A consultant paediatrician, White Waters
Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Arinola Aduloju, on Wednesday said babies who suck
their thumbs were likely to have speech impairment and dental
malocclusion in the future.
Aduloju said although babies usually
have natural sucking reflexes, it could cause them to put their thumbs
or fingers into their mouths even before birth.
He said, “Thumb sucking is a common
habit in children, it makes babies feel secure while some might
eventually develop a habit of thumb sucking when they’re in need of
soothing or going to sleep.
“When a child sucks his or her thumbs,
she tends to have some dental malocclusion problems such that the teeth
might push forward and will not align as they are supposed to be in the
future.
“Another negative effect is that it may
make them have difficulty in their speech and may find it hard to
pronounce some sounds that could be coming from their mouth.
“Also the child may be swallowing some germs because he or she puts the hand in the mouth without washing.”
Aduloju added, “They also tend to stay alone and eat less because they have found comfort in sucking their thumbs.”
However, he cautioned that mothers’
attempt to putting too much pressure on such child to stop thumb sucking
would delay the process of weaning.
He advised, “Instead, use a strategic idea to stop it.
“Identify the reason he or she sucks. It
may be due to hunger, anger, frustration and stress, then try to work
on that act, luckily, it may stop them from the act.
“Don’t scold, criticise or punish your
child on the act, rather promise to offer him or her gifts if he or she
stops thumb sucking.
“For some older ones, thumb sucking is
an incredibly difficult habit to break but always try and tell them the
health implication.’’
According to him, sometimes peer pressure may also help them stop.
However, Aduloju advised parents not to
worry and should never put too much pressure on their children to stop
thumb sucking, saying such attempt might only delay the process.
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