Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Emergency Rroom Series : Thumb Sucking And The Dangers Of Using Force To Stop A Child...

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Monday, December 18, 2017

Emergency Rroom Series : Thumb Sucking And The Dangers Of Using Force To Stop A Child...

Oh Dear Lord!!!





Ignorance is never an excuse to be stupid

A woman brought in her very young child to the ER. On assessing the child we found out that the thumbs were dangling and very black and almost falling off while the fore fingers were very swollen. The child was also running temperature. 


When asked what she did to the little child she said she didn't like the fact that the child was sucking the thumbs a lot so she put plaster on them so the child would be discouraged by the taste of the plaster and stop sucking. Apparently she fixed the plaster too tight and the thumbs got swollen and blood stopped flowing to the thumb and the thumbs got gangrenous (died) and became black and started dangling and about to fall off. 


I had never seen such an erroneous and wicked act. When asked if she didn't notice the swelling in time before the fingers grew black, she said no and that she left the child with her sister who was just a teenager and she(mother) travelled for two days. It was when she got back that she saw the error. Which means the plaster was there for two whole days, gradually killing the poor child's fingers and the teenager couldn't do anything. 


Now, instead of the mother to have brought the child immediately to the hospital, she took the child to a chemist who told her to be putting some kind of 'injection powder' on the the thumbs



The thumbs became necrosed and infected and pus was coming out because the child was still putting the hand in dirty things and playing. Since the thumbs were dead, the child couldn't feel anything including pain
An X-ray was done and The doctor informed the orthopedic team who said that the thumbs would be amputated. I already knew that was the solution because the thumbs were already dead. The mother started crying and begging us to find another way. She claimed that it was her Neighbor that asked her to try it because it worked for the neighbor's child. 


She said she was fed up of the child sucking the thumb always, even when it's dirty. She said sometimes the child wouldn't eat but suck the thumbs and that was why she tied it.
I can't imagine the physiological and psychological trauma that child would face after the thumbs are removed. I began to wonder how the child would find it extremely difficult to adjust to having 8 fingers. How would the child eat, drink, write and interact with other children of the same age? The child would need child-psychiatry help and physiotherapy.


We were almost calling the police on her and a child's right group because she violated the child's right in every way.
It is disturbing when we hear of people making such mistakes that are costly. Its makes one wonder if some people are just gullible or downright stupid. The mother of the child was an illiterate as she couldn't speak English nor pidgin but her native dialect . She was also not financially buoyant but that still isn't an excuse to put your child's life in danger.


I hope the child grows up to be positive about life and have good body confidence. If you have a child that sucks, there are other methods to stop the act without putting the child in danger. They include applying lime juice or something bitter to the thumb, using a reward system by giving the child something nice to discourage the child or making the child realize that He’s grown up now or try a substitute which includes lollipop or something sweet.
Thank you.


33 comments:

  1. This gave me cold shivers all over.

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  2. In some cases, a toe can be cut n replaced as the thumb, I've seen it n it works just fine.

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    Replies
    1. Toe as thumb? Will that work. The first night I didn't suck.my thumb was the first night I slept in a boarding house.

      Delete
  3. Oh my goodness... never heard of this kind of thing before. I know people do different things to dissuade a child from sucking like better leaf, plaster Etc but never knew it could have an adverse effect and bounce back. I've been informed, thank you.
    My heart goes out to that child. I wish the hands of the clock can be turned or a solution found

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    Replies
    1. Yes! The bitter leaf method works like magic, once you're constant.
      My mum used in on me.

      I really feel for that little boy.

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    2. Not on everybody i suck at night unconciously. My dad used bandage and bitter leaf still it didn't work, would suck out the bitterness and continue sucking... I still suck till today once in a while

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  4. hian!! this is a serious something

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  5. it doesnt bother me wen is my baby sucking her thumb because i no one day she will definately stop sucking it. am not sure i can go that extent to forcefully stop a child from sucking thhumb. the mother must have learnt her lessons and the child needs much love and care while she grow up. the hospital should pardon the woman and leave everything to God.

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  6. OMG OMG!!!
    See what ignorance and negligence caused this child's mother.....how in earth would the child cope!!!
    *Faithful bv*

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  7. Things are indeed happening
    I pray the child will grow and embrace her eight fingers without thumbs just like of our intelligent and hardworking physician anaesthetist who doesn't have the two thumbs but does wonder with the remaining eight fingers. She's one of the best in this jos town.
    I hope the mother was arrested ,ignorance is not an excuse oh. She must pay for what she's has done to that poor child. Chaiii..

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  8. oh dear... really sad... please mothers, how do i stop my baby from breastfeeding?

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    Replies
    1. Remove your breast from his/her mouth shikena.

      Delete
  9. This is a lesson for parents. I used to suck my thumb while growing up and my mom tried stopping me by applying bitter leaf juice and I would always tell her not to stress herself as I will stop when I want to. They were surprised when I stopped on my own just before going to the boarding house.

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  10. Chai! I remember when I and my twinnie was growing up. She was left handed. She usually did everything with her left hand. Until one day. My grand Pa held her down, used a very sharp razor to cut small small Marks on her palm and rubbed pepper on it. Chai! She died and woke up that day. That was the last time she used her left hand for eating and writing. But she used it for every other thing.

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  11. OMG! I was guilty of this some weeks ago..my daugther sucks her right thumb & I decided to use plaster to cover it in oder to discourage her from sucking but after the 1st day, I noticed she was always crying n refused to eat, I also noticed the area was a bit red.. so I loosened the plaster.
    I almost fainted when I saw the way puss n blood bursted out...
    I cried that I put in her in so much pain.
    I've given up on trying to stop her abeg she'l stop when she's ready.

    She's just a year old.

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  12. This is sad. It's ignorance that causes things like this and most mothers do not know how to handle such matters only gra gra.
    I sucked my thumb till I was eight years old. Now when my mum wanted us to stop she did all sorts like applying bitter leaf, plaster and even went to the extreme by nicking the finger with razorblade and applying fresh pepper to make us(my twin and I) stop. Every system she tried proved abortive as we'd only suck more.
    Then my dad came into the picture, he called us one night and applied one oil he called Python oil on our fingers, and told us who ever sucked her thumb the Python will come out from the person's stomach and swallow the person. We didn't want Python coming out of our belly so before going to bed that night and every other night till we stopped, we will tie a very big bedsheet around our hand. That way you get an obstruction when you unconsciously want to suck at night.
    Different approach but the later was successful. My mum came back surprised.

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  13. oh! my goodness. This is not good at all. i felt bad reading this piece. What a careless and costly mistake. An error that cannot be corrected

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  14. See problem wan bitter leave for solve...

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  15. A child will stop sucking the thumb when she/he is ready - Absent parents living at home and they wonder why the child uses the thumb as a soother. Stop sucking my thumb just like that bitter leaf and plaster did not work, I always applied saint Louis cube sugar when alone in my bed.

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    Replies
    1. Haha, you're a criminal. Sugar ke!

      Delete
  16. The poster is rather harsh. that woman was not trying to tie the thumb, she was only tryng to cover i#the thumb. She was ignorant not wicked.
    it was not a deliberate act to hurt the child. POSTER HABA NOW.

    SHE DID HER BEST. T he big mistake was not to take the child to the hospital but im sure that was because of money issues. please lets educate those around us.

    She never meant to 'TIE' the childs hand. she just made a miscalculation. eiyaaaa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whether tie or tried or pasted or put. All na ignorance Abeg.

      Delete
  17. why not just use pacifier??? at least you can stop that later

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  18. Thanks poster for this informative post.

    ReplyDelete

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