Parents may notice that as babies grow, especially when lying in bed, they often make interesting moves, such as sucking on fingers or even attempting to nibble on their little toes, scenes that can be amusing but also cause some concern for parents.
In fact, babies sucking on their fingers is a common and normal behavior stage that almost everyone experiences in their growth process. Medically speaking, finger-sucking, also known as digit sucking, refers to repeatedly and involuntarily sucking on the thumb, index finger, or other fingers. For infants aged 0 to 4 months, sucking on objects near the lips is a natural physiological response, and most babies start sucking fingers around 3 to 4 months, peaking at 7 to 8 months and gradually decreasing after 2 years. However, if children over 4 years old still frequently suck their fingers, it may be necessary to consider if there are psychological or emotional factors involved, such as loneliness, fatigue, sadness, or stress, which can make this behavior more prominent.
In the early stages of infancy, babies instinctively have a sucking response to anything that touches their lips, with finger-sucking being a common manifestation observed in about 90% of infants, indicating a normal developmental process. As babies grow older, the transition from sucking their fists to accurately putting fingers into their mouths signifies intellectual and hand-eye coordination progress. Therefore, in the infant stage, brief finger-sucking behaviors should not be overly worried about, as they are part of a baby’s growth.
Regarding how to deal with it, parents should first maintain a calm attitude because most babies naturally reduce finger-sucking habits around 7 months without the need for deliberate prevention to avoid unintended consequences. More importantly, ensure the baby’s hand hygiene to prevent germ transmission through the mouth, and pay attention to keeping the skin around the lips clean and dry to prevent eczema occurrence.
For the few children over 4 years old with persistent finger-sucking habits that affect oral structure or function, such as teeth alignment or chewing and swallowing, gentle behavioral therapy can be considered, such as diverting the child’s attention and praising non-sucking behaviors to gradually help the child break this habit.
