Pickle Barrel
FOR BABIES, NOTHING is sacred. Your knuckle, nose, arm, cheek — anything, and I mean anything that comes close to the mouth will be sucked upon. Indeed, the sucking reflex is a powerful tool for selfcomfort.
The thumb has never received the recognition it deserves. Yet it is essential for grasping and communicating … and it can even be used for hitchhiking (kidding!). Most importantly, it is an easily accessible source for sucking. It gives babies pleasure, security, and it has a very calming effect. Up to 80 per cent of infants suck their thumb; the vast majority stops by the age of four.
Generally, a pacifier is preferable to the thumb for sucking because it is easier to break the habit later on. But the pacifier does have its drawbacks. Studies show that the early introduction of a pacifier, before the baby is well-established on the breast, may not only shorten the duration of breast-feeding, but may lead to problems with breastfeeding itself. The use of a pacifier may also play a role in recurrent middle ear infections (otitis media). However, it is also thought that pacifiers may be helpful in the reduction of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
A few words of caution about pacifiers. Make sure it meets the standards for construction; it is the proper size for the baby; it is orthodontically correct; it is thrown out when cracked; it is not hung from the baby’s neck; and it is not dipped in honey or any other sweetener (for obvious dental reasons). Also, never threaten to take the pacifier away to obtain compliance. This is a cruel and unnecessary negative reinforcement of your power. The result will be a negative impact on your parenting skills.
Many parents ask how long they should allow the use of a pacifier. I say by four or four and a half years of age the baby should be discouraged from this habit. If sucking occurs only in the evening, to help him or her fall asleep, I’m not overly concerned.
Sucking either a pacifier or thumb may lead to dental malocclusion, pushing the front secondary teeth forward (even before they have erupted). It may also push the hard palate up. This could could lead to speech and future articulation problems. Both the problems are directly related to the duration of time spent sucking.
So how do you get your kid to stop? First, think about it from the child’s point of view. Why in the world would he or she want to give this up? Well, it is easier to dissuade a child from the use of a pacifier than that of the thumb. A careful plan, with diplomatic negotiations, is required. Negotiate with short periods of “time out” (no sucking). Provide praise and stickers as rewards. Slowly lengthen these time periods.
For the reluctant child who still wants to suck his or her thumb, try one or more of the following: a Band-Aid or a glove; nail polish; rubbing garlic or onion on the thumb; using a non-toxic, bitter tasting nail coating that can be purchased at a pharmacy. If these techniques are unsuccessful, orthodontic appliances are available that make thumb or pacifier sucking extremely difficult — or even impossible. 
Post City Magazines’ kids health writer, Dr. Mickey Lester, has been a Toronto pediatrician for more than 30 years and is the former Chief of Pediatrics at Trillium Health Centre. You can hear him on CFRB, Sunday mornings, from 9 to 10 a.m..
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