Mom Should Know! Here are Risks of Pacifiers

 Pacifiers were historically considered beneficial until the early 1900s when an anti-pacifier movement spread fears that their use led to poor hygiene and indulgent behavior. According to scientific research, here are the risks of pacifiers:

1.      Your baby may become dependent on the pacifier.

If your baby sleeps with a pacifier, you may experience middle-of-the-night crying spells if the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth.

2.      Pacifier use may increase your baby's risk of middle ear infections.

However, rates of middle ear infections are generally lowest between the ages of birth and 6 months, when the risk of SIDS is highest and your baby may be most interested in a pacifier.

3.      Prolonged pacifier use may result in dental issues.

Normal pacifier use in the first few years of life does not usually result in long-term dental problems. However, using a pacifier for an extended period of time may cause a child's teeth to become misaligned.

4.      Using a pacifier may interfere with breastfeeding.

If you're breastfeeding, you might wait until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and you've established a nursing routine before offering a pacifier. A study of unrestricted pacifier use in healthy, full-term infants found that it had no effect on breastfeeding continuation.

As a good mother you should consider the risks of a pacifier before using it for your baby