Fingering is one of the innate reflexes of a newborn. Most children forget this habit as they grow older, because now they have a dummy or maternal breast to satisfy their instinct. Other babies continue to suck their fingers at two, and even at three. Parents, understanding what such a habit is fraught with for a child, are trying in every possible way to wean the child from her, using all sorts of methods for this. But it is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. What are the reasons that influence the formation of this habit and how to get rid of it once and for all, we will tell in our article.
Why does the baby suck a finger?
Many parents can already see their future baby with a finger in their mouth by ultrasound. In this way, even in the womb, children satisfy their sucking reflex. They do it instinctively. A child sucks a finger when he wants to eat, when he experiences fear or emotional discomfort. With the birth of many newborns, this instinct does not disappear, but, on the contrary, intensifies, which makes it easier for them to adapt to an unfamiliar world.
Monthly babies sucking a finger, many parents cause emotion. In this case, the absolutely opposite reaction occurs in people if the child sucks a finger in a year or two. The main reason for this behavior, according to psychologists, is the sucking reflex unsatisfied in infancy. To cope with this obsessive habit is not so simple, although it is quite possible.
The main causes of finger sucking
There is no single reason why the child needs to satisfy the sucking reflex in this way. A baby who spends too little time near her mother’s breast will always strive to “extinguish” her natural instinct with her own hands, textiles or toys. But not always sucking fingers can be associated with a congenital reflex. And each baby has its own prerequisites for such behavior. There are several main reasons why a child sucks a finger:
- Feeling of hunger - babies on artificial or natural feeding, sucking a finger, try to inform their mom that they are hungry.
- Teething pain - during this period, the baby's gums swell and become especially sensitive. To calm them, the baby puts his fingers in his mouth and sucks them.
- Psychological factor - next to the mother, the child always feels safe. If the baby feels a lack of emotional contact with the closest person, he tries to compensate for it by sucking.
- Boredom - some babies, especially at the age of 2-3 years, acquire a bad habit only from the fact that they do not know what to do. They have no interest in what is happening around them and suck their fingers just out of boredom.
In any case, parents should pay attention to this problem in time and take measures to eradicate a bad habit. Nothing good will suck your fingers.
The negative consequences of a bad habit
If a child sucks a finger for a long time, it can be dangerous to his health. A bad habit often leads to the following consequences:
- Curvature and decay of teeth. If finger sucking occurs occasionally and the child is not yet four years old, then such a habit may not cause significant harm. But if by this age it was not possible to get rid of the innate sucking reflex, the child may need the help of an orthodontist. Otherwise, he will have a curvature of the teeth and a malocclusion.
- Speech defects. Babies who suck a finger often have trouble pronouncing certain sounds. To eliminate such a defect, you need the help of a speech therapist.
- Inflammation and callus on the "favorite" finger. Constant hydration of the skin and exposure of the teeth to it leads to the fact that it becomes rough. In some cases, on the contrary, the skin erases and a bleeding wound forms.
- Social problems. If a child does not get rid of a bad habit by the time he goes to school, he can become the object of ridicule for peers.
Do I need to deal with the instinct of newborns?
In infants, the congenital reflex is developed quite strongly. Typically, a newborn baby begins to suck a finger before feeding, which indicates that the baby is feeling hungry. In this case, mom has absolutely nothing to worry about. It is quite another matter if the child is 4 months old. sucks fingers between feedings or immediately after eating. This speaks of an unsatisfied instinct, for which it is necessary to look for different ways to “extinguish” it.
Naturally fed babies rarely suck their fingers, as their reflex is compensated by the mother's breast. Even when saturated with milk, most babies do not let their breasts go for a few more minutes. But children on artificial feeding do not have such an opportunity, therefore, they suck a finger much more often, and not only in infants.
Most pediatricians agree that getting rid of a congenital reflex is still worthwhile, but you only need to do this carefully, not spreading mustard or other spices on your finger, but offering the child an alternative.
Cause for concern
A baby sucking a finger rarely causes anxiety in adults. Much more cause for concern in adults, whose baby is already 1 year old, but he still has not got rid of his bad habit. In this case, it is important to correctly understand the reason and try to eliminate it without injuring the psyche of the child. A similar situation is with biennials. If a child sucks a finger at this age, then parents should think about the emotional well-being of the baby. Behind such behavior are fears, anxieties, self-doubt, attachment, etc. Such a baby needs primarily psychological help.
