Dummies (also called pacifiers or soothers) are widely used by mums to help soothe
babies, encourage them to sleep or stop them crying.
What are dummies?
Dummies or pacifiers are a
silicone or rubber teat that babies can suck on, attached to a plastic shield
and handle that prevent them swallowing or choking on the teat.
You can also get teats made of latex, which are
softer. Orthodontic dummies are also available, which are flatter than traditional
dummies and are designed to be better for your baby’s teeth and jaw
development.
There are 2
camps to use or not to use I stand for not using one at all . I have never used
one on any child and really don’t see the need for them at all and before you
say that oh what do you know I have
been a stay at home dad full time If your
child is crying then you need to do something about it not just put some plastic thing in their
mouth.
Here a few
reason why you shouldn’t use them
Dummies stop babies from breastfeeding as you know breast is best
Babies who use dummies seem to
contract more ear infections. This could be because bacteria from the mouth
sticks around longer with a dummy in place.
Dummy usage has been linked to
more cases of upset stomach and chest infection,
If your baby uses a dummy for
long periods of time, it may begin to change the development and shape of her
jaw and mouth. As well as affecting her teeth, this can also prevent
mucus from draining from the channels leading to the ears, causing more
infections.
Especially in cases where children use dummies until they are school
age, dummies can cause cross-bite or over-bite problems where the teeth don't
meet properly.
If your baby tries to talk or
make noises with her dummy in, it could affect her speech development, so make
sure you remove the dummy when she’s making sounds.
you
may miss your baby’s cue to feed as it’s hard to know if your baby wants the
breast or her dummy.
Dummies are linked to a lower
milk intake at the time of greatest brain growth.
For the newborn who needs very
frequent meals, and for the baby who isn’t growing well, this can be a serious
problem. The baby who needs to suck is usually looking for calories. Giving a
dummy is like giving sugarless gum to someone who is trying to double his
weight in a few months. Spacing feedings is done for the mother’s convenience
or to maintain her idea of “normal” feeding intervals, not for the baby’s
well-being.
Dummies
have also been associated with dental problems such as overbites or cross bites
in children who have used dummies frequently up the age of 3 or 4 and when
dummies are dipped in sugar or sweet things which causes decay, cavities and
receding gums.
Weaning a child off a dummy becomes more difficult as a child gets older. Although the baby teeth that come in the first year fall out as permanent teeth arrive at age 5 or 6, using a dummy will affect the development and indentations in the palate, besides the obvious fact that the longer a child uses a dummy the more he or she will become attached to it.
