Dummy or thumb?

[27 December 2011 - 17h13]

The need to suckle is a natural – and even primitive – instinct among very young infants. And for most of them, the choice is between the dummy and the thumb. So which to choose ?

For the most part, babies who are breastfed satisfy their need to suck by suckling at their mother’s breast. So the majority of children will therefore not need a dummy or a thumb to suck on. However, for children who are not breastfed, it’s a different matter. And the habit of constantly sucking, especially after the age of two, brings with it a number of problems. It can cause the upper jaw to jut forward … and it makes no real difference if the child sucks on a dummy or sucks their thumb.

However, thumb sucking produces greater traction on the upper incisors. This creates a risk of the teeth protruding forwards.

With a dummy, on the other hand, a gap may gradually develop between the top teeth and the lower teeth. Today, however, there are dummies available that are designed to fit the shape of a child’s mouth perfectly. But make sure that you wash your child’s dummy regularly.

Whether a child sucks on a dummy or their thumb, there are negatives and positives to bear in mind. It’s best to talk to your doctor about it. He or she will be able to advise you on how best to deal with this issue and, in particular, what strategy to adopt to wean your child off this habit. Don’t be too strict. Whatever age your child may be, don’t pull his thumb or dummy from his mouth as he is likely to find this very upsetting.

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