Advice on Thumbsucking and remedies to help sore skin Please

[haylols]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has any advice re thumb sucking? My 18 month old had always been a thumb sucker. It’s like it’s permanently superglued into her mouth! I’m a firm believer that children do this to self soothe and it’s a comfort thing that I’m not going to even attempt to stop. I think she will stop when she is ready to. It’s more that she’s sucking the thumb so much that it’s much thinner than the other and the skin is looking like it’s dry and cracked and is starting to look a bit sore. It doesn’t stop her sucking it though! Should I be worried? Is there anything anyone can suggest to help the skin heal while she’s still sucking it? Thanks in advance!

Your baby shouldn't be needing to self soothe constantly.

Chances are it's mostly habit at this point. The best way to save her thumb being sore is to encourage her to take it out as much as possible.

Keep her hands busy. Talk to her (so she has to take it out to talk to you).

Once you've broken the habit of constantly sucking it should heal up. If not you can put cream on and a plaster over when she's not sucking it (when she has no need to self soothe, at home with you being entertained in some way).

Constant thumb sucking won't be good for speech or her teeth either.

21 month old thumb sucker DD here. I agree with PP that distraction is a good tactic. At home it’s non-stop as you’ve described yet one of her daycare teachers wasn’t even aware that she’s a thumb shocker because she doesn’t do it there at all.