Why does a child suck his fingers

At different ages, children can suck their fingers. This often becomes a problem and worries parents who fear unpleasant consequences in the future. So how dangerous is it that a child sucks his fingers, and what to do about it?

Baby

It turns out that the reasons for this habit are different for children of different ages. So, a tiny baby simply tries to satisfy one of the basic life instincts - sucking. It is thanks to him that the kids from the very moment of birth know that the most important thing for them is to fill the tummy with milk. The intensity of sucking, which is necessary for every child, is very individual. One is quite enough 15-20 minutes, and the desire to suck something else does not arise. And another child sucks his breast for half an hour, and when they take her, he tries to get a fist. All these children are absolutely normal, and their reflex, according to experts, is predetermined by heredity. Up to three-four months of age, the baby will suck especially intensively, and then the reflex will begin to fade. Some refuse to suck in six months, but usually it happens about one year old. If a baby tries to suck a finger, which is breastfed, Mom should try to keep it longer at the breast. And if the crumb is an artificial person, it's worth trying to make a hole in the nipple of his smaller bottle, so that the mixture is slower and has to work longer.

Older children

It happens that even at an older age a child sucks his fingers. After a year, this is usually due to the fact that there is a problem in front of him, and he is trying to solve it. For example, a kid can not calm down to fall asleep, or he lacks new impressions and freedom of action, because he is often in a wheelchair. It should be understood that by temperament all children are different and that pleases one, for another can become a matter of grief. So, for shy crumbs, the excessive intensity of the game and the abundance of comrades will also be a factor of uncertainty. This should be taken into account in the process of raising children. Having looked at your treasure, parents can usually determine what exactly is bothering him. Finally, sucking fingers toddlers who do not have enough parental attention and care, in general, love. Therefore, if a child sucks his fingers, you need to try to make changes in his life that will make it more comfortable for him.

What not to do

At any age, methods that physically restrict the baby should not be used. For example, bind your hands or smear your finger with mustard. This will only make him nervous and insecure, and not remove the cause of sucking. Similarly, you do not need to scold the two-year-old and threaten him with punishment. The attempt to bribe such a child will not help either, he is still completely unaware of his actions. But for children five years and older, bribery is appropriate.

What will help

So, if a child sucks his fingers in infancy, you need to do everything to satisfy his sucking reflex. It happens that this helps the dummy pacifier. And older children in this way try to cheer themselves up, solve some problem. Experts believe that parents should not worry when the baby sucks his fingers before eating - he's just hungry. In any case, sucking becomes less frequent for years to three, and by six in general it disappears completely. Sucking fingers is a bad habit. Although its harmful effect on the growth of permanent teeth is exaggerated, because they appear after six years.