All babies suck their thumbs in the womb, to perfect their birth reflexes. It is completely normal, physiological and beneficial. At this stage it should not be considered an oral habit, it is not an addiction, because they are reflexes, i.e. they are automatic actions important for survival.
Around 6 months after birth the sucking reflex is inhibited as a reflex and becomes voluntary. This means that whenever the baby is hungry and something approaches his lips, he will automatically activate the demand reflex to catch it and the sucking reflex, whether it is the finger, the breast, an object (including the dummy, but in that case, the object does not fit the baby's mouth like the breast and is more rigid than the finger itself, which can lead to changes in the baby's sucking pattern in breastfeeding).
Exclusive breastfeeding is the best prevention of the development of the oral habit of thumb sucking, as there is 7 times less risk that a baby who is breastfed on demand will need another type of sucking or oral habit.
After 6 months, when complementary feeding is introduced, the baby will begin to learn to chew, but should continue to be breastfed for up to 2 years if possible. At 6 months, tooth eruption also begins, so it is important to know how to differentiate between sucking a finger and placing the hand in the mouth to relieve pain.
It is always best to breastfeed, to allow the baby to suck to feed (nutritive sucking) and to satisfy its need to suck (non-nutritive sucking) at the breast. With the dummy, there is a risk of early weaning or reduced duration of breastfeeding.
The changes in the baby's oral cavity resulting from dummy use are worse than those resulting from thumb sucking. To prevent this habit from becoming established, breastfeeding should be maintained as much as possible, activities should be initiated in which the child needs to use his hands, and we should try to understand what distresses him so that he uses his thumb to calm himself. In case you cannot avoid the habit, consult us for removal, before there is damage to the oral musculature, bones and dental alignment.
