Consequences Of Excessive Use Of The Pacifier
Although it is an article that will positively accompany the child during their first years of life, it could also have negative consequences. In other words, the excessive use of the pacifier can end up being a bad thing for the child, as we will show you below.
Why it is good to avoid excessive use of the pacifier
Retreat on time is a victory. That is, we must prevent excessive use of the pacifier, after the time when it is necessary, so that it does not become a problem. Why? Here are the reasons.
May make it difficult to start breastfeeding
Sucking on the mother’s breast is not the same as sucking on a plastic nipple. So if the baby is learning, it is not recommended to put other types of mouthpieces in his mouth. This is so because we can end up confusing you. The little one does not move his tongue in the same way and will not know what to do.
It is known as nipple confusion syndrome. This problem can be caused by both the pacifier and the use of different nipples. This is the main reason why its use is not recommended until breastfeeding is a routine known and established by the baby.
It can promote the appearance of infections in the mouth
The use of the pacifier can cause certain infections to appear in the mouth. In general, one of the most frequent is caused by fungi, known under the name of muguett. It is a disease caused by candida albicans .
Tooth decay is another type of infection, although many are unaware of it. The excessive use of the pacifier can cause the so-called cavities of the bottle.
It can cause certain abnormalities in the teeth
Prolonged use of the pacifier can also cause certain abnormalities in the teeth. It is because they end up developing deformities in their jaws. In particular, it can cause the upper arch to be in front of the lower arch. This is called a malocclusion.
Another problem that can be found in this regard is that the upper teeth do not fit with the lower ones. Then an open bite would result.
This open bite occurs especially when pacifiers with a hard central axis are used. Also, when a baby is using it, they usually breathe through their mouth and not through their nose. All this encourages the appearance of abnormalities in the palate. It also favors the appearance of deformities in the oral cavity.
Speech disorders
It will also affect your language development. And it is that for a correct articulation of the phonemes on their part, it is necessary that the child does not have malformations in the mouth.
These disorders can be corrected. However, in this sense, we find that among these problems would be that of mispronouncing certain sounds.
May cause ear infection
The ear infection would occur because the baby breathes through the mouth, as we say. In that case, the Eustachian tube does not close when swallowing the saliva.
How to avoid these problems
To prevent our baby from having these problems, in addition to trying not to use the pacifier for a long time throughout the day, the following should be taken into account:
- The pacifier should be removed, definitively, at most around 2 or 3 years. In this way, we will be able to avoid malformations in the mouth.
- It is important to take into account the maturation of the child to avoid traumatic situations. For example, it is not advisable to remove it at the same time as the diaper. The usual thing is that from that moment on, the boys are the ones who claim the pacifier at certain times.
- In any case, you should keep in mind that in children the need for suction disappears when they turn 4 years old. From this moment on, they will not suffer even if they do not have their longed-for pacifier.
It is advisable to take note of these tips, since it is the best way to avoid problems related to excessive use of the pacifier and that, if it becomes encyst, it will cost a lot to disappear.
