Description

In this parenting tips video learn about the debate on whether allowing your child to have a pacifier is a good or bad thing.

Transcript

The Debate on Pacifiers Host: The reality is that nine out of 10 children either suck a pacifier or a finger or thumb. Jill Borsky gave her son Drew his first pacifier when he was a week old. He took to it right away. Jill Borsky: I actually have a lot of pictures of him with this pacifier, isn’t it that it looks so great compared to his face you know that little. Host: Like many children, Drew seem to take comfort in his pacifier and although he uses at less frequently today than he did a year ago, it’s still a regular part of his routine. Jill Borsky: I figured it’s something that suits him and helps him manage pain or fuzziness then it’s a good thing for him. Host: Some parents are concerned the continual pacifier use will harm their child’s teeth. They may even have noticed that the child’s front teeth on the top have began to lie forward and the ones on the bottom have began to lie backwards. Is this cause for concern? Kevin Hale: That’s not a bad thing because when you stop the habit, it tends to relapse on its own. So really, don’t get too alarmed about that. The one thing to remember is that it’s much more important to have a healthy child psychologically than just to have child with healthy teeth. Host: Pacifiers coming almost as many sizes, shapes, and colors as the children who use them. How do you choose the one that’s right for your child? First of all, look for one that’s sized correctly according to your child’s age as for shape. Kevin Hale: The studies have shown conclusively that the shape of the nipple really does not have an impact on the amount of misalignment, so find one that your child likes. Host: Safety is a concern as well. It may seem an obvious point but check to make sure that the pacifiers you buy have no small parts that could break off and present a choking hazard. Kevin Hale: You usually get what you pay for, so it’s a good investment and it’s a safe one. Jill Borsky: Once your child is taking to a particular pacifier, the challenge becomes keeping it clean. I clean them in a dishwasher and I usually boil them on a hot water and I guess a lot that I would just throw them out and get a new one, so yes they kind of come pick up germs so I wish I had—with me. Host: Parents who want to keep a pacifier clean and accessible, maybe tempted to tie to their child’s wrist or clothing. Doctor Hale makes a point to warn all of his patients about this. Kevin Hale: Don’t do that. That’s a no, no because you’ll never know what position the child is going to end up in and you can cut off blood circulation or airways or things like that. They do have little clips on some of them that are kind o f elastic and with those, you don’t want it to be over like six inches long but the best bet is just to avoid that all together. Host: At what point should a child stop using a pacifier? There is no well-defined cut-off date. On average eight out of 10 children stop by about age three but pediatricians don’t generally become concerned until a child reaches four and a half. Kevin Hale: There really is no reason for a parent to take away a pacifier prematurely from a child. They may need that. There are reasons that these children have these sucking habits. They do it when they’re bored. They do it when they’re stressed for comforting. Jill Borsky: I think when sleep transitions from a crib into a bed that that’s probably a point in time where he’ll be old enough and I can also reason with him that now that you’re in a big boy badge, you don’t need your pacifier anymore since it’s part of mainly his bedtime routine, I think that would make any sense for us.