Pros And Cons Of Pacifiers

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry, and you get all wet. Who else can be this other than the bundle of joy or the latest entrant to your happy family, a baby? It is true that the arrival of a newborn alters your life forever. Nothing remains the same after you are tagged ‘parents’. A woman starts learning new tunes when she becomes a mother and a father rocks others when he starts rocking his own baby to sleep. However, at times the most tolerable of mother’s lullabies or the finest of rocking couldn’t stop your baby from crying. Most of the times the parents are clueless about why their babies are crying, with their eyes totally shut, fists clinched tight and at top of his/her sound even hurting his/her vocal cord. You would have tried your hand at everything from rocking him/her to take him/her out but all in vain. It is then a ‘pacifier’ comes into the picture as your savior. The moment the baby is stuffed with a pacifier, he/she stops crying. Pacifier has found an important place among all those ‘must-haves’ for a baby. However, as you say nothing is perfect, pacifiers have their own advantages as well as disadvantages.

 

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Pacifiers

 

Not every time can a pacifier prove beneficial? There are pros as well as cons for pacifiers.

 

Best Way To Soothe
All babies are born with a sucking reflex. Some even start sucking before they are even born. More than anything it is the soothing and the calming effect that they give the babies that make pacifiers a must have for any new parent. Doctors say that the time that the baby spends in crying increases as he grows and it can cause crying stress. Pacifiers are the best way to soothe a baby and this soothing effect has made pacifier very popular as well. 

Health Benefits
It has been found that in preterm or premature babies pacifiers have proved useful. Pacifiers help the preemies to gain weight faster and also it was found that babies who used pacifiers show earlier sucking patterns and raise fewer health complications. 

SIDS
Researchers have found an association between the pacifier and the reduced number of SIDS. Though not proven, studies claim that there are fewer chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in babies who are used to pacifiers. 

Disposable
Pacifiers can be disposed once the baby stops the use. 

Cons Of Pacifiers 

Ear Infections
There is a greater chance of ear infections in children under the age of three who have the habit of sucking pacifiers. It is found that while sucking the pacifiers, fluid accumulates in the ears of the children, which can lead to ear infections. 

Interfere With Breastfeeding
Babies who are introduced to pacifiers at an earlier stage will have problem, sucking breast. This can lead to the early cessation of breastfeeding also. 

Dental Problems
Babies who tend to use pacifiers are found to have protruding frontal teeth or cross bite teeth. This condition can persist even after losing the milk teeth.