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All About Pacifiers
Benefits: If a baby doesn't have a pacifier, he may find his thumb and fingers to suck on instead. Also research suggests other benefits: lowering the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome, relieving pain and alleviating reflux. Reasons to think twice about a pacifier? You have to pick it up and put it back in your infant's mouth whenever it falls out. Day and night. But a moist pacifier is a great breeding ground for fungus causing yeast/thrush infections of the mouth! Early pacifier use might adversely affect breastfeeding. It's not nipple confusion. It has to do with Mom's interpretation of her infant's need to feed versus a need to be soothed. Breastfeeding must be frequent (eight to 12 times per day) to bring in the milk supply. If a pacifier is given instead of feedings, the supply may be insufficient. Specialists consider that approximately at the age of 6 months the need to suck is gone and then the pacifier becomes a habit. After 10 months it should be discontinued. However, only 20 percent of children who use a pacifier will stop on their own at 10 months. Although many infants show some disinterest around 9 months of age, this period of time can be very brief. If you don't notice it, you may miss the opportunity to stop it. Should you panic if your child is approaching 2 and still using a pacifier? No, you shouldn't, though you should consider that it's easiest to wean your child between 6 and 12 months, doing it up to age 2 it's not a big deal. Later on that can change as social pressures become more of an issue. By age 3 or 4, playmates are likely to taunt a child who is still using a pacifier. And some preschools won't allow pacifiers. Pacifier Safety 1. Never tie the pacifier to a child's neck or crib by string or ribbon due to the risk of strangulation; clips attached to clothing may pose the same danger. 2. Wash pacifiers by running them through the dishwasher (make sure the package indicates they're dishwasher safe) or boiling them for infants less than 6 months old. Afterwards, they can be washed with hot sudsy water and air-dried. Have a few extra pacifiers around to ensure sufficient time for proper cleaning and drying. 3. Don't store pacifiers in plastic bags. Dampness encourages fungal growth. 4. Don't allow sharing. 5. Don't put anything sweet (such as honey, corn syrup or jam) on the pacifier. Never give honey to an infant under 1. 6. Use one piece pacifiers to avoid choking on small parts. 7. Don't use a bottle nipple stuffed with cotton. The nipple, bottle ring and cotton wading can come apart and become choking hazards. 8. Purchase pacifiers made of flexible, non-toxic inert material with shields at least 1.5 inches wide, air holes and easily held handles big enough to prevent swallowing. 9. Check pacifiers frequently for deterioration including holes, frayed edges or tears. 10. Replace worn or damaged pacifiers immediately.
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