Children's health (29)
- Cold medicines for kids: What's the risk?
- Children's nutrition: 10 tips for picky eaters
- Single parent? Tips for raising a child alone
- see all in Children's health
Preschoolers (11)
- Thumb sucking: Help your child break the habit
- Child sleep: Put preschool bedtime problems to rest
- Kids' swimming: Keep health risks at bay
- see all in Preschoolers
Elementary students (11)
- Staying healthy in school: Kid-friendly tips
- Kindergarten readiness: Is your child ready for school?
- Bullying: Help your child handle a school bully
- see all in Elementary students
Preschool and elementary (1)
- Yoga for kids: A good idea?
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Thumb sucking: Help your child break the habit
Thumb sucking can be a difficult habit for a child to break. Understand what you can do to help your child stop sucking his or her thumb.
By Mayo Clinic staffThumb sucking is a common habit among children. If your child sucks his or her thumb for too long, however, it might be a habit that you'd like to break. Start by finding out what's behind thumb sucking — and understanding ways to stop the behavior.
Why do some children suck their thumbs?
Babies have natural rooting and sucking reflexes, which can cause them to put their thumbs or fingers into their mouths — sometimes even before birth. Because thumb sucking is soothing to babies, some may eventually develop a habit of thumb sucking when they're bored, tired or anxious. Many children who suck their thumbs or fingers do so while holding a treasured object, such as a security blanket.
How long does thumb sucking usually last?
Many thumb and finger suckers stop the habit on their own by age 6 or 7 months. Sometimes, however, children suck their thumbs or fingers — especially during times of stress — throughout the toddler and preschool years.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Thumbsucking. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Pacifiers-and-Thumb-Sucking.aspx. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- Shelov SP, et al. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. New York, N.Y.: Bantam; 2009:271.
- Davidson L. Thumb and finger sucking. Pediatrics in Review. 2008;29:207.
Find Mayo Clinic on