Inch or pacifier: at what age part of it?

Suck her thumb or take a pacifier can help baby to fall asleep, to relax or to calm down. There thumb is a habit taken by the baby from the 4th month of pregnancy. It allows you to soothe the baby. But it is not always well accepted by doctors since it acts unfavorably on baby’s teeth, who, very often has trouble separating by growing up. What are the benefits and risks? At what age part of it? We take stock.

Suck, a physiological need

Sucking is a physiological need which appears in the fetus from the 16th week of pregnancy. The baby feels reassured, protected, soothed. In short, for him, suckling, it’s happiness! And this, to his three years approximately. The ideal then consists in giving him a pacifier If he really feels the need. It’s up to you, to feel if the thumb, breast, bottle or comforter are not enough to satisfy him. If this was the case, choose a new pacifier model in perfect condition, from an approved brand to prevent it from deteriorating and has a danger to your child’s health. If the pacifier is dirty, you can of course clean it in water and soap.

Thumb or pacifier: What risks for baby’s teeth?

To wonder if the baby sucks his thumb too frequently and too long: this can testify to certain psychological difficulties (lack of attention, anxieties …). Suck her thumb Too strongly can cause a deformation of the baby’s palate. Indeed, it is sometimes possible to use orthodontic treatments which can make it possible to restore an alignment of the teeth as well as an occlusion between the upper dental arch and the lower dental arch. Moreover, suck his thumb or nipple beyond 2 years Can cause an automatic suction and oral breathing, factors of deformation of the palate: it becomes narrower and more hollow, causing a malposition of the teeth and causing the incisors forward giving these impressions sometimes called “rabbit teeth”. These deformations can also be observed with the suction of the bottle or the maternal breast.

As for the pacifier, it conveys microbes. It is therefore better to avoid giving it systematically to your child as soon as he cries. Putting a pacifier too frequently in your baby’s mouth to prevent it from crying can become an overly systematic attitude that can have consequences for the development of the child. The pacifier can prevent the baby from chirping if it uses it too frequently. The child can become dependent on his pacifier. He can also lose it at night and start crying. In addition, it does not promote breastfeeding: sucking techniques are different. The baby is likely to pinch his mother and cause crevices.

Inch vs pacifier: advantages and disadvantages

The pacifier is less harmful to the palace than the thumb in the first months … like the thumb, it soothes the baby and helps him fall asleep. It promotes the pleasure of suction and quickly becomes an object that reassures the child. The advantage is that the latter can get rid of its pacifier more easily than its thumb, which would cause less deformations of the palace. But it is still necessary to feel ready to part with it … The use of the thumb is more difficult to avoid when children are older; They can thus continue to suck their thumb, up to a very advanced age, but more with their pacifier!

At what age to stop the thumb or pacifier?

All experts agree that it is imperative to stop sucking your thumb or pacifier Before the age of 3. At this age, oral deformations can still regress spontaneously.

A “baby addiction”

Some parents can testify to this … sometimes children make a drama when they lose their pacifier ! Hence the usefulness (and you will understand it very quickly), to have several spare teats! At night, after falling asleep, baby is also likely to open his mouth and drop the translucent butterfly which gave him comfort and safety. Result: his crying resume because it is impossible for him to find the object in his bed. And the quest for a peaceful night collapses at this moment for parents who must start a excavation in good standing of the cradle … Unless you choose a fluorescent pacifier to make your task easier, scatter several teats in the bed to help baby grab one or even attach said pacifier with a cord on its pajamas so that it never lost it. Please note, do not risk a serious accident by attaching the “totote” with a wire around baby’s neck …

An enemy of quenots

It is proven, the pacifier can cause deformations of the jaw and different kinds of dental malpositions in children. At least, if baby uses it after its 3-4 years. It will then be necessary to call on an orthodontist, capable of repairing the damage using a dental apparatus and a small rehabilitation from 6 months to a year. Know all the same that these dental concerns, as frequent if your child sucks his thumb, require a predisposition. You will understand, so as not to take risks without causing too much frustration, it remains to limit the use of the pacifier over time. To convince your little one that he can do without it, proceed in stages. Suggest him to remove it for an outing, to speak or even every other night. Do not hesitate to remind him that he is tall and that he no longer needs it. This will value him and help him “win”. Giving him an Butoire date, like his birthday or his kindergarten, can also support him in his effort.

The subject of questions

Several studies are trying to demonstrate the benefits or misdeeds of the pacifier … A Finnish survey has for example demonstrated that the risk of developing otitis decrease in children who did not suck a pacifier. On the other, American researchers revealed that the use of the pacifier decreased the risk of sudden infant death More than 90 %! Indeed, the position lying on the back to sleep, induced by the use of the pacifier, constitutes the basic safety rule to avoid any accident. But nothing prevents baby in this way and this, without pacifier in the mouth … In short, the debate remains open.