THUMB SUCKING
Lina Methi
INTRODUCTION
Thumb sucking is described as a habit of comforting gesture that mimics the feeling gained
from breastfeeding as a baby, sending a rush of endorphins to the brain (Mowbray, 2011).
Endorphins are associated with feelings of attachment and comfort; they calm anxiety, relieve
pain and reduce stress. Thus Sears (n.d.) in his article on parenting contends that many infants
have an insatiable desire to suck and naturally use their thumbs as pacifier. De Jager (2011)
explains that sucking is related to the sense of feeling good and emotionally nurtured, while
suckling is for nourishment. She postulates that thumb sucking helps the baby to relax and
release feel-good hormones that give his immune system a boost and stimulates growth.
A baby who experiences care and protection,
releases more brain growth hormones,
has less feeding and digestive problems
and is generally, more healthy.
Tiffany Field
Sucking is part of a group of grasping reflexes that creates
a sense of safety and security (De Jager, 2015). Once the
baby discovers his thumb in utero he would start to
happily suck to pacify self and later when he starts getting
hungry. According to De Jager (2011) the ability to suck
starts around 9-12 weeks of pregnancy when anything
touches the roof of their mouth stimulating the sucking
reflex and the way a child naturally eats. Ultrasound
pictures show babies sucking their thumbs in the privacy
of the womb around 24 weeks when the baby starts
swallowing amniotic fluid and does yawning movements
(Kidspot, 2012).
©Mind Moves Institute, Johannesburg. 2015
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WHY BABIES SUCK THEIR THUMBS
Placing the thumb into the mouth and rhythmically repeating sucking can be considered to
be soothing and therapeutic for a child (Wikipedia, 2015), because a stressed baby does not
feed well, sleep well or develop well (De Jager, 2011). Too much stress causes the baby to
either fight, freeze or flee (withdraw). It is through the sucking-swallowing-breathing
sequence of the coordination of reflexes that the child discovers that one of life’s little
pleasures is right in their hands and under their noses. The sucking response stimulates the
emotional brain which forms the bridge between the survival brain and the thinking brain (De
Jager, 2015).
Babies tend to suck their thumbs when they are bored, tired, scared, sick, or trying to adjust
to challenges such as starting day-care or preschool. They may also use their thumb to help
them fall asleep at bedtime and to lull themselves back to sleep when they wake up in the
middle of the night. Sucking whether from a mother, bottle or pacifier, this behaviour, over
time, begins to become associated with very strong self-soothing, pleasurable oral sensation
(Wikipedia, 2015). That is why some children continue sucking their thumbs even after they
have been weaned off the nutritional suckling. They will suck their thumb while watching
television with the hands grasping while sucking; touching the ear, navel, or an object to
strengthen the loop between the hands and the mouth. These self–soothing movements
according to De Jager (2015) are stimulated by involuntary response of the rooting and
sucking reflex when the tongue moves forward and backward in the mouth.
IMPLICATIONS OF THUMB SUCKING
De Jager (2015) contends that if a child sucks his thumb it could imply that both the smell
and taste protective senses are still active and they prompt the withdrawal reflex seeking
touch. The most sensitive parts of the skin are his lips, face, palms of his/her hands and
soles of his feet. Anything that comes in contact with these parts stimulates the grasping
reflexes (De Jager, 2011). A child with an aberrant Rooting and Sucking Reflex may display
the following signs:
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Hypersensitivity around the lips
Mouth hangs open
Prolonged thumb-sucking; hair or clothes sucking
Puts objects in mouth
Chews sweets; can’t suck sweets
Dribbling
Poor articulation slow handwriting and task
completion
©Mind Moves Institute, Johannesburg. 2015
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MIND MOVES® TO DEVELOP, INTEGRATE AND INHIBIT THE ROOTING AND SUCKING REFLEX
Mind Moves (De Jager, 2009), a movement programme that can be utilised on a daily basis 3 times per day in a controlled manner. Sufficient repetition of the following Mind Moves
may help put the rooting and sucking reflex to rest:
Power ON
Rub indentation just below the collar bone in line with the left eye.
This move re-establishes the electrical flow via the Vagus Nerve to the speech organs
and stomach to help relax and talk with ease. It improves concentration.
Lip workout
Pucker up the lips and hold for a count of eight. Say “cooeee”, pulling the lips into a
wide smile while stretching the “eeee”.
This move improves muscle tone in and around the lips.
Lip Massage
Simultaneously rub the areas above the top lip and below the bottom lip in a
horizontal direction.
This triggers the Sucking Reflex, promotes perception skills and thought and lowers
impulsive expression.
Jaw dropper
Open the mouth wide by dropping the jaw, feeling it just above the molars up in line
with ears. Gently massage the joints to loosen tension and promote muscle control
and expression.
This promotes verbal and written communication, since the hands and the mouth are
involved.
The Crown Massage (De Jager, 2015) can also be done on a regular basis. Rhythmically
simulate contractions around the crown of the head. It is comforting and nurturing,
encourages rhythmic breathing, the secretion of saliva and promotes swallowing.
Praise children for not sucking,
instead of scolding them when they do.
©Mind Moves Institute, Johannesburg. 2015
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References
De Jager, M. 2009. Mind Moves – moves that mend the mind. Johannesburg: Mind Moves Institute
De Jager, M. 2011. Stimulating the sucking reflex in infants. Prevenar 13: WHYkids Vol 4 No 4.
De Jager, M. 2015. Mind Moves Advanced Instructor Training Manual. Mind Moves Institute: Johannesburg.
Kidspot, 2012. Birth [Online]. Available on the Internet at: http://www.birth.com.au/newbornreflexes/rooting-sucking-swallowing-gag-reflexes?
Mowbray, N. 2011. The high price of sucking my thumb until I was 31. Daily Mail, 12 September 2011. [Online].
Available on the internet at: (www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2036685/ 1-3).
Sears, W. Ask Dr Sears: Thumb Sucking. [Online]. Available on the Internet:
http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-thumb-sucking
Wikipedia, 2015. Thumb sucking. [Online]. Available on the Internet at:
(http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumb_sucking)
©Mind Moves Institute, Johannesburg. 2015
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