Thumb sucking research

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Parents have it hard enough caring for a new born, never mind trying to keep everything clean and sterile around the house.  But a new study out of New Zealand suggests that being hyper clean isn’t always beneficial. The study found that people who sucked their thumbs as children are less likely to develop allergies.

Malcolm Sears, a senior consultant on the study and researcher for both St. Joseph’s Hospital and McMaster, said that children with these habits were 20-30% less likely to be allergic to things like grass, cats and dogs or dust mites. The study began in the 70’s and followed more than 1000 people to the present day. Sears stresses that thumb sucking or nail biting are not recommended as a treatment or a way of reducing allergies, especially where the development of children’s teeth are concerned. But what the experts are saying is to let children grow up in a natural environment, which includes letting them play in the dirt and having pets.

A similar scientific study out of the UK found that mothers who picked up their child’s soother, gave it a lick and then returned it to their child also had less allergies. So it seems there is one less thing to worry about in the wonderful world of parenting.