No problem. Gracie Salvino doesn't need to suck her thumb these days thanks to some advice given to her mom one day at the YMCA.

Ann Salvino, a mother of four from Plain Township, Ohio, was chatting with Patricia Schwerzler, who was there with her two grandchildren. Salvino told her that she'd like to get her youngest daughter to stop sucking her thumb before she heads off to kindergarten in the fall. The grandmother had the answer.

"She told me her daughter wrapped her grandson's fingers with tape when he was younger because (children) don't like that feeling in their mouths," Salvino explained. "I got to thinking, Gracie doesn't like Band-Aids on her thumbs. Whenever she's had one on, I'd have to take it off so she could suck her thumb."

So after a heart-to-heart talk about how thumb-sucking could eventually harm her teeth and may inspire some teasing at school, Gracie decided she was ready to go cold turkey.

"She understood and knew what we were doing," said Salvino.

They took a trip to the grocery store where Gracie chose Disney Princesses "Tattoo" bandages by Nexcare. Salvino said these worked well because they stayed on tight even through hand-washing.

Each morning and evening Gracie would pick her princess. Her mom says it was not stressful, although Gracie changed her bandages often the first few days. She hated the feeling and the taste of them.

Salvino wasn't sure how long it would take to break the habit, but since Gracie was sucking her thumb way back when her ultrasound photo was taken, she was prepared to be in it for the long haul.

"We went 10 days and she came up to me and said, 'Mommy, I don't need my Band-Aids anymore,'" Salvino said triumphantly, adding that Gracie had only one relapse. "One night she was really tired and she said, 'I think I need a Band-Aid.'"

ANOTHER TALE OF TAPE

Laura Blandine of Lake Township, Ohio, Schwerzler's daughter, tried a similar version of this several years ago when her son Kyle was 1 year old. At 6 months old, he started sucking his third and fourth fingers.

At his one-year appointment, his pediatrician said that if this was something about which she was concerned, she could try taping his fingers with athletic tape.

"The first few days were rough," Blandine, an elementary school teacher said. "It took three weeks. He tried (to suck his fingers), but it just didn't feel right."

Blandine said that at the time, she and her husband did not consider that it might be a choking hazard for children who continue to suck regardless of the tape, since their son did not continue, nor did he try to peel it off. The pediatrician that gave her the tip, Dr. Michael McCabe at Aultman Hospital, says the tape, indeed, is best for older children who are trying to stop and that a glove or sock over the hand would be more appropriate for younger children, however, he doesn't think parents should worry about it until the child is 4 or 5.

"If it's a problem to the parent that the baby is thumb-sucking now, give them a binky (pacifier)," he said. "The binky you can throw away (later)."

Parents of thumb-suckers, he recommends, should not make the habit out to be a bad thing. If it is not something he or she is teased about or something they have to argue over, eventually they will see the need to change and to learn more age-appropriate behaviors as they grow.

"Then your topic will be, 'Let's work on this together,'" McCabe said. "It will be a positive growth experience and a bonding experience with you. They see you as someone who can help them through the tough times."

When the time is right, he said, the tape can serve as a reminder and a self-motivator to stop.

On bad days, when the habit is worse, wrap the tape thicker and make it uncomfortable. On good days, keep the tape on thin.

Consistency, he said, is important.

"The tape is a way to reinforce and motivate and requires you to work together," he added.

MORE ADVICE

Other tips he offers to keep children from sucking their thumbs are:

- Keep them busy. Kids are more likely to pop the thumb in when watching television than if they are doing a hands-on activity.

- Teach them other ways in which to soothe or comfort themselves.

- Don't make quitting a battle. Don't say, "Quit being such a baby." Instead, be positive and make suggestions like, "Wouldn't it be nice to have both hands to do that?"

Whatever parents do, says nurse practitioner Mary Gagliano of Children's Physicians in Jackson Township, Ohio, it is important to explain to your child that what you are doing is not a punishment.

She recommends dipping the child's thumbs in vanilla and letting them air dry. Liquid vanilla has a bitter taste and will discourage the child from putting it in their mouth. Parents can stress the positive by telling the child that the taste will to serve as a reminder of their goal.

DENTIST ADVICE

Sucking is one of a baby's natural reflexes and might makes them feel secure and happy. Young children may also suck their fingers and thumbs to soothe themselves and to help induce sleep.

The American Dental Association says that after the permanent teeth come in, sucking may cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth. It can also cause changes in the roof of the mouth. The intensity of the sucking is a factor that determines whether or not dental problems may result. If children rest their thumbs passively in their mouths, they are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs. Some aggressive thumb-suckers may cause problems with their baby teeth.

Ohio dentist Bruce Treiber explains:

"(Thumb-sucking) will mold those teeth where there will literally be a hole where the teeth bite together. There will be a space between the lower and upper incisors," he warns.

Children should have ceased sucking by the time the permanent front teeth are ready to erupt. Usually children stop on their own between the ages of 2 and 4 years.

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