Thumb Sucking
According to the American Dental Association 66% of 0-2 year olds, 25% of 3-6 year olds, and 9% of children over 6 years old suck their thumbs. At birth, babies will reflexively suck any object placed in its mouth; this is the thumb sucking reflex responsible for breastfeeding. The reflex disappears at about four months of age. Thumb sucking is not all an instinctive behavior; therefore it can last much longer. Ultrasounds have revealed that thumb sucking can begin before birth, as early as 15 weeks (Benjamin). Sometimes parents may wonder why do children suck their thumbs, how do I break the habit, and what are the effects?
Thumb sucking is a very common habit during childhood, and is normal in babies and young
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It is important to stop the thumb sucking habit before the child’s permanent teeth begin to erupt. Children who are unable to stop the habit on their own by the age of 5 may need help. In rare cases, thumb-sucking after age 5 is in response to an emotional problem or other disorder, such as anxiety. A child with this type of problem needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Most other children stop sucking their thumbs after simple treatment measures are introduced. There are several ways to help a child break the habit. Don’t pressure the child to stop; it may just reinforce the habit. Talk to the child about possible reasons for thumb sucking and ways you can work together to break the habit. Reward the child when they do not suck their thumb, instead of scolding them when they do. Set up an incentive system to reward the child’s progress. Ask your dentist to encourage your child to stop. It may be helpful to limit the times and places that your child is allowed to suck his or her thumb and to put away blankets or other items your child associates with thumb-sucking. When children are unable to stop on their own, the orthodontist or dentist can place an oral appliance in the child’s mouth that prevents the habit. The device can usually stop thumb sucking within a few days. In some cases the appliance needs to stay inside the mouth for six to ten months to be effective. Whatever method is used to encourage a child to stop thumb-sucking, it is
Babies will start to take an Interest in playing with fingers and opening and closing hands.
| |At birth babies usually hold their hands tightly closed, they may open spontaneously when feeding or when the back of the hand is stroked by 6 months they can reach and |
. By the time he is seven he should have learn how to swallow suck, grasp, cru and even palmar grasps. There are other thing that he will stop doing, for example, tonic neck reflex and grasp.
“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back”. Who would have thought those few words could change a person's life forever? In the book, Kissing Doorknobs, fourteen-year old Tara Sullivan tells about how OCD ended up coming into her life and taking over for a time. When Tara first started getting the symptoms of OCD she did not understand what was happening to her. All it took for her to be completely consumed by one thought was that one phrase, “step on a crack, break your mother’s back”. In “As Good As It Gets”, sixty year old Melvin talks about how he was a cranky old man who had shut everyone and everything out of his life due to him having OCD. Melvin was a single man who had lived alone for as long
biting lips, excessive lip licking and even thumb sucking are ways a child can express tensions.
Rooting reflex- babies move their head to look for a nipple or teat if the cheek and mouth are touched, helping the babies to find milk
During the oral stage, which occurs from birth to 1 year, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is especially important. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking. Because the infant is entirely dependent upon
On Friday I spent the morning with Jacob who is six years one month old at College America. The morning began with a physical assessment and an interview of Jacob, and the afternoon I was able to observe him at play. Jacob is in first grade and he is the oldest child in his family with a younger brother and a younger sister. After doing a physical assessment and an interview with Jacob he appears to be an overall healthy and happy child with no obvious physical or emotional problems. According to Erikson’s developmental stages Jacob is in stage three where Jacob should be developing purpose in his life.
Gifted Hands is an inspirational novel based around the life of Ben Carson, from his rugged upbringing in inner-city Detroit to his position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital at age 33. The novel foregrounds Carson’s struggle to defy all odds - aided by his iron will, tremendous faith, respect, meekness and an unconditional devotion to God.
USA Today believes that as a child grows older and learns new skills, the thumb sucking habit will decrease naturally and should stop completely between the ages of three and four. The provision of a loving environment for the child will be enough to stop thumb sucking but the behavior can resurface if the child lacks attention, feels bored or becomes unhappy (USA Today, 1991). Strassen Berger shared Freud’s belief that the oral stage of development can be potentially dangerous if the mother tries to wean the infant too early off activities such as thumb sucking. If the child feels frustrated during the weaning process, they are likely to become obsessed with the oral stage all the way to adulthood. Older children who still thumb suck are likely
The case study presents; Jane, a six-year-old female, whom has recently, started to suck her thumb, habitually. This behaviour overlaps, with the birth
I also learned that if an infant is choking and you open its mouth and you can see the object it is choking on, you have to scoop it out with one or two fingers to get it out. If you can't see the object the baby is choking on though, you have to put two fingers in between the baby's chest where the imaginary nipple line is and start to compress an inch and a half or two inches down.
According to the “Fine Motor Development Chart”, a three year old should be holding the brush with her thumb and fingers not her fist (Fine Motor Development Chart, n.d.). Her fine motor skills might be a little below for her age. However, when she was picking up blocks or taking a hat off with her fingers she displayed good finger control. She proved she could use the pincer grasp when picking the blocks. “With this grip, a child uses only his thumb and index finger to hold and manipulate small objects” (Fine Motor, 2015). This may be because she does not have experience using objects like a crayon or a paintbrush. Jackie also consistently used her right hand in all the activities I observed whether she was holding a paintbrush, toy or turning on the sink. This is an appropriate milestone for a three year old. (Fine Motor Development Chart n.d.). Jackie’s physical development can be explained by the social learning theory. “The central concept of the social learning theory is the role of imitation, and children are exposed every day to numerous examples of gender roles and activities they can imitate” (Levine and Munsch, 2016. p.331). Therefore Jackie has most likely watched her peers or her parents pick up objects using
As reported by the Academy of Pediatrics, oral hygiene should start at birth and continue throughout life ("Never too early to start," 2014). In the early years, from birth to the age of three, the parents have the responsibility of cleaning and caring for the child’s mouth and teeth. As a child develops, so too does their need for independence. By age three, with proper instruction, children begin to assist in the management of their oral hygiene needs ("CPS," 2013).
very hard to cope with a change, so it is important to let the child