my 4 month old is just starting to suck his thumb, i try not 2 let him. should i be worried?

Question

I used to suck my tumb and I had to get MAJOR work done on my teeth including braces when I was in high school. I wonder if the same will happen to my son if I let him suck his thumb, but I also don't know if it's just a phase......

Answer 1

Let him! He's too young to worry about, and it's natural for babies to want to suck.

Answer 2

Sucking is a way babies can sooth (sp?) themselves. So if they have something like thier thumb you will not have to fish around for pacis all the time. I tihnk I sucked my thumb when I was little and my teeth are pretty straight. It could also be just a phase my son used to suck his thumb some and now I haven't seen him do it in a while. (he is 9 mths now)

Answer 3

Yes! Don't let him suck his thumb, try to give him a pacifier instead. Think of it this way, you can't get rid of his thumb but you can get rid of a pacifier! I had problems with thumb sucking too and now my teeth are horrible.

A good tip on getting rid of the pacifier when the time comes: cut a small hole in the side of the nipple part the first day, then the next day cut another tiny hole on the other side of the nipple part, and so on...until he just doesn't want it anymore! Make sure you get rid of the other pacifiers around the house if there are any so he doesn't turn to the good ones!

Good luck.

Answer 4

I wish my children would have sucked their thumbs. That way I wouldn't have to find their pacifiers in the dark at night. Or them dropping it at the grocery. If you are really worried about it, maybe you already tired this, you could try to give him a pacifier instead. The only reason I mention this is that you could wean him off of the pacifier easier. His thumb is attached to him, of course. But, I wouldn't worry about his thumb sucking. I think it's awesome when they can soothe themselves. And getting a toddler to give up their paci is very hard too! You're a good Mom, you'll make the right decision! Good luck!

Answer 5

The reason you had to get MAJOR word done on your teeth had to do with genetics not thumb sucking. Both my sister and my self sucked our fingers and neither one of us needed and orthodonture. The shape of your mouth and how your teeth come in is regulated by DNA. If you needed major work on your teeth done you can thank/blame your parents and the rest of your family, not your thumb.

Answer 6

My old fashioned opinion, 56 year old retired elem teacher who raised 2 kids, don't worry about it. I sucked mine until I was 8 and I'm just fine. A college grad even and 25 years of teaching behind me. Don't panic over the little things. A doctor said to me once, how many kindergarteners do you see coming to K with their blankies, bottles, diapers etc ? I said, none, and he said, OK, then don't worry about the small stuff.

Answer 7

I need major dental work on a 3mm overbite caused from sucking my thumb, I will stop my daughter if she starts to suck her thumb.

Answer 8

Your Ped. is powerful, slightly one will awaken whilst they are hungry, and u ought to enable him sleep, he's slepping cuz he desires too, and he will awaken and cry whilst he needs to devour. additionally he's sucking his thumb for convenience no longer cuz he's hungry, maximum babies in the event that they have not got a pacifier will suck on a thumb or a finger for convenience, it fairly is in simple terms some thing babies do, they like to suck on issues for convenience. i might enable him sleep and wait til he wakes as much as feed him. My son at that age slept approximately 9 to 10 hours a evening, and that i enable him sleep and fed him whilst he awakened and replaced into hungry, yet some babies sleep extra beneficial than others, and 12 hours for a 4 month previous is great, in the event that they are willingly to sleep that nonetheless then it fairly is great to enable them to. wish this helps, :D.

Answer 9

It shouldn't be too bad if he doesn't do it all the time. If necessary put lemon juice on the end of his finger so it tastes bad. It's horrible when kids have bad teeth because of pacifiers or thumbs. I never want my kid to use a pacifer.

Answer 10

thumb sucking is a way your child has learned to comfort himself. its not really stoppable. let it go. lots of kids suck their thumbs or fingers and don't need dental work. forget fighting a loosing battle. parenthood is hard enough.