Baby's thumbs in fists at all times.. any experience/advice please?

[kipperthedog]

Hi all

dd3 is almost 4 months now & has always had both thumbs tucked firmly into her fists underneath the other fingers. At first I didn't worry but now she's reaching the age of holding things it's becoming more apparent as she isn't able to grip properly.
Does anyone have any experience of this? I have googled it & am thinking of taking her to HV next week but I wondered if anyone else has had this issue & whether or not it will resolve quickly or not..

Thanks

My first dd was born doing this and it lasted several months. I always thought it looked sweet and eventually her fists uncurled. However I don't remember her having any difficulty with her grip so asking your HV for advice might be a good idea.

thanks for reply cg. when she uncurls her fingers the thumbs stay tucked in, only occasionaly going out & grabs stuff kind of on top of the thumb iykwim

With my dd I always assumed that she had held her thumbs like that for so long in the womb that it had becoema sort of reflex ahbit, just as she took a couple of weeks to uncurl her whole body and lie straight. I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with your baby's hands or grip but speak to your health visitor for your own peace of mind. If the HV says it's unusual she'll probably suggest ways you can use to encourage your dd to use her fingers and thumbs to grip things. You say that she does do it sometimes so there can't be an awful lot wrong, if anything.

It could be something to watch out for and possibly to check with HV but not sure it would be considered an issue at only 4 months old. It was something we were concerned about with my dd but she was still doing it over the age of 1 when it became more of a worry. I gave dd loads of thing to reach out for and hold from a really early age which I think helped. We had a play gym with links to change the toys for variety which was a great buy!

@kipperthedog how is your baby now