Can a newborn use a pacifier?

Many parents, facing a crying baby, often have no idea where to start, and suddenly find an “artifact” – a pacifier. As long as this artifact is used, the baby will stop crying instantly, and the world will be quiet.

However, suddenly one day I heard that using too many pacifiers will affect the development of the baby’s teeth, and will grow into an unsightly “open mouth” in the future. So, can the so-called pacifier “artifact” be used for the baby?

Various sayings about pacifiers

There are some claims that pacifiers can help your baby develop the habit of closing his mouth and encourage him to learn to breathe through his nose, but in fact, when you suck at the breast, you breathe through your nose. If you breathe through your mouth, you can’t get milk.

There is also a saying that if there is no pacifier, many babies will achieve their goals by sucking their fingers, and it is easy to get sick because of dirty fingers, or to suck and peel their fingers. If the baby is a little older, if there is such a habit, it may affect the development of his gums.

In fact, there are medical situations in which pacifiers are used in preterm infants as part of oral motor-enhancing procedures.

But for most healthy babies, finger sucking is a normal biological development process, and babies who eat hands are no more likely to get sick than babies who eat a pacifier. If the development of the baby’s gums is affected, it is more because of over-dependence. If you only eat your fingers occasionally, or use a pacifier, don’t be overly concerned.

The benefits of using a pacifier

For example, the baby can self-soothe through oral sucking, so as to obtain a satisfied sense of happiness, reduce the frequency of crying, and save the mother a lot of worry.

Especially for babies born prematurely or with intrauterine growth retardation, pacifiers can not only soothe the baby, but also promote weight gain.

Disadvantages of using a pacifier

Because the baby’s innate unconditioned reflex and sucking reflex will gradually disappear over time, if parents let the baby use the pacifier excessively, it will undoubtedly strengthen this reflex, and over time will form dependence, and some babies are difficult to quit .

Long-term use will affect the development of the baby’s upper and lower jaws, resulting in malocclusion of the upper and lower teeth.

The baby also needs the comfort of the mother. If the pacifier is too much to replace the mother, the mother should pay attention to the parent-child interaction with the baby.

Should I use a pacifier?

There is a lot of controversy about the use of pacifiers. The Baby Friendly Hospital Regulations issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) 8 clearly states: “Do not give pacifiers or artificial pacifiers to breastfed infants.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics also emphasizes: The breastfeeding baby must be used after the baby is one month old to ensure that the breastfeeding technology is mastered, and the use of pacifiers in the neonatal period is only limited to some specific medical conditions, including pain relief, as comfort or tools to enhance oral function in premature infants. Aside from the specific medical conditions above, normal baby use of a pacifier may require more trade-offs. 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding is enough time for the baby to stimulate the touch near the lips and tongue through the sucking action, and the baby can get the satisfaction of the mouth.