Dummies
WHAT’S THE DEBATE?
The pros: sucking is comforting for the babies and getting your baby to take a dummy can really help calm him when he cries (and get him to fall asleep); it can also help a small baby last a tiny bit longer between feeds, if you are trying to do this.
The cons: the World Health Organization says using dummies can interfere with breastfeeding and that they’ve been linked to dental problems, ear infection and stomach and mouth infections, only as the baby gets bigger; there is some evidence that dummies (presumably if used a lot) can interfere with the bubbling and other sounds a baby makes in preparation for speech, starting somewhere around six months; finally, if your baby can fall asleep with a dummy, problems may arise if his dummy falls out in his sleep and he wakes up crying for it ten times a night.
MANY PARENTS DECIDE:
- Only to use a dummy for six months then ditch it before dependency really kicks in
- Only to use the dummy to help him to fall asleep, then take it out once he’s sleeping
- To avoid using the dummy when he’s awake, so there is no interference with emerging babbling sounds and conservation
However you decide to use one, make sure it is very clean (don’t lick it, as you will transfer the bacteria from your mouth to the dummy). The official advice is that dummies should be sterilized for babiesunder six months.
