KEY POINTS:
NEW YORK - Though dummies have been criticised for their potential to damage baby teeth, they can have some benefits too, say experts.
Past the age of two, dummies can begin to disrupt the development of the dental structures, causing misalignment of teeth. So experts advise against prolonged use.
They also caution against introducing dummies too early, as studies have found that may interfere with breast-feeding. But dummies are not all bad, says Jane A. Soxman, a diplomat of the American Board of Paediatric Dentistry.
Recent research has linked dummies to a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Dr Soxman lists the pros and cons of dummies in the current issue of the Journal of General Dentistry.
Several studies have linked dummy use before the age of one year to a lower risk of SIDS, which is most common between two and four months.
Some research suggests that infants who sleep with a dummy sleep less deeply and may be roused more easily if their breathing stops.
Other studies have found that a dummy during painful procedures, like a vaccination shot, can ease distress.
So the pros of dummies, Dr Soxman writes, "appear not only to justify their continued use in infants and toddlers but to support it."
There are, however, right and wrong ways to use dummies.
First, experts suggest waiting until your baby has been breast-feeding for about a month before trying a dummy. This may cut the chances of interfering with successful breast-feeding.
Then, know when to wean your child off the pacifier.
"The age of 2 is a good guideline," said Dr Luke Matranga, a past president of the Academy of General Dentistry and an associate professor at Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska.
Problems with baby teeth or underlying bones could still correct themselves when a child stopped using a dummy by age two or three, he said.
And the use of dummies may be preferable to thumb-sucking, which can do more damage to the dental structures and is a harder habit to break, according to Dr Matranga.
Ideally, dummies should be used only when an infant is falling asleep, instead of all day long.
To reduce chances of choking, parents should stop the use of dummies when they shows signs of deterioration in the nipple, and choose dummies with ventilation holes in the shield.
- REUTERS
