Lets here it for Hollywood again …Suri Cruise and her pacifier.

What is all the fuss?

Is five years old  too old for healthy pacifier use???

What we know…pacifiers soothe and comfort. Toddlers may use them as “transitional objects” to lower their stress levels.  So why not…since they cannot clearly express themselves and talk it out, let them soothe with sucking.

BENEFITS:

• Analgesia
• For pre-term infants it may shorten their hospital stays
• SIDS- may reduce the risk of sudden infant death – the reason is not fully understood but it may help maintain the infant’s airway, may prevent them from rolling on to their stomachs, provide increased arousal, decreases gastro-intestinal reflux and sleep apnea

COMPLICATIONS:

• Breastfeeding- pacifiers may interfere with the establishment of early breastfeeding, however can be used for oral training in infants.
• Dental health-dentists recommend that pacifiers not be used after 4 years of age and possibly earlier.
• Infection- ear, dental, respiratory, and gastro-intestinal
• Risks outweigh benefits generally after 10 months of age and risks increase after age 2..

RECOMMENDATIONS for pacifier use:

• Analgesia
• Decrease incidence of SIDS
• Avoid until breastfeeding is well established

As parents we have to make many decisions pacifier use  is just one of them. You and your child will work it out.

If your child uses a “binky” there is always the dilemma of how to “get rid of them” .

HOW TO  GET RID OF THE “BINKY”:

(not necessarily what I would do)

• Make it taste nasty
• Give it away
• Take it away gradually
• Lose it
• Read books about it
• Let your child decide

One story struck me…a mom tied each of her child’s binky to a balloon and let her child release them into to the air to go to other babies in “heaven”. She took pictures of this milestone. ( I know, what about the environment and the balloons?) I am open to other suggestions.

Try to deal with these milestones with the least amount of stress and trauma…in the scheme of things it is no big thing!

Thanks  Suri…

How do you deal with pacifier problems??