Essay - Thumbsucking One of the More Common Concerns Among Parents When...

Thumbsucking

One of the more common concerns among parents when preparing ********** young child to enter the social settings of daycare or preschool is that child's habit of thumbsucking. Sucking on the thumb ***** other fingers is considered to be a very normal and accepted behavior in infants in Western culture, though in some non-***** cultures (such as African or American Indian children) this habit may be less common or even missing altogether. (Leung 2001) Many psychologists believe thumbsucking is instinctive ***** a normal stage of childhood development. (Leung & Robson 1991) Pacifiers and other oral-comfort items are manufactured for ***** to serve the same purpose as thumbsucking. The urge to suckle on ***** ***** inanimate objects ***** a natural one related to ***** instinct to breast feed. Almost all infants suck on their thumbs until the age of one year, and more than one third of children continue to ***** on thumbs or other digits through the preschool years. (Leung & Robs***** *****) "Estimates of the incidence ***** nonnutritive sucking--thumbs, fingers, pacifiers--range from 75% ***** 95% of infants in Western *****. Mortelliti and Needleman reported that 37.3% ***** 233 children 31/2 to 5 years of age sucked a thumb (58.6%), pacifier (31%), f*****ger(s) (8%), or other objects (2.2%)." (N*****man 2001) There ***** slightly higher statistics of girls sucking on fingers ***** of boys doing so, especially in the older age groups. This behavior can actually also be observed *****fore birth by use of a s*****ogram as well, as ***** is very common even ***** the prenatal stages of development. (Oral Behaviors 1991, Norman 2001) Fetuses suck on thumbs and fingers for ***** same reasons that infants and toddlers do. The sensation of thumbsucking is soothing, comforting, and pleasurable. This activity is a way for infants to calm themselves when feeling stressed or uncomfortable, ***** also to ********** themselves when left unattended. The suckling releases chemicals in the brain that enhance the ***** mood. "Sucking ***** be the most important volitional motor activity of ***** infant, since it is through sucking that the ***** is able to ingest food. The choice of the thumb is most likely coincidental and probably occurs ***** the ***** comes into contact with the mouth in the course of random hand movement." (Leung 1991) ********** it is beneficial from an evolutionary standpoint ***** this sucking would have a pleasurable reaction in the brain to encourage healthy nursing habits. Additionally, the ***** is used ***** ***** especially as one ***** the primary tools of exploration and disco***** as the child becomes accustomed to his or her environment ***** learns about the surrounding world. (Oral Behaviors 1991, Norman 2001) Ot***** children may acquire the habit of ***** from observing other children, during the toddler ***** especially, and may be influenced to *****gin ***** from other children in daycare or on the playground ***** mimick*****g t***** *****, or by observing an older sibling or rela*****ive that sucks on his or her thumb. (N*****man *****) Thumbsucking is ***** *****