bottle feeding and thumbsucking

[The Fox]

I just had a friend over and we got onto the subject of breastfeeding, anyway, he said that he used to suck his two middle fingers and rub his thumb against his face as a child and as a result needed braces. Anyway he claims the dentist asked his mum when she put him on the bottle, she asked how he even knew he was bottlefed, apparently the dentist claimed that his habit of sucking his fingers was because he was bottlefed and it was his way of simulating the feel of human skin against his face and suckling as a form of comfort because he no longer had the comfort of breastfeedig

Anyway, i just wanted to see what others thought about this theory, is it a theory or is it known that bottlefeeding can lead to that behaviour, anyhoo im just curious really

[Gabi]

I know a LOT of breastfed thumb/finger suckers.

[SalTheGal]

My DS is rapidly developing into a thumbsucker, and he is BF- BUT doesn't have a dummy.

I would have thought there would be more correlation between dummies (or lack thereof) and thumb sucking, than bottlefeeding???

The only thing I would think of with the above scenario- would be more likely the bottle in the mouth, and the mums fingers stroking bubs cheek as she bottle fed him (thus the two fingers and thumb rubbing the cheek), rather than BF????

[Jackandbellasmummy]

My 2 were/are bottlefed and ive never seen either suck their thumb. my best friends 19 mth old is still bfing and sucks his thumb.

[The Fox]

i dont think it was the fact that it was a bottle teat in his mouth but that he used to rub his face at the same time to stimulate the feel of skin against his cheek
im not sure if i believe the theory so i thought i would put it out there and see what others thought
my DS is fully breastfed and sucks his whole hand lol or anything else he can get his hands on

[Sheer Bliss]

I haven't heard of this theory before. I have had 4 b/f bubs....2 had dummies and 2 are thumb suckers. DS1 actually used to rub the dummy against his cheek when going to sleep!

[Nomsie]

Bah, don't believe everything the dentist says! :) When I was younger my dentist swore black and blue that I was a thumbsucker, and wouldn't believe me when I said I wasn't. I went home to Mum and asked her to verify that I wasn't, which she did.

The dentist thought I was because I have a very pronounced overbite. :rolleyes:

I seriously would not have thought there would have been much correlation between thumbsucking and bottlefeeding OR breastfeeding. I think some kids are just more inclined to be "sucky" babies than others, and when in need a thumb or finger does the job perfectly!

[RedPanda]

Sounds like rot to me! My bf child was the thumb-sucker, but grew out of it. My bottlefed child never sucked his thumb or had a dummy.

[Betty Boop]

My 4 yr old is a thumbsucker (breastfed for 12 months) - he strokes his nose with his finger while he sucks his thumb, just habit I think:)