Why do they say u shouldn't give a newborn a dummy?

Question

What effect does it have?

Did u give ur newborn a dummy?

Any info is a great help, thanks.

Answer 1

The only reason I know of is it can cause nipple confusion making it more difficult establishing a breast-feeding routine.  The other possible reason could be that anytime a newborn is crying for food, you should give it to them (demand feeding) rather that putting a pacifier in their mouth.

But after they are 6 weeks old and a feeding pattern has been established, there are no reasons a newborn shouldn't be given a pacifier that I know of.  There also isn't a reason to take them away from them after 12 months.  The only negative I've heard of with pacifiers and toddlers is that if you let them keep a pacifier in their mouths ALL the time, it can delay their speech development.  But if you begin limiting pacifier use (like to nap/bed times) there isn't any reason a pacifier can not continue to be used until permanent teeth start coming in.

Answer 2

My newborn rejected his :). But after he was about 4 months he accepted it again. We now give it to him only when we make him sleep .. so after a few mins, it plops out of his mouth. It is suggested to only use the dummy/pacifier ONLY to pacify babies and not to shut them up because if you do then you wont get to figure out whats really botehring him/her. Babies cry only to communicate discomfort which could be hunger, sleepiness, gas, dirty diaper or any pain they may be in. So first figure out whats bothering him/her. And if all the needs have been met to the best of your knowledge then you can offer him/her the dummy.

Answer 3

They say, if you are breastfeeding, using a dummy can at first cause confusion and lead the baby forgetting how to latch onto the nipple, so some say to leave it a few weeks to properly establish breastfeeding before using a dummy.

However, I know loads of women who've used dummies from the start and breastfeed fine. Also, my baby was never able to latch on despite days of trying and I didn't use a dummy then, so I ended up bottle feeding, and started to use a dummy after this. It wasn't until he was 5 weeks old (I still kept on trying him on the breast every night) that he learnt to latch on - despite the fact that he'd been used to 5 weeks of bottles and dummies. So I am sceptical of this theory, but I'm sure for some women it's happened, but I wouldn't take it too seriously.

Also, use of a dummy has been proven to reduce the risk of SIDS, as it keeps the baby's airway open better.

I'm not saying you should definitely use one - that's up to you - just giving you an objective perspective! I use one (well my son does, not me!) and he's 8 months old now, and I'll be honest I really hate the look of them, that's the main downside I can see, and I get a lot of comments from interfering strangers telling me a dummy 'ruins' his face (the only time I put a dummy in his mouth in public is if he's been crying with tiredness and is having trouble dropping off without it). But I am going to just try to get him weaned off it by the time he's a toddler - I really hate to see kids tottering around with dummies permanently fixed in their mouths, and also at this age it can start to have an effect on their teeth.

One more thing to bear in mind is that if you don't give a dummy, your baby may become a thumb sucker. This (in my opinion at least) does look a lot cuter than dummy sucking, however it's a LOT harder to wean a child off their thumb than it is a dummy! I am 20 and still to this day *cringe* I sometimes fall asleep with my thumb in my mouth, and I had to have extensive orthadontic work as a teenager due to having sucked my thumb, and I have to wear a small brace behind my front two teeth for the rest of my life because of it - it's not the worst thing in the world I don't notice it and you can't see it from the front but I'll always know it's there! But not all babies do become thumb suckers so it might not be something you'll have to worry about!

I found that when my son was a newborn it often fell out and he'd cry so I was constantly putting it back in his mouth, but as they get older their suck gets stronger and also they develop the ability to put it back in themselves. But some babies won't take dummies anyway, apparently my parents tried with me when I was a baby and I always refused one. Before having my son I always said I'd never use one, but to be honest after a few nights of ten hour solid blocks of screaming right through the night with a colicky baby, all that had gone out the window and I'd have tried just about anything to calm him down - I do admire women who have a baby with TRUE colic and manage to resist the temptation to try a dummy! Of course it never provides any real solution to colic but it can give the odd minute of respite at times. But now I just admit I still give it to him out of pure laziness - his colic is a thing of the past but he enjoys it, he doesn't have it all the time, it doesn't hurt him and it doesn't hurt me, so I don't have the willpower to try and wean him off it yet!

Sorry for the long ramble!

Answer 4

if you are breastfeeding, than the baby could learn to suck in a lazy fashion and it will inerfere with breastfeeding. No matter, I breastfed both and gave them soothers from day 1

Answer 5

My sister gives her baby a pacifier when he just fusses for no reason, I think sometimes babies just get bored and it keeps them occupied.

Answer 6

They say because they "can" affect there gums and teeth and will cause dental and speech problems later in life..This is true if your baby goes beyond a year old just as if your child sucks his/her thumb at this age. I gave all 3 of my kids pacifiers starting right after birth but took them off by 10 months....They do have orthodontic paci's now that help prevent tooth and gum problems however if u ask any pediatrician or healthcare professional it is best to take baby off bottles by 9 months and paci's by a year...For the first few months of life though, those soothers work wonders =0)

Answer 7

All 5 of my kids used pacifiers until they were 12 mos old... After that age, the pacifier can really start s******g up with your babys teeth

Answer 8

The problems I have heard about is it (1) uses energy and (2) can get confused with the breast and make them less likely to latch properly. So most lactation consultants will tell you to wait with a pacifier until they have established breastfeeding well.

My babe started in the NICU, and they gave her a pacifier right away. She loved it. She needed to be sucking on something, and since they were feeding her with tubes, they could not have her establish breastfeeding. She has never had "nipple confusion" and has been using her dummy from the first day on. (Many different kinds, even). She really likes her binky, it helps her sleep, and helps her to fulfill her sucking need (she seems to need to suck more than she needs nutrition....and I do not want to be the human pacifier for her!).

Another reason I chose binkies for my baby, is because my whole family were thumb-suckers--and that is FAR worse than a binky, because you can't just take it away to break the habit. I would not want my daughter to be sucking her thumb, so decided to fight that however I could, including a binkie.

I think you just have to do what you think is right for your baby.  

Answer 9

I was told this as well, when I was pregnant with my elder twins. I also was told it was being investigated for SIDS.

I did my own research, and have found many different opinions.

All my 4 biological sons, have been offered a dummy. Only one had taken it for longer than a week.

I bought the *half-teat* ones to start off with, and was lectured by my midwife, because it causes the baby not to latch on right, to your breast. All mine have sucked on the full teat dummies, and never had any problems breast feeding.

My Husband had a dummy till he was 5, and he had perfect teeth, so I honestly don't believe it caused teeth problems. Unless of cause they walk around with it all day long.

I have no problems with Dummies at all. Mine all threw them away before 6 months. My 5 month old who is using one, has start throwing his, with no problems.

And they have new research saying it helps reduce the SIDS risk, so I think that is fantastic.

Each to their own really, personal preference.