MORE TEENS DEVELOPING A PACIFIER ATTITUDE (2024)

FAQs

Why are kids obsessed with pacifiers? ›

When babies suck on a pacifier, toy or thumb, it's called non-nutritive sucking (because it yields no nutrition). Like baby meditation, non-nutritive sucking helps babies stay calm amid the chaos of the world around them.

What is an adult pacifier? A pacifier might be called an adult binky, soother, or dummy. The term you hear likely depends on where you live, but either way, it's often used to ease anxiety. Adults use them for soothing and relaxing, much like babies do .

Pacifier use should no longer be actively discouraged and may be especially beneficial in the first six months of life. However, the risks begin to outweigh the benefits around six to 10 months of age and appear to increase after two years of age.

Habit-forming.

Your baby may grow to rely on the pacifier to stay asleep. If it falls out of their mouth in the middle of the night, they may wake up crying. You might get less sleep because you keep getting up to give your baby the pacifier.

First and foremost, pacifiers offer a soothing effect on infants. Sucking on a pacifier can provide comfort and help babies self-soothe, which is why they are often used as a calming tool.

Consider the drawbacks: Your baby might become dependent on the pacifier. If your baby uses a pacifier to sleep, you might face middle-of-the-night crying spells when the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth. Pacifier use might increase the risk of middle ear infections.

According to research, intense use of pacifiers, defined as use over several hours during the day, can have a detrimental effect on speech and language development, especially for children past 2–3 years of age (Giugliani et al., 2021; Strutt et al., 2021).

Anxiety is a serious medical condition and should be treated by a doctor. There is not significant medical research yet on the health benefits of adult pacifiers. And while some adults might believe that pacifiers offer them relief from tension, such a benefit would only be temporary in nature.

Many children, especially those with behavioral issues frequently use pacifiers well past infancy. Their parents struggle with what to do about it so to keep them quiet and happy, they usually give in and “plug the child up” with a pacifier.

Prolonged use of pacifiers can lead to dental issues like cavities, crooked teeth, and gum disease, particularly if used past age 5 or coated with sweet substances. It may also cause a gap between the upper and lower teeth or flaring of the top teeth, increasing the likelihood of needing braces.

What age should you stop pacifier? ›

Stopping pacifier use before 2 to 4 years is usually suggested. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), agrees non-nutritive sucking is normal for babies and young children and recommend weaning from the pacifier by age 3.

After six months of age, the natural sucking needs usually fade; however, many youngsters find comfort in utilizing a pacifier or thumb sucking. Most experts agree that thumb sucking and pacifier use are harmless until roughly four.

As an infant grows and develops rapidly in the first months to years of life, the bones of the face and jaw are highly influenced by the forces that are placed on them. If an infant uses a pacifier for a long period of time many changes can occur with the dental arches, teeth and facial features.

An orthodontic design is meant to imitate a natural nipple and to accommodate the baby's “tongue thrust.” This is the motion that pulls milk from the nursing parent's breast. The nipple tip is typically flatter and square-shaped. Nonorthodontic pacifiers are the older style. These have the uniform bulb tip.

There's no perfect time to wean your baby off using a pacifier, but the consensus is that 1 year old is ideal, and 3 years is the absolute limit. Most infants will stop using a pacifier on their own by that time. The best thing to do is to speak to your pediatrician about your child's individual needs.

Pacifiers are soothing. And again, they are particularly soothing for children with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders. If you take away something that is soothing from your child, she will generally find her own replacement item/activity that is self-soothing.

Pacifiers can be a great emotional support for up to 1 to 3 years. Plus, pacifiers can be helpful for falling asleep and even during the day to relieve stress in little ones, like when they're sick, starting daycare, or traveling to a new place.

Many children use a pacifier to soothe and calm themselves well into their toddler and even preschool years.

Babies also suck because the action of sucking is comforting. This kind of sucking, also known as non-nutritive sucking, explains why a baby might suck on their mother's breasts at the end of a feeding. That's why they like baby pacifiers, too: they create a sense of calm and contentment.