Pacifiers: Are They Good for Your Baby?

Facebook
Pinterest

For newborns, pacifiers play a significant role as they mimic the nipple of their mom when they are not breastfeeding. This is the reason why many care and attention has to be taken while choosing baby pacifiers. There are different kinds of pacifiers in the market, but one category of pacifiers that has attained a lot of popularity in the recent past is the gumdrop pacifiers. Gumdrop pacifiers are fast becoming the most preferred choice among baby pacifiers because they uniquely combine the functional value that a pacifier delivers with the fun aspect that a pacifier brings into the picture.

What Is A Pacifier?

The child’s addiction to nursing is often satisfied with the bottle or breast. But let’s be honest, you cannot feed your baby until the pain and exhaustion come, or the baby is full. It is not surprising that between 60 and 85% of children use pacifiers, according to studies.

A pacifier is a rubber teat, usually made of silicone or latex, designed to meet the baby’s suction pulse. Thanks to the pacifier, the baby can eat faster – two feeds per second, compared to one feed per second when feeding – and meets the need much more quickly.

Suction pacifiers have different forms of the nipple: some are flatter, which, according to manufacturers, may be better for orthodontic problems, and others, rounder, closer to the nipple of a bottle.

Are pacifiers good for my baby?

The use of the pacifier has serious advantages, but it also has considerable disadvantages. Read on to learn the pros and cons of pacifiers and determine what is right for you and your child.

Pacifiers – Pros

Aside from soothing baby and reducing crying, here are a few more reasons why pacifier use is so popular with parents:

Pacifiers can calm a baby with reflux or colic.
A pacifier might help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sucking on a pacifier at nap time and bedtime might reduce the risk of SIDS.
Premature babies who use a pacifier can get more weight and leave the hospital faster.
The use of a pacifier can provide comfort for your child during stressful or painful situations.
Many babies must breastfeed, even if they are not hungry. A pacifier can meet the desire for non-nourishing sucking.
Pacifiers are useful during air travel.

Related:

HOW TO SOOTHE A CRYING BABY?

BEST TIPS THAT HELPED ME SUCCEED WITH BREASTFEEDING

Pacifiers – Cons

On the other hand, these most common concerns about pacifier use may make you rethink that binky:

The use of the pacifier can lead to early weaning.
Sucking a pacifier can tire a sleeping baby, making breastfeeding more difficult.
Younger babies who use pacifier tend to cry when the pacifier falls out of their mouths. You will always have to put it back. Babies who do not use pacifiers often find other ways to soothe themselves by sucking their hands, fists or fingers.
Excessive use of a pacifier during the day can prevent your baby from drinking enough milk during the meals of the day. This allows the baby to wake up more often at night to eat.
Long-term use of a pacifier can cause dental problems for your child.
Some studies show that the use of a pacifier is associated with an increased risk of ear infections.

Bottom line

No definitive study recommends the use or non-use of the pacifier. For this reason, it is up to you to make this final decision.

Correct use of pacifiers has many additional benefits, but you should be aware of the cons and avoid the possible harmful effects.

Here are a few tips for using pacifiers safely

If you are breastfeeding, limit or avoid the use of pacifiers until breastfeeding is well established (approximately 3 to 4 weeks). Yet, don’t wait too long because an older baby may not use a pacifier.
If you need a pacifier for 3-4 weeks, you should check its use by always breastfeeding first.
If you are breastfeeding, the risk of swapping the nipples is smaller, but never immerse the pacifier in honey or sugar (Honey can be fatal for babies under one year old).
Pay attention to your baby’s needs, if the baby is hungry – don’t give him a pacifier.
Use orthodontic pacifiers to prevent tooth misalignment and orthodontic issues later in your child’s life.
Check the pacifier’s expiration date before using. Pacifiers might look sturdy, but they don’t have an endless shelf life. The silicone and plastic from which they are made can weaken or get damaged over time and it can put your baby at risk.