When does a child need treatment for thumb-sucking?
When does a child need treatment for thumb-sucking? Many experts recommend ignoring thumb-sucking in a child who is preschool age or younger. Children who suck their thumbs may need treatment when they: Continue to suck a thumb often or with great intensity around age 4 or older. (A callus on the thumb is one sign of intense sucking.) Ask for help to stop. Develop dental or speech problems as a result of sucking their thumbs. Feel embarrassed or are teased or shamed by other
Why do babies suck their thumbs?
Babies have a natural urge to suck. This urge usually decreases after the age of 6 months. But many babies continue to suck their thumbs to soothe themselves. Thumb-sucking can become a habit in babies and young children who use it to comfort themselves when they feel hungry, afraid, restless, quiet, sleepy, or bored. In rare cases, thumb-sucking after age 5 is in response to an emotional problem or other disorder, such as anxiety. Is thumb-sucking normal? Thumb-sucking is no
