Infants

Sucking is common, harmless, and beneficial for self-soothing, Enjoy watching your baby grow.

Toddlers

Sucking habits add to the ability to self-soothe, and tend to enhance self-reliance and self-confidence. Still, to prevent later problems, excessive daytime sucking can be minimized.

1. Offer alternatives that respond to the underlying causes.

• Food when children are hungry

• Naps or bedtime for tired children

• Activity for boredom

• Hugs and then talking about distresses

2. Limit availability of props that trigger sucking with the rule "Blankets and soft toys stay in the bedroom."

Preschoolers

The gains from sucking are beginning to wane, and the costs are beginning to emerge. The following warning signs indicate a sucking habit that may need to be halted.

• Look closely when your child is sucking. Do the teeth protrude or twist, or the lips seem flared, molded around the digit?

• Is your child developing a callous or infection on the sucking thumb or finger?

• If a finger is sucked, is it growing normally or does it appear twisted or in some other way different from the same finger on the other hand.

• Is the sucking continued vigorously throughout the night?

School-age children

Sucking no longer brings significant benefits. It's time to help your child end the habit.