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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Will she find her thumb or does she need help?!

22 replies

bellyfull · 05/05/2009 17:35

DD is 6 weeks old and is sucking madly at her hand, arm etc... She is clearly looking for her thumb or fingers to suck. When will she find them and did anyone actually help their baby or do they eventually find it themselves? Thank you!

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twopeople · 05/05/2009 17:50

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bruffin · 05/05/2009 18:06

My dd was sucking her thumb on her scan and was doing it within hours of being born. I wouldn't encourage it either.

Allegrogirl · 05/05/2009 19:02

My dd was the same and eventually started sucking her two middle fingers on her right hand. She was never fussed about a dummy. It really doesn't bother me as it is a great source of comfort to her at night and no hassle for us. She'll stop when she's ready. My brother sucked his thumb really hard for years and had no problems what so ever. Perfect teeth and both thumbs the same length.

TrinityIsLovingHerLittleRhino · 05/05/2009 19:04

I would encourage it and have done
comfort sucking is greatly underrated

SoupDragon · 05/05/2009 19:06

Don't encourage her to suck her thumb.

DS1 is in the middle of £4000 worth of orthodontic treatment to correct thumb sucking damage.

TrinityIsLovingHerLittleRhino · 05/05/2009 19:08

seriously though it is not definite that thumb sucking can cause dentak issues it depends on the teeth as well

dd2 is beginning to push her front teeth put but comfort is a very very imortant thing

FrankMustard · 05/05/2009 19:09

I wouldn't encourage thumb sucking because it's not good for teeth or the development of the mouth. Your DD will find it if she's going to find it. Of my 4, only one ds was a thumb sucker but it took a LOT of patient, hard work to discourage it becuse once they find a thumb, they're reluctant to part with it!
Just relax - babies will do what babies will do!
In the meantime, enjoy watching their hilarious attempts!

ohdearwhatamess · 05/05/2009 19:13

Don't encourage thumb sucking. I sucked mine and have truly awful teeth to show for it (and endured years of horrible orthodontic treatment - unsuccessful).

Allegrogirl · 05/05/2009 19:24

Is there really any evidence that thumb sucking causes problems with teeth? I checked the Toddler Taming book on the subject and in there it says not to worry about thumb sucking and teeth. Some people have bad teeth who never sucked a thumb or dummy. This is a genuine question so please correct me if I'm wrong.

screamingabdab · 05/05/2009 19:26

I sucked my thumb and it caused very goofy teeth. I know it doesn't in everyone though.

I know what you mean about suckiness though, and My DS2 sucked his middle two fingers, which really helped him to settle at night. We did sometimes help him to find his fingers. He ended up giving it up after biting his fingers quite hard while teething, poor lamb. His sleeping went haywire at that time, whether due to the teething alone or the lack of something to suck, or both, I don't know .....

Being out of the baby stage for a few years now, I don't know what the current thinking on dummies is ...

SniffyHock · 05/05/2009 19:29

My DD started sucking her thumb at about 8 weeks so I promptly put a dummy in, reasoning that I could take it away more easily. (Which I did with no tears at 18 months). DD2 is now 7 weeks and is not interested in a dummy but is trying very hard to find her thumb...

FrankMustard · 05/05/2009 22:30

Allegrogirl
Well according to my dentist, yes, thumb sucking can pull the teeth forward, but more importantly it can affect the development of the upper palate so before the adult teeth have come through, everything can be "pulled forwards" somewhat by the action the thumb has, hooked up into the roof of the mouth.
My dentist has been very concerned about ds's thumb sucking,even before he started to lose milk teeth esp as he has inherited dh's side of the family's more pronounced upper mouth profile.
I had to have braces on my teeth due to thumb sucking til I was 7 (my mother put mustard on my thumb in the end, to stop me sucking it!) and whilst I don't plan to put mustard on my son's thumb, I don't agree that comfort is more important - I'd rather my ds got used to doing without his thumb to suck instead of having to wear a dental brace later on (plus, have you seen sucked thumbs? My ds's nail never grows and his thumb is constantly soggy and skin cracking etc)

TrinityIsLovingHerLittleRhino · 05/05/2009 22:34

yes I have seen sucked thumbs
I sucked mine till I was about 13 (at night only from about 7 ish)
there is nothing wrong with my teeth

dd2 sucks her thumb and is pushing her teeth forward but her thumb looks fine and she does it ALOT

everyone is different, same things affect people differently
I stand by comfort being very very important
and underrated

screamingabdab · 05/05/2009 22:49

screamingabdab just to make clear. Because of my experience, I would not have encouraged thumb-sucking, but might have got a dummy for DS2 if he hadn't found his fingers

screamingabdab · 05/05/2009 22:50

talking to myself now ...........

FrankMustard · 05/05/2009 23:10

LOL

SoupDragon · 06/05/2009 13:29

I sucked my thumb until I was about 8. It did not affect my teeth. DS1's orthodontist looked at the shape of my face and said with utmost confidence "You used to suck your thumb".

What also causes damage is the fact that the upper and lower teeth are not together which affects how the jaws/face grows. Amongst other things.

SoupDragon · 06/05/2009 13:31

DS1 (10) has had braces for a little over 2 years now and has beautiful teeth and a fabulous jawline/face shape. he will not require train tracks and adult extractions in his teens. Whilst he doesn't see this as a benefit now I have assured him that, when all the girls want to kiss him when he's 15, he will thank me.

scaredoflove · 06/05/2009 13:37

It doesn't cause bad teeth or crooked teeth, it usually causes bad jaw and pallete which will affect the 'bite'and can cause huge problems in adulthood and is painful and long to correct. It can't always be corrected, especially if the person still sucks thumb/fingers, braces can't compete with the force of digit sucking

I wouldn't encourage it at all and would actively discourage it

Most dummy users will not be users after age 5, many thumb/finger suckers will go on into teen or adulthood

lal123 · 06/05/2009 13:45

I sucked my thumb til I was about 12/13, as a result I had to have years of orthodontic treatment. I have always discouraged my dd from sucking her thumb for this reason. AS for the confort factor - well there are lots of other ways she can get comfort!

DD did have a dummy - but gave it up relatively quickly and very easily.

at the arguments re "I sucked my thumb and I have perfect teeth", - "My grandads 80, smoked 40 a day for his whole life nad it hasn't done him any harm"

SarahL2 · 06/05/2009 13:47

There's another thread on here somewhere with ane lady asking how on earth she gets her child to stop thumb sucking!!!

If she needs something to suck, maybe try a dummy? Dummy's have the added advantage that you can take them away at a later date. They've got to be cleaner too. Think of all the things babies do with thier hands, all that crawling on dirty floors and then they stick thier thumbs/fingers straight in thier mouths!!! yuk

My 11 year old nephew cries whenever he goes to the dentist cause he gets told he will need braces now because of the damage his thumb sucking has done to his teeth yet he still won't stop! His brother and sister's teeth are fine - same genes, they just didn't suck their thumbs.

Original poster

bellyfull · 07/05/2009 15:03

Thanks for all your messages. Will go with the flow and see what happens! I did try a dummy but she gagged every time I tried so gave up.

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