Hello nairalanders,I am currently doing a research to know reasons why young children(from birth to like 5/6 years) suck their fingers.some even suck two fingers and only stop when they are matured enough to see that it's not proper.Others stopped after being forcefully made to through application of bitter things on their fingers by parents.Not only fingers,some suck their lips while rubbing their navel.
I want reasonable contributions as per the reason,any congenital,medical or hereditary reason?

Its natural.nothing wrong in it.just leave them,they will outgrow it.my mom too said i sucked my thumb when i was an infant so no big deal.just ensure your kids fingers are always clean.she said i stopped by myself at 5years however when it still continues at 7 plus,then you should be bothered

Its caused by hunger i think. My daugther sucked hr hand becaus i was not lactatin well. Now my 10weeks old baby is tryin to do d same wen ever he is hungry. If dey r fed wen ever dey r hungry dey wil nt suck dir finger.

I watched a video titled The human body by Dr Robert Winston. In the pregnancy and childbirth chapters, a scan showing a 7months old foetus clearly showed the baby sucking its thumb. The Doctor said that babies start sucking their fingers from the womb and i believe him cos I saw the live video of the ultrasound.
My girlfriends one year old son sucks his thumb any time of the day even immediatley after eating. Its just a habit which they all outgrow. The most difficult to stop and outgrow is sucking of the lips. Back in the university, I had a 29yr old female course mate who still sucked her lips and another child hood friend of mine who still sucked her lips when we were 24years old. She stopped after she got married.

Google for more information.

To tell u the truth sucking the thumb is easier to outgrow, but sucking the lips, o boy it's death do you part

Some babies start sucking immediately they are born. Case in point- my nephew. Right from day one, he had started sucking his thumb. Cause he was as young as can be at that time, he sometimes even found it difficult to co-ordinate his fingers to get the thumb out and alone in other to successfully get it into his mouth. That would even make him cry. Was quite a cute and funny scene to watch i must say.

Hmmm, that's the little i know about it. And sorry, cos i dont know why they do so.

By the way, i saw the same nephew after three years, and didnt notice him sucking at all for the few days i was with him- so i think he has stopped.
Though i'm sorry, cos yet again, i cant tell you why.

Thumb sucking is therapeutic and relaxing to kids. Thats why.