Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is very common in babies and toddlers and can be considered a normal behavior. However, if a child continues to suck their thumb beyond age of three, it can cause some problems.


What are the Side Effects of Thumbsucking?
Most parents are aware of the well-known side effects of thumb sucking, like problems with a child’s teeth and jaw. Long-term thumb sucking can also cause abnormal eating, drinking, and swallowing patterns; speech disorders; disordered breathing; and skin irritation (e.g., thumb sucking blister).

If you would like to learn more about the positive and negative side effects of thumb sucking, visit the Thumb Heroes webpage.

Thumb Sucking Guard
A common way to help your child stop thumb sucking is with the use of a thumb sucking guard. These are products that are worn over the thumb (or finger). Some of these thumb sucking appliances are designed in such a way that the child can’t pull them off themselves. These products have a great success rate and work in a short period of time (i.e., just a few weeks). However, this only works if the child wears them all day and all night. If the child continues thumb sucking even for a few minutes unobserved each day, these thumb sucking appliances won’t work. It is, therefore, highly important that all caregivers are informed and on the same page when utilizing such tools.

For some children, it may be harder to fall asleep during the first few nights of wearing an anti-thumb sucking device.

Dr Thumb
There are several different products on the market that use this approach. The best known anti-thumb sucking device is Dr. Thumb. Dr. Thumb is made from soft, non-toxic silicone, and it fits over and securely fastens to the thumb of either hand. It does not restrict the child’s ability to play, nor does it cause any discomfort. Dr. Thumb works by breaking the vacuum created when sucking a thumb. Ensuring that a small gap remains between the child’s thumb and the guard allows air to flow, making it impossible to suck on the thumb properly. Whilst the child will still be able to put their thumb in their mouth, not having that sucking sensation will remove the child’s pleasure associated with the habit without creating any negative feelings. By doing so, the habit is broken naturally and gently.

There are other products on the market as well. For an extensive review of all of the available products on the market and what to consider while using one of these tools, have a look at the product review page on Thumb Heroes.

Self-Help Book Review
There are lots of books on the market that provide useful information about thumb sucking for parents and professionals. Depending on the background and the profession of the authors, the topic is usually approached from different angles. You can find an overview of the best self-help books dealing with thumb sucking on the review page of the Thumb Heroes website.