Thumb sucking!

[Kayleighann86]

Hi all
My little girl is just 19 months and she has always been a thumb sucker! She never had a dummy so this is her comfort, I wasn't to worried about addressing it until she could talk a little bit more and I could encourage her away from it by telling her she's a big girl ect
But her thumb has started to become sore when she sucks it so hard!!! The skin is very dry and cracked and it's starting to bruise!
She's still to young to understand why she can't do it all the time - any advice on reducing the sucking???? Thankyou x

Not much you can do at this age imo. But to protect the thumb you can use Lanisoh - fine for her to injest.

My DD is 4.5 and we're only really starting to be able to properly discourage it.

A friend had success with that bitter tasting nail varnish for nail biting.

I spoke to my HV about this exact issue because dd1 (21m) thumb is sore and badly calloused where she sucks it. Was told there's little to do but wait it out as she'd grow out of it? Was also told if she hadn't grown out of it by about 3/4 years old then to really intervene. She never took to dummies as a baby and began thumb sucking around 6m old.

She only does it at bed time usually which is a positive I guess as it used to be all the time. We gently discouraged her by saying not now and giving her a toy etc to distract her. It took a while but she has now started only doing it in bed... Worth a shot maybe?
Least if anything you're know you're not alone in it!

cantmakecarrotcake - Interesting about the lanisoh, I asked if I could use something like that to protect her thumb as you've suggested and was told best not bother. Having read your post I think i'll give it a try see if it helps!

Wait until she is five and if she is still doing it, deal with it then (before all her 2nd teeth come through and you can find reasons together, to stop it) until then its for comfort and you shouldn't worry. Says mum of a major thumb sucking boy who stopped at 5 and has amazing teeth now.