Dummies are toys that are made of plastic and have a silicone teat; they are mostly used by many parents to calm their children and soothe them when they are feeling sleepy. Dummies are easy to clean and sterilize and they are safe for children to use because they have a plastic guard which prevents babies from choking. Some babies don’t like having a dummy and will spit it out when their parents try to put it in their mouth; however, many others find having a dummy very comforting.
Pros:
1. Helps to soothe the baby to sleep: Dummies play an important role in soothing the baby to sleep. By holding the dummy in their mouth, the teat at the end helps give them a soothing feeling that eventually sends them to sleep.
2. Help to calm the baby down when they are upset: Dummies are ideal tools that can be used to calm the baby down when they are upset. Just like the mother’s breast, the dummy gives a relaxing feeling that helps relax the baby when they are disturbed.
3. Reduces plaque buildup when the baby begins to grow teeth: Dummies also play an important role in reducing the buildup of plaque in between the baby’s teeth once the teeth start to grow. This reduces the chance of bacterial infection.
4. Lower risk of SIDS: Dummies play a vital role in lowering the chances of SIDS among infant children. SIDS is the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome that is mostly caused by the baby choking.
5. Helps babies feed better: Dummies are also known to play a vital role in helping the baby feed much better once they start eating food.
6. Prevents babies from sucking their fingers: Instead of babies sucking their fingers, dummies are used as a replacement for this hence helping the baby to detest sucking their fingers.
7. It can keep babies settled in between feeds: Once a baby has fed, he/she will most likely drift to sleep. But after they wake up hungry, they may be anxious and dummies come in handy in keeping them relaxed until the next meal.
8. Dummies can help babies settle from anxiety: Dummies keep the infants relaxed even when they feel the urge to be anxious which settles their anxiety.
9. Dummies can sometimes keep the baby focused: Dummies also play a vital role in keeping the baby focused.
10. It is easier to wean the baby from a dummy than from their thumb: Babies who use dummies are better off when weaning time comes as opposed to those who suck their fingers.
Cons:
1. Ear infections: Dummy use is linked to slightly higher rates of middle ear infections among infants.
2. Dental problems: Dummy use, especially beyond about 4-5 years of age, increases the chance of dental problems later in childhood – for example, the problem of a child’s teeth growing out of line.
3. It may upset the babies if it is unavailable: Babies can get very upset when dummies are lost or misplaced which leads to anxiety all over again.
4. Overdependence: Babies who are put on dummies all the time can end up needing their dummies to get to sleep. If it is unavailable, it may be a problem for them to sleep.
5. If babies aren’t old enough to find their dummies and put them back in during the night, they’ll cry for help. You can teach dummy independence when your baby is eight months or older.
6. It can prevent the baby from sucking well: Babies who are used to using dummies may find it difficult to suckle sometimes due to overdependence on dummies.
7. Speech problems: Dummies have been linked to speech problems in some children where the child may find it difficult to communicate.
8. It is difficult to wean a baby off the dummy once they get used to it: Once the baby gets used to using the dummy, it may also be a problem to wean them off of it.
9. Dummies can lead to disturbed sleep for parents: Babies who depend on dummies for sleep and relaxation may cause mayhem if the dummy is not available which may be a problem for the parents during sleeping hours.
10. Dummies may cause infections: Dummies may also cause some infections to children if they are not properly cleaned and the baby puts it in his mouth.
