This conversation on thumbsucking is one that stirs many deep emotional 
feelings especially in our area.  I like to approach it by addressing it from the 
stand point of "oh look the baby brought its own method of soothing itself."  
Even in our nursery the concept of covering the hands is universal "(personally 
I think its offensive to the baby who has had its hands for however long in 
utero, we come along and decide for whatever reason its better to cover them.)  
I ask parents to recall if on their ultrasounds did they see the baby suck on 
its hands?  If so, then to realize that this is something the baby has done 
for a long time and it helps the baby to soothe its self in this new 
environment.  I ask them to release the turned hand covers and let the sleeves fall over 
the fingers but it frees the hands so the baby can feel its self and it helps 
to reduce stress of birth.  If they are concerned over the baby scratching 
itself, once again I remind them that the baby had same equipment inside Mom and 
that new born skin has withstood babies nails.  Then I go into nail files vs. 
scissors vs. Mom peeling nails vs. biting nails.  Shortly their after someone 
brings baby emery boards in and after the baby falls asleep they give a baby 
"mani".  In S Fl pacifiers, binkys and chuppas are big requests....not 
necessary if baby is breastfeeding and has its own fingers.  When they state that the 
child will suck its thumb for an extended time I ask them how they feel about 
a 4 year old sucking a pacifier (quite commonly seen in this area )?   I 
remind them yes there are older fingersuckers but kids usually don't put dirty 
hands in mouth like they might dirty pacifiers and older children will often only 
suck fingers not in public because of peer pressure. I also remind them most 
thumbsuckers or fingersuckers do not have delay in speech because they will 
have to take their hands away to do various tasks and so they don't hang on the 
pacifier like a cigar and mutter around it while its in their mouths.  
I also remind them if the child is truly loving the hands only the hand will 
do and no pacifier will ever replace a chosen soothie.
Some days we have to spend more time on common sense tweaking of the grown 
ups than on the natural tendencies of the newborn.
Lovingly from warm sunny perfect days in S Florida,
Leanne  Jewell RNC, LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC

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