A particular cause for concern is a child who began to suck his finger after a year of age. The reason for this behavior may be as follows:
- the baby is deprived of affection and care;
- the child received psychological trauma as a result of an early or abrupt weaning;
- fright or psychological stress received.
So that children do not have obsessive habits, they should always be surrounded by attention from adults.
How to wean a child to suck a finger?
It should be noted immediately that the older the baby, the deeper the roots of this problem. This means that parents will have to make more efforts to get rid of a bad habit. It is one thing if a child sucks a finger at 1 year old and quite another if it performs the same action at 5 or 10 years old. In order not to aggravate the situation, you should pay attention to the very first symptoms.
When solving this problem, the age of the child is primarily taken into account.
Breastfeeding and Bad Habit
If the baby sucks his fingers in 1 month, while he feeds exclusively on mother's milk, this behavior indicates that he does not eat up or cannot completely satisfy his sucking reflex during feeding. Mom in this case can do the following:
- increase the duration of feeding - if the baby is at the chest for more than 30 minutes, then he will have time to eat, and he will satisfy basic instincts;
- Do not take away the baby’s breasts if during distraction he was distracted - you just have to wait a bit and the baby will continue to eat;
- stop worrying that the baby is not full - in the case of breastfeeding, the baby will take as much milk as he needs.
If the child eats the mixture, and in the intervals between feedings pulls his fingers in his mouth, this indicates that he experiences a feeling of hunger. You can cope with the problem if you slightly reduce the intervals between meals. It is also better to use a bottle with a stiff nipple and a small hole inside for feeding. This will make the feeding process longer.
Ways to get rid of the habit of sucking a finger from 2 to 5 years
At the age of two, this problem is purely psychological in nature. Children sucking a finger at 2 or 3 years old are infrequent. The reasons that prompt them to such an action, as a rule, lie in the family. These are strict methods of education, and a dysfunctional family environment, and fears, and a lack of mother's attention. To get rid of the bad habit of sucking a finger, you need to analyze the behavior of the child yourself or consult a specialist. He can recommend:
- pay more attention to the child;
- reduce emotional or intellectual stress;
- refuse punishment, especially corporal.
If you can’t cope with the problem on your own, it is better to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist.
What to do with a child when sucking a finger at 5 years old?
At the age of five, this bad habit should seriously alert parents, as it indicates serious psychological problems. In some cases, if the child sucks the thumb, he may be diagnosed with a neurosis of obsessive states. Parents should also pay attention to other symptoms of this disease, such as biting nails and pencils, winding or pulling hair, combing or tingling the skin. Treatment of an obsessive condition is treated by a neurologist. Parents are required to:
- provide a comfortable home environment;
- prevent intellectual and emotional overstrain;
- Do not focus on obsessive actions.
What can not be done to wean from a bad habit?
Some parents are ready for literally anything to wean a child from sucking fingers. But there are a number of measures that can never be applied to children:
- do not smear bitter substances such as mustard, red pepper, scarlet on your finger, which can cause burns to the mucous membrane of the mouth and walls of the stomach;
- screaming and punishing the baby bodily, which can lead to a mental disorder;
- do not wrap your hands and don’t wear gloves on them, as this will not affect the final result of weaning.
Do not get too hung up on the problem if the baby sucks his fingers in 3 months. Perhaps, to an older age, he will be able to overcome this habit on his own.
Dr. Komarovsky about the problem
A well-known pediatrician explains that children sucking a finger thus perform an instinctive action - satisfy the innate sucking reflex. The best way to get rid of this bad habit for a child of three months of age is to give the baby a dummy, the harm from which, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is greatly exaggerated.
The pediatrician believes that fighting instinct is futile. To take a finger from a child and give nothing in return will be wrong. Therefore, he needs to offer an alternative in the form of a dummy. If the child does not want to take it, you will have to take radical measures, for example, to swaddle the baby, fixing his hands, and experiment with dummies (size, shape, quality of rubber). In any case, the habit of sucking a finger, most children easily outgrow.