Pacifiers: Love Them or Hate Them?

Posted on 07 30, 2006 under Doodads by Noodad |

It's one of the parental question of all questions. The decision that could mean hundreds of cries, peace and quiet, or it could be anywhere in between. I'm talking about the decision to use a pacifier.

Pacifiers (or as some people call them, Binkys) work by simulating the shape of a nipple and thus satisfying the soothing sucking reflex that every baby has. So it simulates a boob. That rocks right? Not so fast Mr. Boobington: there are some problems that can occur when your kids get hooked on the pacifier. Yet there are many short term benefits to popping these suckers in their cry-holes. Below are some pros and cons:

THE PROS
Comfort — Sucking relaxes babies. Babies sometimes crave that sucking even when they are not hungry. The last thing you want to do is overfeed your kid just because they want to suck and your wife's breast will thank you for it too. A pacifier provides that craving without the food aspect.

Peace and Quiet — A pacifier in your kid's mouth means a kid that does not cry. There ain't nothing wrong with a little peace and quiet.

Avoiding the Thumb — Thumbsucking is supposedly a harder habit to break than pacifier use. Some parents opt to freely give the pacifier to prevent their kid from discovering the thumb.

Positive Pavlovian Effect — Over time, kids will start to associate pacifier use with sleeping. This can become incredibly convenient when you are trying to get your kid ready for naps. Just pop in the binks and they will start the shutdown cycle.

THE CONS

Dependency — Kids can become very dependent on pacifiers. This dependency can become so severe that they will throw fits without them. They could be bawling in the middle of the night while you are searching around the room for where they threw it.

Teeth Problems — Pacifier use has been proven to lead to teeth problems like overbiting and enamel decay. In some cases, doctors and pediatric dentists may order your kid to stop pacifier use and this leads to a very painful weaning process, and frequently, thumbsucking.

Sleep Issues — Experts in baby sleeping, like Dr. Ferber and his "Ferberizing" sleep method caution against creating situations where your child needs outside factors to fall asleep. This includes rocking, holding, and pacifiers.

Keep in mind, this is not necessarily a binary decision. There are many parents who have successfully used pacifiers with their kids with no adverse side effects. Whatever you choose to do, it is important that you know the potential pitfalls and you stay on top of the use. It is also recommend that you discuss this issue early with your wife. The last thing you want to do is start a habit in a fit of 2:00 am desperation that you will fight over for the next 2 years.

Good luck noodads.

 

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    We\'ve had great experiences with pacifiers. We didn\'t take it away from our first kid (now 5) early enough, though. I think he had one until he was almost 2. We put off taking it away because we expected a couple of weeks of hell once we did. In the end, nothing happened. He didn\'t really seem to care. I\'m guessing that we just lucked out. His brother (almost 1) won\'t have his as long and the use will be restricted to the crib. Regarding the Cons:
    I think kids can become dependent on anything--ever see a kid clutching a filthy, tattered rag or a ratty stuffed animal?
    Not sure about tooth decay and thumbsucking, but I\'d bet that thumbsucking causes more overbite issues than pacifiers.
    Sleep issues: As long as the pacifier is only part of the routine and not the only thing your kid associates with sleeping, I don\'t think it\'s a big deal. It is a problem when the only way your kid can catch some z\'s is with the pacifier in his mouth.
    One more thing, YOU may not even get to make the choice about whether your kid uses a pacifier--lots of infants want nothing to do with them.
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    My son is almost 4 months old and has never been into the binks. He\'d take one as long as I held it to his mouth, which defeats the whole purpose.

    \"They\" say that pacifiers actually protect against SIDS.

    And I commit another Dr. Ferber sin every night... I nurse Seamus (yeah, that\'s his name, you wanna fight about?) to sleep. You can tell me 100 times not to do it but my son sleeps through the night, 10 hours on average, 95% of the time. And yes, I know this means my next baby will probably NEVER sleep. Karma\'s a nasty bitch.

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