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Simranjit Kaur Mother of one, Master of Education with specialization in child-psychology. After becoming mother, I met with real me. I am now learning new concepts of parenting every fresh day and sharing my experiences with other mothers. I believe, one of the most important things that you, as a parent, should work on is - your child's psychology. Understanding the child-psychology will help you build stronger bonds and know them better.

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Baby pacifier; an accessory that you will probably find in every house with a newborn or infant. It is certainly not an item to miss. This wonderful accessory comes with own pros and cons.

Where it can help in calming a baby, at the same time, excess usage can affect the development of the oral cavity. In this article, I am going to talk about a few advantages and disadvantages of using a baby pacifier. After reading these, you will be able to judge yourself; using it or not.

Advantages

There are studies claiming that the risk of baby’s death due to SIDS can be reduced with a pacifier in baby’s mouth.

Pacifiers can help a baby sleep easier. There are times when you requires no extra effort to put your baby to sleep. But, there are sometimes when you desperately need these miraculous accessories to calm your baby and to put him to sleep better.

If you are traveling with your baby on an aircraft, pacifiers can significantly reduce the discomfort caused by air pressure that changes during flight.

You can also these pacifiers as a method of distractions. For example, you can offer a pacifier to your baby at times of collecting blood tests, ultrasound and other medical procedures.

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Disadvantages

Do you know that way a baby sucks a breast and a baby pacifier, both are different? It is purely a myth that sucking a pacifier can help a kid with any improvement in his breastfeeding motion. And, the worst part is, there are cases, where babies had refused breast sucking after offering pacifier in their first months.

It is true that by using a pacifier you can put your baby to sleep sooner and longer. But, do you know, by doing this, you are making your baby addicted to this pacifier. After a certain time, you won’t be able to separate it from your baby. And, then comes the time, when your baby won’t be sleeping without it and at night, he is going to wake up, once this pacifier falls from his mouth.

I am sure, not many of us know this. These pacifiers are the biggest reason behind otitis. Otitis is an infection in the middle ear, especially in the case of babies up to 6 months because at this age babies are more prone to otitis.

Generally, baby pacifiers are made of latex and it can make your baby allergic to latex.

Pacifiers can lead to the development of dental problems in the long run. Before handing over a colorful pacifier to you baby, do keep in mind that you are risking your baby’s harmonious growth of milk teeth.

Once developing and addiction for a pacifier, it is going to affect the development of the oral cavity. In the worse case, it can be a reason behind the unnatural position of your baby’s lips.

If you are using a pacifier every time your baby cries, how are you supposed to differentiate the reasons behind your baby’s crying?

Well, do not get me wrong. I am not against pacifiers. If even after learning these disadvantages you still want to use a baby pacifier, you can go for it. However, here are a few tips for doing so.

If you want to use a pacifier, it’s good to have the following:

Never offer a pacifier before breastfeeding. And, in the worst situation, where using it becomes the last option, use it after breastfeeding or between meals.

Instead of latex one, choose a silicone baby pacifier. And, do not forget to sterilize it before giving it to your baby.

Do not force your baby to have it. If he is refusing, try something else. Try other methods of calming your baby.

In case, if a pacifier falls from your baby’s mouth and your baby is still sleeping, do not give it back to him.

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Avoid coating it with any sweetener. I know, old people do this. If you are doing so, let me tell you that you are making your baby addicted to sugar. And, after some time, your baby is going to reject breastmilk.