在我与其他家长的工作中，我发现很多家长都对孩子（0-12个月）吃手的这件事表现出很不淡定。在与家长们详细讨论后，我才明白原来是一些担心导致了家长干预孩子吃手。 首先是害怕生病，担心他们吃致病菌；还有担心吃手会变成一种坏习惯；还有担心牙齿长歪了或者造成龋齿。

在这方面，我是一直鼓励家长让宝宝吮吸自己的手指。下面的研究会给大家一些有关吃手的知识：

• 从心理学角度来讲。 吸吮手指是婴儿在生命的第一年里所做的正常行为。这个发展理论是基于弗洛伊德。 （Maqurie，2000年）。
• 从神经学的角度来讲：费兰特和费兰特（2015年）的研究指出把拇指放在嘴里会刺激三叉神经的鼻腭受体，并获得肌肉平衡，身体和心理紧张的释放。
• 其他的研究：

1. 过敏。实时科学最近公布的有关吮吸拇指和过敏之间的关系的文章。研究人员发现，年龄小的时候吸吮大拇指并有咬指甲习惯的孩子，在13岁的时候会发生更少的过敏反应。（Blaszczak-Boxe，2016）。
2. 龋齿。研究发现，吮吸拇指不是龋齿和口腔卫生状况的显著原因。但是，它却与不良口腔卫生有关系。 （科拉沃莱等，2016）。
3. 免疫系统：根据美国食品和药物管理局，婴儿的免疫系统需要通过引入细菌才能使其免疫系统增强（FDA，2015年）。

您的宝宝永远都不会生活在无菌的世界里，请鼓励您的孩子吃手，尽量保证宝宝的手和用来吃的玩具是干净的就行。

如果在3-4岁以后还有吃手的问题，这时家长可能需要带孩子去检查一下了（谢蒂，谢蒂，谢蒂和Deoghare，2015）

In my work, I see many parents are finding it difficult to allow their babies (0-12 months) to suck on their fingers or suck on toys. After discussion in detail, I understand that they worried about this behaviour due to scared of their babies to suck in bacteria, or worried about the behaviour becomes a habit, or damage their teeth. I have always been encouraging the parents to allow the baby to suck on their fingers. The following researches have given some insight about it.

• The psychological point of view: Sucking finger is a normal developmental behaviour in the first year of baby’s life. This developmental theory is Freudian based and it relates finger sucking to the oral phase of child development (Maqurie, 2000).
• The neurological point of view: Ferrante & Ferrante (2015) revealed thumb-sucking subject puts the thumb in the mouth to stimulate the nasal-palatal receptors of trigeminus and obtain muscular balance and a release of physical and psychological tension.
• Other researches:

1. Allergy. The Live Science recently published an article about the relationship between thumb sucking and allergy. The researchers found that the kids who both sucked their thumbs and bit their nails at a young age were less likely to have allergies at age 13 (Blaszczak-Boxe, 2016).
2. Oral Caries. The research found that thumb sucking was not a significant predictor of caries and oral hygiene status. However, it relates with poor oral hygiene. (Kolawole et al., 2016).
3. Immune System: According to the U.S. food and Drug Administration, the baby’s immune system needs to be exercised by introducing germs so that it will strengthen the immune system (FDA, 2015).

Your baby is not living in a sterile world, instead of preventing thumb sucking behaviour, I highly encourage sucking behaviours, using their own fingers, toys with different textures. The only thing I think is necessary, that is to make sure your baby’s finger is clean, the toys are clean.

If prolonged finger sucking behaviour after 3-4 years, it is worthwhile to be reviewed by other health professionals (Shetty, Shetty, Shetty & Deoghare, 2015).

Reference:

• Blaszczak-Boxe, A. (2016). Thumb-Sucking, Nail-Biting Kids May Have Lower Allergy Risk. LiveScience. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thumb-sucking-nail-biting-kids-may-have-lower-allergy-risk/
• Ferrante, A., & Ferrante, A. (2015). Finger or thumb sucking. new interpretations and therapeutic implications.Minerva Pediatrica, 67(4), 285.
• Kolawole, K. A., Folayan, M. O., Agbaje, H. O., Oyedele, T. A., Oziegbe, E. O., Onyejaka, N. K., . . . Oshomoji, O. V. (2016). Digit sucking habit and association with dental caries and oral hygiene status of children aged 6 months to 12 years resident in semi-urban nigeria. PLoS One, 11(2) doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148322
• Maqurie JA. The evaluation and treatment of pediatric oral habits. Dent Clin North Am. 2000;44(3):659–669. [PubMed]
• Shetty RM, Shetty M, Shetty NS, Deoghare A. Three-Alarm System: Revisited to treat Thumb-sucking Habit. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 2015;8(1):82-86. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1289.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (2015), Asthma: The Hygiene Hypothesis. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/ResourcesforYou/Consumers/ucm167471.htm