Thumb sucking is frequently seen in infants and children.

It is not a disease but a habit in some children.

It is a cause of undue disturbance in parents.

It does not cause any problem in children below 4 years of age.

•                   CAUSES:Some children starts sucking thumb when they are hungry.
•                                   Some children starts sucking thumb when they feel lonliness.
•                                    Some children starts sucking thumb just to induce sleep.

It is very common phenomenon in children at the time of teething to start sucking their thumb to pacify themselves when they feel irritation in gums.This is the same time some parents prefer to give some form of pacifier to their babies.

This phenomenon is harmless in babies as long as they just put their thumb into their mouth and start sucking gently.It becomes harmful if they vigorously suck their thumb or fingers because it may then cause disfigurement of mouth,roof of mouth or teeth.

This phenomenon of thumb sucking is very common in children below 3 years of age and in usual cases, it vanishes after the age of 2-4 years.

HOW TO GET RID OF IT–

• :Do not try to take out the thumb or fingers from the mouth of baby, as it will worsen the problem.
•  Try to engage the child in some other activities.
• Tell some stories to induce sleep in children
• Give the child feed on time.

If these do not work,you may apply bandages or socks over the thumb .Some harmless food ingredients may be applied over the thumb like juice of NEEM or bitter gourd but under supervision of a qualified doctor and at right time and right quantity.Some doctors prefer to apply bitter medicine which are harmless to overcome this problem

REFERENCES:Mouth healthy,American Dental Association