Often there are children who suck their thumb and most people do not think about it. Many parents even encourage it because it soothes and comforts an irritated child. However, responsible parents know that they must take steps to get their child to stop thumb sucking immediately. This habit can make a child look very cute, but it can cause long-term problems for the child. These problems include:
1. Mouth problems: Prolonged suction of the thumb (or other fingers) can change the shape of the mouth and cause tooth distortion. Children who suck on their thumbs usually have protruding teeth.
2. Thumb irritation: The skin of the thumb can be very irritating if the child continues to suck on it. The skin can also peel and this can be very painful for the child. In many cases, the toenail also grows crooked due to infection caused by thumb sucking.
3. Parasitic ingestion: Children who do not put their thumbs in their mouths have a higher risk of getting worms and other parasites in their bodies than children who keep their fingers away from their mouths. This is certainly an unhealthy habit.
4. Irritation from other children: Children who like their thumbs between the ages of 5 and 6 tend to be offended and bullied by other children for being considered "babies". This allows you to rely more on your thumb to be more comfortable.
As you can see, the problems associated with thumb sucking can be very serious. It is best for parents to act decisively and quickly to prevent their children from sucking their thumbs, as this problem needs to be resolved early on before the child becomes deeply attached to this habit.