"Are teeth pacifiers good for my baby?" - A mother's question

....A must have for most mothers especially the working class. Despite its advantages, like every other thing,it has its disadvantages. Sucking is a natural process and a normal part of development which is soothing to children even after they stop breast feeding. Hence, the teeth pacifiers are used to achieve and maintain this process well into their first year of life.

  ADVANTAGES OF USING TEETH PACIFIERS 

• It calms an irritated baby and offers temporary distraction to them.
• It helps babies fall asleep.
• It has been shown from research,that there is a relationship between pacifier use during sleep and a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).    Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden death of an infant that is not predicted by medical history and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy. As infants are at highest risk of SIDS during sleep, it is sometimes referred to as "cot death" or "crib death". The cause of SIDS is unknown.

   PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF TEETH PACIFIERS

• It can interfere with breast feeding when started early, causing a reduction in duration of breast feeding.
• Babies can become dependent on pacifiers. They may always need it before they can fall asleep with ensuing crying spells if it falls out of their mouth.
• The risk of infection is high especially if the pacifier is not routinely sterilized.
• It might cause a child’s front teeth to slant outward along with other teeth problems, especially if used for a protracted period.