Duality of Thumb Sucking

Infants are born with certain natural reflexes. Certain actions such as suckling are natural as infants explore and search for their food source. Thumb sucking can help with oral stimulation and sensation as infants begin to put their hands in their mouths. The action of thumb-sucking eventually becomes a method of self-soothing and helps the infant to feel calm and relaxed. Infants and toddlers may extinguish this behavior independently while others may need reinforcement to disengage in this behavior. Over time prolonged thumb sucking or non-nutritive sucking can cause a number of problems related to malocclusion as well as complications with dental alignment and palatal formation. Although children lose their “baby teeth”, the results of early and persistent thumb sucking can cause long-term issues that require orthodontic intervention such as palatal expansion and braces. Thumb sucking also stimulates tongue thrusting. When a child sucks their thumb, pressure is exerted on the teeth and causes the tongue to move anteriorly. Although tongue sucking is a natural occurrence for infants this behavior should cease as they approach toddlerhood. Cessation of this habit should be done through positive reinforcement. Comments that shame a child for a comforting behavior should be avoided and families should work together to identify new methods of comforting and soothing their child.

Reference

Staufert Gutierrez D, Carugno P. Thumb Sucking. [Updated 2023 May 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556112/