The "Binkie" Debate
There are many questionable facts on both sides of the "Binkie" debate. There is also a good deal of proven information. The most important consideration to make before getting a pacifier is whether or not YOU have the will power to only use it when the baby wants it.
Pacifiers help calm babies who are stressed and want to suckle for no other reason than having something to nash on. How horrible! some people say. Why? Anyone who has had a child realizes how uncomfortable a baby can be when they are over their stress limit. Not all babies suck on fingers (or toes) though I would definitely recommend trying to get them to before introducing a pacifier. Infants who suck on their hands generally stop around 6 or 7 months when the urge to suck begins to die down.
Body parts are also always accessible, unlike "nukkies" which fall from drowsy mouths and awaken babies. One remedy some parents have to this problem is to tie pacifiers to their children, or to their car seats, or their beds. This has caused many deaths and shouldn't be done. This has also caused many parents to develop a paci-reflex, offering one whenever their child cries at night without checking for other problems.
In fact, pacifiers pose many health hazards that parents don't always think about. The first being faulty manufacturing. Every product has recalls, pacifiers included. Do you check the Consumer Product Safety Commission on a regular basis? Would you recognize the brand of your child's pacifier if you read it on the web site?
Choosing a pacifier can be a daunting process. Out of the 23 versions we tried with our son he liked one...and from that brand he would only use the purple ones. ?? He's still very particular to this day, by the way. Our daughter wouldn't take any pacifier at all, but loved to suck on chins of all things. Good thing by that time I had a couple to spare. =)
Things to keep in mind while choosing a pacifier are SIZE, VENTILATION, and AGE APPROPRIATENESS. The APA recommends that a pacifier be at least an inch wide so that a baby can not suck it into it's mouth. Make sure the pieces can not come apart or crumble during use. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER substitute a bottle nipple for a pacifier! An infant has a powerful suck and can detach a nipple from a bottle ring.
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