you some ideas on how to reduce the habit and provides guidance on whom to reach out to if your family needs assistance in stopping the habit.
