Talk:Thumb sucking

Gesture?

27jun06 World Cup soccer news: "Italian midfielder Francesco Totti sucks his thumb in honor of his son as he celebrates scoring on a penalty kick for the game-winning goal yesterday." Is this thumb-sucking a gesture? Particular meaning/history in various cultures? 69.87.193.89 01:10, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Honestly, the only gesture involving the thumb that I've heard of wouldn't be used to honour anyone(if you've read "Romeo and Juliet", the "I bite my thumb" part). You've piqued my interest, though. Anyone else know anything? And could you give a reference, for my curiosity? BW52 01:18, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Could thumb sucking also be some sort of oral fixation like what Freud spoke of? I haven't done research on this... but it could be connected. Children do seem to derive some sort of pleasure/comfort from sucking their thumbs. 64.24.4.33 19:41, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

When I went for my 12 week scan with my first pregnancy, the baby was sucking its thumb :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.2.173.192 (talk) 22:52, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Elsie Mobbs edits

I notice that someone named Elsie Mobbs added some info in and it was almost immediately deleted. I tried to find the source of it online to check if it was real but it doesnt seem to be available. Similarly, the ANZ Journal of Psychiatry isnt carried in my library (I live in America) but I don't see any reason to believe that the source is faked. Is there a reason why I shouldn't restore the edit? (I would format it properly, of course). Soap ^Talk/_{Contributions} 00:50, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

It would seem that she is doing a lot to promote her book. But that, in itself, doesn't negate the quality of the research. If this paper really was published in a peer-reviewed psychiatry journal, then it is good enough to be in the article, right? I restored the text for now. Soap ^Talk/_{Contributions} 03:45, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

Note: I am still working on this article, I just need to get my sources together. Soap ^Talk/_{Contributions} 04:36, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

Would somebody please provide me with a reference to a mammal which has sucked its thumb or dummy without it being cared for by a human? There are thousands of references to thumb and dummy sucking mammals but they are all being reared by humans. Pub Med has plenty of references to facial malocclusions and otitis externa associated with human thumb and dummy sucking. Perhaps the dentists don't want an oral tactile imprint on mum's nipple - it might affect their income. Elsie Mobbs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.32.142.5 (talk) 14:18, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Advertisment

the link "A fun, effective way to address thumb sucking in children age 3+." is commertial and not informative. I belive it should be removed. 62.0.2.25 (talk) 20:45, 8 March 2009 (UTC)

There is a brand TGuard mentioned "Clinical studies have shown that appliances such as TGuards can be 90% effective in breaking the thumb or finger sucking habit. Rather than use bitterants or piquants, which are not endorsed by the ADA due to their causing of discomfort or pain, TGuards break the habit simply by removing the suction responsible for generating the feelings of comfort and nurture.[16] Other appliances are available, such as fabric thumb guards, each having their own benefits and features depending on the child's age, willpower and motivation." This is linked to its own internal page but this is an advertisement and should not be allowed. There are other good products on the market including Thumbsie® which is an Oral Health Foundation approved product and these are not allowed to be mentioned. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.98.246.14 (talk) 19:17, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Fictional characters

Fictional characters who suck their thumbs in no way contribute to more knowledge about thumbsucking, and unless somebody has good arguments for keeping this section, I'll remove it, but not sooner than 6/6. Lova Falk talk 13:56, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Done! Lova Falk talk 10:10, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Thumb Sucking in Animals

I recently saw a video in which a baby chimpanzee was shown to instinctively suck its thumb. I would like to see more information in this article about thumb sucking in the animal kingdom—I would imagine it is a mammalian characteristic, or even a primate characteristic, but I'm not sure. —Pie4all88 ^{T C} 10:21, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

A baby chimpanzee only sucks its thumbs when reared by humans. But if you ever find one which does suck its thumb when brought up by its biological chimp mother and not by humans then let me know about it. All mammals body-part suck (thumbs, paws, genitalia) or inanimate object suck (dummies or other decoys) when there is maternal nipple deprivation. Elsie Mobbs PhD(Syd) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 152.76.1.244 (talk) 05:46, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Medical Devices

Tried to add the following paragraph to the end of the "Dental Problems" section, but it kept on getting rid of the references and see also sections, not sure why:

If the above remedies fail to resolve the thumb-sucking, there are more advanced remedies available. One type of device is worn on the hand in order to make the act of sucking less pleasurable, and designed to make it very difficult to remove without the parents' knowledge. A more invasive treatment involves an appliance known as a "crib", which is attached by an orthodontist to the upper teeth and makes thumb-sucking a very unpleasant activity.

Anyway, that paragraph also needs a little more citation anyway. But, the only references I could find for the first device either looked like they were selling the product, or were forums discussing the device. Neither of which seem like valid sources for Wikipedia. 71.13.147.17 (talk) 16:48, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Too much apologizing, not enough science

I think sucking one's thumb is disgusting and a vector for disease, but my personal opinion doesn't matter. "Soothing" and "relaxing" are subjective words, and they don't explain exactly what physiological processes change when a person sticks their thumb in their mouth. I'm guessing it slows down the heart and releases dopamine, but that's just a wild guess. Podex Membrum (talk) 16:22, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Thumb sucking...the positive approach

The article mentions the TGuard to help stop thumb sucking. As a former thumb sucker myself, you are only offering your readers one solution. This device is like putting a cast on a child's hand. It is made of plastic and very immobile. As a former thumb sucker myself, the best way to teach a child to break a habit is an educational, fun and positive manner. There is a thumb puppet and book that is called Thumbuddy To Love that teaches kids how they can break the habit rather than being forced to wear a plastic guard or something that only makes the child want to suck their thumb more since thumb sucking is a soothing and comforting habit. Keeping the hands occupied with a toy like thumbuddy To Love can be comforting as they are trying to break the thumb sucking habit and it is geared to helping the child not punishing them. I would appreciate it if you would add this to the article/s as an alternative to helping parents and children find a positive solution to ending thumb sucking rather than a negative one. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.190.84.48 (talk) 17:22, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

i agree that this is very biased. There is also a great product Thumbsie® which is an approved product for the Oral Health Foundation. 2.98.246.14 (talk) 19:19, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

TGuard should be removed as it is advertising — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.98.246.14 (talk) 19:50, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

fear

the article nowhere mentions that thumb-sucking is often a sign of fear. Is this is just a false stereotype? As we have it now, we describe it as a habit with no clear purpose. —Soap— 02:12, 29 June 2023 (UTC)