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| |    Negative Effects of Thumb-Sucking by Dr. Benjamin Spock reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. Effects on Teeth You may be worried about the effect of thumb-sucking on the baby's jaws and teeth. It's true that thumb-sucking often pushes the upper front baby teeth forward and the lower teeth back. How much the teeth are displaced will depend on how much the child sucks her thumb and, even more, on the position in which she holds her thumbs. But dentists point out that this tilting of the baby teeth has no effect on the permanent teeth that begin coming in at about 6 years of age. In other words, if the baby gives up thumb-sucking by 6 years of age, as happens in a great majority of cases, there is very little chance of its displacing the permanent teeth. If your child is approaching age 6, and still thumb-sucking, talk with his dentist about ways to prevent over-bite and other orthodontic problems. Other physical effects Children who suck their thumbs a lot, and for a long time, often develop an ugly callous on the thumb. Infections of the thumbnail (paronychia) are also common - look for redness, swelling, tenderness, or a crust or puss. Thumb-sucking can also lead to increased ingestion of lead, something to think about if your baby regularly spends time in an older building, which could be your home, a child care setting or a school. Another possible problem is an increased risk of pinworms in children who frequently put their thumbs or fingers in their mouths. Pinworms are common. These tiny parasites live in the intestine and lay eggs on the skin surrounding the anus. These parasites can cause itching, vaginal irritation and sleep disturbance. Psychological effects By age 3 or 4, children who are still sucking their thumbs are likely to feel self-conscious about it. They may be teased. These issues increase as the children grow older. If you confront your thumb-sucking child and he absolutely denies that the thumb-sucking bothers him, it almost certainly means that he is protecting himself from the discomfort by pretending that it's not there. He may also be letting you know that it is his problem to fix, not yours. If you feel that you are in a power struggle about the sucking, it's wisest to step back and allow your child to own his problem. Ruminating Sometimes babies and young children get into the habit of sucking and chewing on their tongue until their last meal comes up, somewhat the way a cow does, a practice known as ruminating. This is a rare condition. Some cases begin when thumb-sucking babies have their arms restrained. They turn to sucking their tongues instead. I would certainly advise letting such babies have the thumb back immediately, before the ruminating becomes a habit. Be sure also that the baby has enough companionship, play, and affection. Other cases of rumination occur when there is marked disturbance in the parent-child relationship.
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