title: Recreational strategies for the elimination of pacifier and finger sucking habits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the efficacy of recreational strategies of awareness for spontaneous removal of finger sucking or pacifier habits in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen children (nine female and six male), with ages ranging from 4 to 8 years (mean age of 5.6 years) participated in the study. Recreational strategies were developed for the removal of oral habits. The program consisted of ten one-hour weekly sessions. At the end of each session, parents were oriented, solved questions, and reported their child's behaviors during the past week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve children (80%) totally eliminated the suction habit after the program. No difference was found for the removal when data regarding finger and pacifier sucking were compared (p=0.34).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The awareness strategies using recreational activities was effective to eliminate finger and pacifier habits in children.
authors.affiliation: Centro avançado em Fonoaudiologia, Instituto da Voz, Maringá, PR, Brasil. carinamuzulan@pop.com.br
authors.forename: Carina Fontana
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Muzulan
authors.forename: Maria Inês Rebelo
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D005386:Fingersucking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D041361:Pacifiers / Q000009:adverse effects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011998:Recreation