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Thumb sucking
Thumb sucking usually involves placing the thumb into the mouth and rhythmically repeating sucking contact for a prolonged duration. It can also be accomplished with any piece of skin within reach (such as the big toe) and is considered to be soothing and therapeutic for the person. As a child develops the habit, it will usually develop a “favorite” finger to suck on.
At birth, a baby will reflexively suck any object placed in its mouth; this is the sucking reflex responsible for breastfeeding. From the very first time they engage in nutritive feeding, infants learn that the habit can not only provide valuable nourishment, but also a great deal of pleasure, comfort, and warmth. Thumb-sucking can become a habit in babies and young children who use it to comfort themselves when they feel hungry, afraid, restless, quiet, sleepy, or bored.
Whether from a mother, bottle, or pacifier, this behavior, over time, begins to become associated with a very strong, self-soothing, and pleasurable oral sensation. As the child grows older, and is eventually weaned off the nutritional sucking, they can either develop alternative means for receiving those same feelings of physical and emotional fulfillment, or they can continue experiencing those pleasantly soothing experiences by beginning to suck their thumbs or fingers. This reflex disappears at about 4 months of age; thumb sucking is not purely an instinctive behavior and therefore can last much longer.
Thumb sucking is sometimes retained into adulthood and may be due to stereotypic movement disorder, another psychiatric disorder, or simply habit continuation.
Why do babies suck their thumbs?
Thumb-sucking after age 5 is in response to an emotional problem or other disorder, such as anxiety.
Kids suck their thumbs because it’s comforting and calming.
Child turns to her thumb when tired, scared, bored, sick, or trying to adjust to challenges such as starting daycare or preschool. They may also use her thumb to help fall asleep at bedtime and to lull back to sleep when they wakes up in the middle of the night.
It can also possibly serve as a compensation for the less nurturance that the child gets. The child also learns to associate it with the comforting needs that people should experience. As a result, it helps in relieving psychological stress. It helps in achieving relaxation, which becomes helpful when it comes to concentrating.