Which is better - dummy or thumb?

Jill Irving

BabyCentre's health visitor.

There are advantages to allowing your baby to suck her thumb rather than a dummy. But it's fair to say that both can have their problems, particularly when it comes to giving up!

Your baby may even have started sucking her thumb before she was born. Pictures have been taken of babies sucking their thumbs in the womb (uterus). Sucking is a natural reflex babies use to calm and settle themselves.

The main advantage of thumb-sucking is that your baby's thumb is always there. It won't fall on the floor. It doesn't need to be tied to her clothing by strings that can get caught on things. Best of all, your baby's thumb is under her own control.

Your child will probably give up thumb-sucking by the time she's three years old or four years old, when she's learned other ways to calm and comfort herself. However, she may continue to suck her thumb at night or at stressful moments for years beyond that.

On the other hand, if your baby cries a lot and wants to suck something, a dummy can be a quick, effective soother. It'll give you a much-needed break too. Bear in mind though, that there's a link between frequent dummy use and ear infections. You can reduce this risk by only giving your baby a dummy to help her settle herself to sleep.

It's thought that using a dummy can help to guard against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death. However, there's no need to encourage your baby to take a dummy if she doesn't want one. There are other, more effective, steps you can take to protect your baby. Find out how to help your baby sleep safely.

If you're breastfeeding, it's best to wait until your baby is at least a month old before giving her a dummy.

Some experts believe that using a dummy can confuse a breastfed baby, the result being she doesn't latch on to your breast properly.

Others experts think that sucking on a dummy reduces the amount of time your baby could be spending on your breast. And that if your breasts aren't stimulated enough, your milk supply could go down.

If you do decide to use a dummy, try to wean your baby off it by the time she's one year old. This is to prevent problems with her teeth. In fact, both dummy and thumb-sucking can affect how your baby's teeth grow and develop. Some experts also claim that dummies interfere with speech development.

If you have an older child who is still using a dummy she may decide to give up her dummy without any persuasion from you.

However, some children are never ready. See BabyCentre parents’ tips for getting your toddler to give up her dummy. If your child is over the age of three and still using a dummy, it may be best to take it away and go "cold turkey".

If you decide to cut down your child's dummy time, encourage her to become attached to a blanket or a soft toy instead. Read more about weaning your baby off her dummy.

Last reviewed: September 2014


This article was written using the following sources:

BDHF. nd. Dental care for mothers and babies. British Dental Health Foundation [Accessed September 2014]

Blair PS, Sidebotham P, Evason-Coombe C, et al. 2009. Hazardous cosleeping environments and risk factors amenable to change: case-control study of SIDS in south west England. BMJ 339:b3666 [Accessed September 2014]

CKS. 2009. Otitis media: acute. NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries, Clinical topic. [Accessed September 2014]

DH. 2009. Reduce the risk of cot death. London: Department of Health. [Accessed September 2014

Duncan K, McNamara C, Ireland AJ, et al. 2008. Sucking habits in childhood and the effects on the primary dentition: findings of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. Int J Paediatr Dent 18(3):178-88 [Accessed September 2014]

Hauck FR, Tanabe KO. 2009. SIDS. BMJ Clinical Evidence. [Accessed September 2014]

NHS. 2009. Kid's teeth: Q&A NHS Choices, Live well. [Accessed September 2014]

Sexton S, Natale R. 2009. Risks and benefits of pacifiers. American Family Physician 79(8):681-5 [Accessed September 2014]

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Add a commenting 22 this year and I still suck my thumb its massive comfort when I'm tierd. My 4 month old is starting to as well. I had a dummy till I was around 7! I think weaning a child off when there no older then 1 is important, once you get that attachment to your thumb its part of your body so it's always there tempting you. The younger they are the more likely they are to forget and get distracted by something else like a teddy or warm milk in a "special" cup etc. I don't think il ever stop but it's not good and it's embarrassing!
My 6 yr old daughter stills sucks her thumb for comfort at bedtime, is not for giving it up!
My 7,6 and 3 years old boys are still sucking their thumbs how do u get them to stop?

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