There are a lot of child related issues that you as a parent have to face. Of these, one, which is persistently faced by parents, is that of thumb sucking. While in toddlers this is quite a normal habit, if the Thumb sucking habit persists beyond the age of three, it may prove to be quite an issue. Not only it has health related consequences, it may also make your kid a social outcast. Hence, it is highly important that you make sure your child grows out of the habit.
Thumb sucking habit in children
Like we mentioned earlier, thumb sucking is quite a natural thing in children it is a habit that is a coping mechanism for a child. It has been observed that a child usually sucks his or her thumb when he or she is scared, bored, drowsy or simply happy. Pediatric psychologists across the world believe that thumb sucking is a way that toddlers develop as an act of soothing themselves, right from the time that they are in the womb of their mothers.
Usually, the trend is that a child outgrows the habit over the course of time, turning to other soothing mechanisms. However, there are cases where the child fails to do so and continues with the habit till quite an age. It is at this point that the habit becomes a negative one, impacting the health and social life of the child.
Corrective measures to be taken
Thumb sucking can severely impact the formation of the teeth and jaw development, if it continues for a long time. Once the development of permanent teeth is set into action, thumb sucking becomes a hampering factor. It is known to cause an imbalance in the way the teeth are set, even causing problems while chewing. This may ensue the need for using braces to correct the setting of the dental profile at a later age. It may also lead to errors in speech. These are serious issues in your child as they have the potential to hamper the social growth and development of your kid.
Certain measures taken well in time will help your child get rid of the habit easily.
ThumbGuard offers you a more permanent solution without impacting your relation with the kid. Always remember that thumb sucking is a coping technique and any kind of forced interference with the habit may cause a power struggle between you and your kid.