Thumb Sucking - Rio Linda,CA

Here is an idea, my mom put tobasco sauce on my thumb. I sucked my thumb so much and so hard I split it right down the middle. The tobasco seemed to work. But if that doesn't work you can also put the nasty tasting nail polish on her nails. You know the kind that some people use to try and stop biting their nails. Anything is worth a shot. Good luck

Hi K.,
I just asked the PED about my daughters thumb sucking because she has developed sores on her thumbs too. My daughter will suck either thumb and sometimes tries to get both in her little mouth.

The doctor said we can't put medicine on her thumbs for the sores because she will put it in her mouth. The sores have gone down, but we still have the issue of thumb sucking. He said to just remind her.

So, depending on the day and how tired she is, I have talks with her about sucking her thumb. I remind her repeatedly to take her hands out of her mouth. Sometimes she will just take it out and sometimes she will grunt at me and turn her head. My daughter is 18 months, but I am sure your 1 year old will understand after gently removing her thumb a few times.

C.

Wow, one of my cousins was a thumb sucker until she was 14! My daughter tried sucking her thumb when she was around 4 months or so, but I always pulled it out so she doesnt have the sucking problem. You could try doing that, Say "Get that little thumb outta there" in a silly way as you pull her thumb out of her mouth, you could try a little bitter tasting clear nail polish, I cant remember the name of it, something like Nail bitter, Bitter biter, Something of that sort.. They sell it in the nail polish or self manicure sections with all the nail clippers and such, Hope I helped some, Good luck!

Both of my sons were thumb suckers. The younger one was so bad that he actually seperated the nail from the nail bed. We went to a dermatoligist and he did give us some sort of cream to use until the nail grew back. We never had any other issues.
After they turned 18 months or so they were pretty much only sucking the thumb if they were stressed or tired and they both weaned themselves by the time they were about 2. Unless your doctor is worried about it they are usually OK as long as they stop by about 2. Longer than that and they can mess up teeth.
If you are really worried about it and telling her isn't working, you can always try putting something that is harmelss but nasty tasting on her thumb. There is a spray called Bitter Apple that is mainly sold to prevent animals from chewing on things, but it is 100% safe and tastes AWFUL!!! (and I speak from experience). It has plant bitters in it and it is also used to break nail biting.

I have read articles about thumb sucking that say it's not only normal, but it's ok. they will eventually grow out of it. i haven't experienced this personally, but my mom told me that i used to suck my thumb and she regretted making me stop when i did (she did so because of pressure from others) and that when i stopped sucking my thumb, i never slept as well. so i blame her for my current insomnia!! : ) okay, maybe not that extreme... but maybe your baby isn't ready to give it up and just consider that she may replace that self-soothing routine with something else worse... like pulling out hair or something.... good luck ! !

i have seen this stuff at walgrees that you paint on the nail and it tastes bad to help them stop sucking.

I have four kids and only my youngest sucks her thumb. It is a blessing and a curse (not like a pasi in that you can't "take their thumb away"). She recently was not feeling well and had sores on both thumbs from sucking so much (she will suck either one). I bought a toddler pasi and she added it to the thumb rotation and after a few days the sores were healing fine. I asked a few more "experienced" mom's and a few said their kids sucked theirs till they had sores and then callouses. They said not to worry about it - those kids are now fully grown and none of them still suck their thumbs...and the callouses are gone. Ha, ha!

Hi K.,

My son is 6 and still sucks his thumb. It is like a comfort and that is the way he gets down time. He has a blanket too. I have been trying to wein him, but he mainly does it when he is tired, scared or just needs a break. It is a blessing to the fact that he can wind down, but on the other hand he does have sores and I can't take it away. He is in Kindergarten and he doesn't suck his thumb at school or in public so he is on his way. All of the other mom's had great suggestions. I used to suck my two fingers until I was about 12. Of course I would hide it from my friends at sleep overs. I remember always getting hasseled from him sister and brother and dad. They used to put hotsause on them. It didn't stop me. It was a comfort to me and it is how I got myself to sleep.
So be patient and just tell her to stop and just go with your gut on what you as a mother feel right about doing. If the doctor isn't worried then just relax. This is not something to stress about. Good luck.... I hope some of this helps you.

Hi K.,

I have not personally dealt with thumb sucking with my own child, but I teach preschool and have had parents tell me a number of things they have done to stop the habit...you can just constantly tell your child to stop sucking her thumb and pull it out of her mouth over and over again. This will work, but it takes time and diligence on your part. I had one parent tell me they used sock, pulled it over their child's hand and up their arm, and safety pinned it to the sleeve of their child's t-shirt. I have had other parents use deterrants like vinegar or other bitter tasting things you can get in the drug store for thumb sucking. (I have had parent's with older children tell me they have used hot sauce!) Another parent would put a piece of scotch tape on the inside of the palm of her son's hand so he would not close his fist to suck his thumb. Good luck! Let me know what happens!!