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Profile of non-nutritive sucking habits in relation to nursing behavior in pre-school children
G Vadiakas1, C Oulis, E Berdouses
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Athens, Greece.
Insights
Pre-school children stop pacifier sucking earlier than finger sucking. While breastfeeding showed no clear link, prolonged bottle-feeding correlated with less finger sucking and more pacifier use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Child Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Non-nutritive sucking habits in children lack expert consensus on causes and prevention.
- Evolving child-rearing practices complicate habit management.
- Understanding these habits is crucial for early dental and psychological development.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate finger and pacifier sucking habits in pre-school children.
- Examine the relationship between sucking habits and nursing behavior (breast vs. bottle feeding).
- Document parental attitudes towards children's sucking habits.
Main Methods:
- Survey study involving 600 pre-school children (3-5 years old) in Athens, Greece.
- Data collected via questionnaires administered to parents after oral examinations.
- Questionnaire covered nursing patterns, sucking habit characteristics, parental attitudes, and pediatrician recommendations.
Main Results:
- Pacifier habits were discontinued earlier than finger sucking habits.
- Pacifier use appeared to deter finger sucking; only 2% exhibited both habits.
- Extended bottle-feeding was linked to reduced finger sucking but increased pacifier use.
- Breastfeeding showed no significant association with sucking habits.
Conclusions:
- Pacifier use may act as a transitional behavior, potentially reducing prolonged finger sucking.
- Bottle-feeding duration, not type, influences sucking habits.
- Most pediatricians do not advocate for early intervention to break finger sucking habits.
Abstract:
Although a number of investigators have studied the prevalence and etiology of non-nutritive sucking habits in children, no consensus exists among dental and medical experts in respect to the contributing factors and preventing behaviors. Furthermore, changes in the rearing practices of children make management of such habits even more complicated. The purpose of the present study was to investigate finger and pacifier sucking habits among pre-school children, and its possible relationship to nursing behavior. Parental attitudes towards sucking habits were also registered. Questionnaires were sent to parents of 600 children, three to five years old, following an oral examination in a private office. Children attended kindergartens that were randomly selected from the area of Athens, Greece. Questions regarding the nursing patterns-breast or bottle feeding-characteristics of finger and pacifier sucking habits, parental attitudes towards sucking habits, as well as recommendations of the pediatricians were included. Three hundred and sixteen questionnaires were returned by parents. Results indicated that pre-school children discontinued a pacifier sucking habit earlier compared to a finger habit. Pacifiers showed a preventive effect against finger sucking, since only 2% of the sample examined practiced both habits. Breast feeding was not clearly associated with sucking habits; however, long bottle feeding periods were related with decreased finger sucking and high figures of pacifier sucking. The majority of pediatricians were not in favor of an intervention in breaking a finger sucking habit of the child.