Baby dummy why

Skip to content Skip to navigation. Dummies: advantages and disadvantages Sucking a dummy can help some babies settle. But not all babies like dummies. There are other disadvantages to dummies too: Dummy use is linked to slightly higher rates of middle ear infections. Babies can get very upset when dummies are lost or misplaced.

Babies can end up needing their dummies to get to sleep. You can teach dummy independence when your baby is eight months or older. Choosing dummies Dummies come in different shapes.

Here are tips to help you choose a dummy for your baby: Look for a one-piece model with a soft nipple. Dummies made in two pieces can break apart and become choking hazards.

Look for a firm plastic shield with air holes. Butler R, et al. Pacifier use, finger sucking, and infant sleep. Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Jaafar SH, et al. Effect of restricted pacifier use in breastfeeding term infants for increasing duration of breastfeeding. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Nowak AJ, et al. Oral habits and orofacial development in children. Accessed Sept. Thumb sucking, finger sucking and pacifier use. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Products and Services Book: Obstetricks.

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Vaccination schedule Baby's soft spots Show more related content. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Reprint Permissions A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Not all babies like dummies. Do not force a dummy onto a baby who has their mouth shut or turns away. They are a little bit of both, is probably the best answer. Medical experts have found evidence both for and against dummies, which is why the topic is so confusing for parents.

In The American Academy of Pediatrics reported that dummies protect against sudden infant death syndrome , for example. However, in the World Health Organization stated that breastfeeding infants should never be given artificial nipples.

This conflicting advice demonstrates that there is medical evidence for both sides of the argument. In addition, parenting is a complex process so scientists cannot always study dummies separately from other parental influencing factors.

They therefore cannot say with certainty whether the dummy alone causes attachment, distress or other issues. This is because in the first few weeks of life your baby is learning to breastfeed or take milk from the bottle.

They have to learn how to use their tongue, lips and swallowing action to get milk from the nipple or teat. If you give them a dummy too early, it can create confusion between feeding and suckling, which could lead to feeding problems.

Try to give your baby a dummy for limited time periods, and only when associated with sleep. If you give your baby a dummy throughout the day and night, they will become more attached to it and it will be more difficult for them to let it go at a later stage. Try not to put your baby to sleep with a dummy. Use self-soothing methods to get your baby to sleep initially, and only use a dummy as the last resort if they wake up during naps or in the middle of the night.

You can stop using a dummy at any time. However you should aim to stop using a dummy by 12 months. If you stop using dummies with your baby at three months, their memory of relying on this as a soothing mechanism will fade relatively quickly. However, it may become more difficult to wean your baby off a dummy between six months and a year because your child could become more reliant on it. That said, if you have only used a dummy specifically at nap times or during the night on occasions , you should find your baby is more able to give the dummy up.

Experts are divided on this. Recent research from the University of Sydney in the Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica journal showed that there was no association between a history of dummy or thumb sucking and young children having speech impairments.