How many months should babies suck their fingers?

It is a common phenomenon for babies to suck their thumbs in life, but many people do not understand why this phenomenon occurs, nor do they know when children will have this phenomenon. Therefore, we need to first understand when the baby will suck his fingers. So at what age do babies start sucking their thumbs? Let's take a look at how authoritative experts answer this question based on years of clinical experience.

1. It is an unconscious behavior for babies of a few months old to suck their fingers

The mother in Case 1 mentioned that her 9-month-old baby sucked his fingers when sleeping, which is a normal physiological reaction without consciousness. Babies of this age suck their thumbs out of exploration. To them, their own hands are like a toy, and this toy is the easiest to get, just like the feeling of being the first to get the moon. In addition, babies do not have teeth at this stage, so they will not hurt themselves when sucking their fingers. Therefore, sucking their fingers is a way to bring them happiness and make them feel the existence of their own bodies.

2. Older babies sucking their fingers may be a psychological reaction

The mother in Case 2 mentioned that her child is over three years old and is still sucking his fingers. This may be a reflection of the child’s inner state. The mother needs to pay special attention to whether the baby is in a state of tension, boredom or confusion. Just like adults, when meeting strangers or being nervous, they will also unconsciously adjust their hair, rub their hands, put their hands in their pockets, etc. At this time, the mother should not simply stop the baby from sucking his fingers, but should analyze the baby's current psychological state and find a suitable solution.

3. Thumb sucking is harmful to the baby's body and mind

In Case 2, the mother mentioned that her baby often sucked his fingers, causing blisters on his hands. In fact, for older babies, especially those over 3 years old, sucking their thumbs is not only harmful to their bodies, but also to their mental health.

Physically: Babies over 3 years old have a wide range of activities and come into contact with many things, so there are naturally more bacteria on their hands. Babies put their hands in their mouths, and their own immunity is not that strong, so they are likely to have some health problems.

Psychologically: As the baby grows older, if the baby continues to suck his/her fingers, this way of self-entertainment can easily lead to him/her preferring to be alone, unwilling to contact the outside world, unwilling to integrate into the new environment, unwilling to make new friends, and even becoming more closed. For the baby, this is a vicious cycle.

In addition, older babies who suck their thumbs may also lack confidence. After entering kindergarten, when playing with friends of the same age, the baby's thumb sucking behavior may be considered strange by his friends, who may even implicitly reject him, which will gradually make him lack self-confidence. Of course, this situation will only be reflected in the older classes.

The above content is a detailed introduction to "At what months does the baby start sucking his fingers". I believe you have already understood the basic situation. If babies who like to suck their thumbs are not stopped in time, this phenomenon will only endanger the child's health and make the family worried. Therefore, for the sake of health and family peace of mind, babies who like to suck their thumbs need our timely attention.