Consequences Of Excessive Pacifier Use
There are numerous negative consequences of excessive use of the pacifier by the baby. We present some of them here and give tips to wean the child from the pacifier.
Although the pacifier will accompany the child positively in the first years of life, it can also have negative consequences. That said, overuse of the pacifier can be bad for the child, as we’re going to show you here.
Why should the excessive use of the pacifier be avoided?
Timely weaning is important. In other words, we need to prevent the pacifier from being used excessively so that it does not become a problem. Why? Here are the reasons.
Can interfere with breastfeeding
It is not the same as sucking on your breast or a plastic teat. So if the baby is learning to breastfeed, it is not advisable to put anything else in his mouth to suckle. That could cause confusion. The baby will not move his tongue in the same way and will not know what to do.
It’s called nipple syndrome. This problem can be caused by both the pacifier and the use of different bottle teats. This is the main reason why its use is not recommended until breastfeeding is a routine that the baby is familiar with and well established.
It can encourage infections in the mouth
The use of the pacifier can cause certain infections in the mouth. The most common are yeast infections caused by Candida albicans.
Tooth decay is another type of infection, although many are unaware of it. Excessive use of the pacifier can cause what is known as deciduous tooth caries.
It can cause certain abnormalities in teeth
Prolonged use of the pacifier can also cause certain abnormalities in the teeth. Deformation of the jaw can also be a result. In particular, the upper jaw can protrude. This is called a misaligned tooth.
Another problem that can arise is that the upper teeth do not match up with the lower ones. This will result in an open bite.
This open bite is most common when using pacifiers with a hard central axis. When a baby uses these, they usually breathe through their mouth rather than through their nose. All of this promotes the appearance of abnormalities on the palate. It also favors the appearance of deformations in the oral cavity.
Speech disorders
The pacifier also influences language development. In order to develop correct pronunciation, it is necessary that the child does not have any deformities in the mouth.
These malfunctions can be corrected. But the child will have problems pronouncing certain sounds.
May cause ear infections
An ear infection can occur because the baby is breathing through the mouth as we said above. In this case, the eustachi tube does not close when you swallow the saliva.
How can you avoid these problems?
To prevent our baby from having these problems, care should be taken not to use the pacifier for too long during the day. Please also consider the following:
- The pacifier should not be used until the age of 2 to 3 years. In this way we avoid malformations in the mouth.
- It is important to consider the child’s maturity in order to avoid traumatic situations. For example, it is not advisable to wean the diaper at the same time. Usually, at certain moments, the children will ask for the pacifier.
- In any case, you should keep in mind that the need to suckle disappears in children when they turn 4 years old. From that moment on, if you run out of your beloved pacifier, you won’t suffer.
It is advisable to keep these tips in mind as they are the best way to avoid problems related to overuse of the pacifier.
