Many parents express concern over their child's thumbsucking or use of a pacifier.
Often worried about affects on teeth, parents sometimes try to prevent their children from sucking their thumb or using a pacifier. The truth is that thumbsucking and using a pacifier are quite normal and most kids forego the habits long before any damage can be done to the jaw and teeth. In fact, it has been shown that embryos actually suck on their thumbs while in the mother's womb. Parents should not be upset over their child's need to suck their thumb or use a pacifier. There are some things that parents should be aware of when allowing their children to use a pacifier.