 | ||
|
| |    Pacifiers by Dr. Benjamin Spock reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. How to use the pacifier Pacifiers in bed Replacing old pacifiers Why pacifiers? A baby who has periods of mild irritability can often be entirely quieted by having a pacifier to suck. We don't know whether this is true because the sucking soothes some vague discomfort or whether it simply keeps the baby occupied with a deep-seated reflex to suck. Pacifiers are helpful for babies who are sucking down bottle after bottle of formula, sometimes as much as 40 ounces a day. Often, what these babies really need is more time sucking. A pacifier can give them this, without the unneeded calories. The pacifier, when used correctly, also can prevent thumb-sucking. Most babies who freely use a pacifier for the first months of life never become thumb-suckers, even if they give up the pacifier at three to four months. See: Thumb-sucking: Why? Some would then ask: What's the use of a pacifier to avoid thumb-sucking, when pacifier-sucking is just as unattractive? The answer is that babies who become regular thumb-suckers in their first three months may continue to be thumb-suckers for years. By contrast, most pacifier-suckers are ready to give it up within a few months. Most of the rest give it up by one or two years of age. Finally, a pacifier is less likely to push the teeth out of position. How to use the pacifier In the first place, many babies -- perhaps 50 percent -- never try to thumb-suck at all or do it only casually and for brief periods. For them there is no need to get involved with a pacifier (unless there is colic). See: Colic: Why? If the baby becomes used to the thumb over a period of weeks or months, the chances are that he will refuse the pacifier. He has learned to enjoy not only the sensations in his mouth but also the sensations on his thumb. So if you plan to use a pacifier, start it in the first few days or weeks of life. The best time to offer a pacifier is whenever the baby is searching around with his mouth and trying to suck on anything that is handy. The idea is to give the pacifier to him as much as he can use it in the first three months, so that he will be satisfied and able to readily give it up later on. Two problems can interfere with the efficient use of the pacifier. In some cases, parents are reluctant to use it at all or try it so late that the baby, who would have taken it in the first weeks, won't take to it now. The second problem is that parents who have used the pacifier successfully for fretfulness are apt to develop such a dependence on it -- for comforting the baby any time he so much as whimpers -- that they can't get over the habit of popping it into the baby's mouth many times a day, even after he is ready to give it up (usually between two and four months). Pacifiers in bed If your baby is still on the pacifier after five or six months and wakes several times a night because he's lost it, put several in his bed at bedtime so that there's a better chance of his finding one by himself. Or let it stay lost; this could be a good time to get him used to doing without it. (Don't put a long cord on a pacifier to hang it around the baby's neck or tie it to the crib bar. This can be dangerous, as the cord can become wrapped around the baby's finger, wrist, or neck.) Replace old pacifiers When a baby has a few teeth, he can pull the nipple of an old, tired pacifier off the disk or chew pieces out of the nipple. These pieces may cause serious choking if swallowed the wrong way. So buy new pacifiers when the old ones become at all weak or crumbly. Clean pacifiers frequently with warm, soapy water. Pacifiers can become contaminated with candida, a species of yeast-like fungi. If your baby develops thrush -- a yeast infection in the mouth -- you'll want to sterilize the pacifier by placing it in boiling water for 10 minutes.
| |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About Us |
Contact Us |
Our Partners Privacy Policy | Ethics | Advertising Policy | Terms of Service © Copyright 2004 The Dr. Spock Company. All Rights Reserved. THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The information drSpock.com
provides is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for
professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care
professional if you have a specific health concern. Mention or advertisement
of any product, service, or brand does not constitute endorsement, guarantee,
or recommendation by The Dr. Spock Company. Please read our full
Terms of Service. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
