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Pacifiers: harm to the baby
There are as many opponents as there are supporters of dummies. The latter invent different horror stories about nipples, and the former never tire of debunking them. Let’s try to figure out where are the myths, and where is a little bit of truth.
However, as soon as you decide to give a pacifier, you will surely hear a lot of different opinions on this matter.
“You won’t take it away later! Do you know what tantrums will be? ” – older comrades frighten neophyte moms.
It is believed that nipples can harm teeth, interfere with the development of speech, and the like. In fact, a dummy can be useful, for example, when the baby is asleep, sick, or just needs to be reassured. All pediatricians will tell you that soother sucking is preferable to thumb sucking.
1. The baby will be impossible to wean from the nipple
In fact, no one has ever seen a 10-year-old child with a pacifier in his mouth. But the habit of sucking the thumb can remain for many years, which will lead to joint problems, gum defects and even prevent teeth from erupting in time. The dummy helps children to calm down, as sucking has a psychologically relaxing effect. However, it is best to limit the use of the pacifier during sleep when the baby is in the cradle. It has been proven that in this case, the nipple can help cope with the syndrome of sudden infant mortality. But when the baby does not ask for a dummy, it is not necessary to shove it into his mouth. Otherwise, create a habit with your own hands that will really be difficult to part with.
2. If you feed yourself, the baby will not be able to breastfeed correctly.
This is not a myth, but the truth. If you practice breastfeeding, then do not give your baby a pacifier for at least the first couple of weeks, even if the baby only falls asleep with the breast in his mouth. The baby must first learn how to breastfeed correctly, and only then master the pacifier. The point is that the child must distinguish between two types of sucking, … By the way, it is better to choose a pacifier so that it resembles a mother’s nipple in shape. Then everything will be fine.
3. Pacifiers should be given on a walk
There is an opinion that thanks to the dummy, the child does not pick up cold air outside. His supporters are disappointed by pediatricians: if the baby is healthy, then he breathes through his nose. This is the most correct and natural way of breathing. At the same time, it is simply impossible to pick up cold air. So the dummy, even during a walk, performs only its direct functions – sedatives.
But what you really need to be wary of while walking is the dense canopy on the wheelchair. Parents sometimes too meticulously plug each hole to protect it from wind or rain. There was a case when a child almost suffocated under such a shell.
4. Nipples are harmful to teeth
It is a myth. Pacifiers do no harm to your teeth, unless you soak them in juice that contains sugar and can cause tooth decay. However, there is some truth in this myth. If the baby is constantly sucking on the pacifier, the upper palate may narrow, the teeth may move, and the tongue may become in the wrong position. Then you are guaranteed a long and expensive orthodontic treatment.
5. All pacifiers are the same
But no. First, there are different materials – latex and silicone. Latex is capable of causing allergies, specks stick to it more easily, and its useful life is shorter. It is softer, however, and the latex pacifiers can continue to be used even after teething. Silicone does not cause allergies, it is better in terms of hygiene and lasts longer. But with the appearance of the first teeth, the silicone pacifiers should be removed further away.
Secondly, the different size of the nipple itself and its base. The nipple should be suitable in size – the smaller the baby, the smaller it is. And the base should not press on the chin or nose of the child.
The stars that give babies dummies
— Ksenia Borodina… She was even ashamed for the fact that, in the opinion of some subscribers, her daughter Thea, who is too old for a nipple, still does not let a pacifier out of her teeth.
— Beyonce and Jay-Z… This couple spent a fortune on pacifiers for twins Sir and Rumi – about two million dollars! However, the parents’ spending was not limited to dummies alone. Their children get to know expensive brands literally from the cradle.
— Victoria and David Beckham… Their youngest, Harper, was still walking around with a pacifier at four years old and feeling great.