You might think that thumb sucking is a harmless habit your child does without consequence. While children suck their thumbs to comfort themselves, since it is one of the first coping mechanisms it needs to end for others to take its place. If a child doesn’t stop the bad habit, it can be difficult for them to express themselves and learn ways to deal with their emotions. There are more than developmental consequences, the habit also leads to physical and social consequences. Below are five results of thumb sucking.
Malocclusion
Prolonged thumb sucking pushes the teeth forward, which can lead to malocclusion. Malocclusion is when the teeth are directed outwards, causing an open or overbite. Not only is this aesthetically unpleasing, it could require professional solutions. If your child is dealing with teeth problems from thumb sucking and are looking for a dentist in Illinois, look into a professional like this Crest Hill dentist who can take a look. If necessary, your dentist may recommend an orthodontist, should your child need braces to fix it. Depending on how bad it is, the malocclusion needs to be corrected.
Skin Irritation
When your child sucks their thumbs consistently, it will lead to skin irritation, cracking, and callusing. It can even cause infection and spread to other parts of the body. The more your child sucks their thumbs, the worse that the irritation will be. If the skin gets infected, your child could spread it to their mouth. Ingrown nails are also a result of the skin becoming affected by thumb sucking.
Teasing
Your child sucking their thumb will catch the eye of other children. Thumb sucking is seen as infantile because it is a habit of infants and toddlers. If your child continues to practice the bad habit after their peers have stopped, other children will make fun of them. They will be teased and ridiculed. This causes a vicious cycle. Since the kid doesn’t know how to cope with their emotions, they’ll comfort themselves by thumb sucking that will lead to more teasing.
Emotional Development
Emotional development can be stunted by thumb sucking. It is the first way that children deal with what they are feeling and the inability to express their emotions. If they continue this habit, they won’t learn how to communicate and cope with outside factors and internal emotions. This leads to your child slowly developing in other ways. If you notice that your child responds to stress by thumb sucking, it is time to help them stop the bad habit and learn how to deal with the world and their feelings.
Speech Impediment
Another result of prolonged thumb sucking is a speech impediment. Speech issues can arise from the habit. Whether it’s a lisp, the inability to pronounce certain sounds, and slurring words, speech issues are the consequence of thumb sucking because it obstructs their ability to speak clearly. It also has to do with emotional development. When a child slowly develops, they will learn to properly speak later. Not only is this another risk for teasing, it also encourages them to suck their thumbs more because it is an easier way for them to comfort themselves without having to communicate with others.
Thumb sucking starts off as a harmless coping mechanism when the child doesn’t understand their emotions, pain, and inability to express themselves, but that’s precisely why it must stop early on. Your child needs to develop their own ways of coping, communication, and comforting. Not only are there immense psychological and emotional consequences—some psychologists even believe thumb sucking is the first of many addictive behaviors—it will cause physical damage to the child’s mouth and skin.
To avoid all this, talk to your child. Explain to them why thumb sucking is bad and why they need to stop. If that doesn’t work, try one of the many products designed to prohibit the child from bringing their thumb to their mouth. Finally, if all else fails, you should consult a child doctor or psychologist to see what you can do to help them. It’s imperative that you get them to stop this bad habit before there are lasting consequences. There are many means to do so, use them in tandem to break the habit of thumb sucking.
