Advantages of Pacifiers for Babies

(1) Pacifiers can calm down fussy babies.

(2) Pacifiers can temporarily distract babies' attention, such as during injections, blood drawings, or other procedures.

(3) Pacifiers can help your baby fall asleep.

(4) Pacifiers can relieve discomfort during flights. Babies cannot alleviate ear pain through swallowing or yawning like adults, but they can relieve it by sucking on a bottle or pacifier.

(5) Pacifiers can reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

(6) Compared to thumb sucking, pacifiers are relatively better for older babies who have the habit of sucking their fingers, which can easily lead to dental deformities.

Disadvantages of Pacifiers

1. From a physiological perspective, as children's innate sucking reflex gradually fades over time, if parents continue to give their children pacifiers, it will undoubtedly reinforce this reflex, leading to dependence over time.

2. When babies continuously suck on pacifiers, air enters their mouths through the corners of their lips during swallowing, and then enters their stomachs. When the stomach cannot bear the capacity of milk and air, it will contract, causing milk regurgitation.

3. Constant sucking on pacifiers causes the gastrointestinal tract to contract conditionally, and frequent contractions can easily lead to intestinal spasms and abdominal pain.

4. Dentists believe that long-term use of pacifiers can affect the development of children's upper and lower jawbones, causing high arches and misalignment of upper and lower teeth, resulting in an unattractive appearance of the lips.

Key Points for Proper Use of Pacifiers

Point 1: Clean pacifiers daily with baby-specific dishwashing soap. If they encounter dirt or fall on the ground, they should be cleaned immediately.

Point 2: Replace pacifiers with new ones in time. Old, cracked, or porous pacifiers, as well as those with incomplete parts, should be replaced promptly. Generally, they should be replaced every two months. If your child sucks vigorously, they may need to be replaced more frequently.

Point 3: If your child always bites on the pacifier, provide them with teething toys. Avoid the child biting off and swallowing the pacifier, which can cause choking hazards.

Point 4: Choose pacifiers that are similar in shape to your mother's nipple for your child. Avoid making your child overly dependent on pacifiers.