作为家长, it may seem like pacifiers are always a battle—whether you’re trying to get your child to take one or to take one away.
Pacifiers can be helpful to babies, who are born with the need to suck to eat and drink. Sucking can also be soothing or calming to some babies.
If you’re debating about whether to give your child a pacifier, consider these things:
- Pacifier use is not recommended before your newborn is 3-4 weeks old so they can establish breastfeeding skills.
- Offering a pacifier during sleep can reduce the risk of 婴儿猝死综合症（SIDS）.
- 患病的风险较低 有吮手指或拇指的习惯.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends weaning children from pacifiers by the age of 18 months to 预防中耳炎.
- Extended pacifier use can have adverse dental effects.
安抚奶嘴和孩子的牙齿
"Some children benefit from the psychological security that a pacifier brings, 这是一件好事,” 詹姆斯·贝克，DMD, a pediatric dentist at the University of Utah 牙科学院. "Teeth can be straightened, but psychological development is very important."
研究显示 that children using a pacifier at age 3 or older have a higher chance of developing anterior open bite than those who do not use a pacifier. Continued use can also lead to posterior crossbite.
"The harm is usually in creating an 'open bite' where the front teeth don't meet, 难以咀嚼食物,贝克说. "Pacifiers also can cause a narrow palate and sometimes a posterior cross-bite. These are conditions that can be addressed with interceptive orthodontics."
To avoid such problems, it’s encouraged to wean pacifier use by the time a baby is 18 months old.
当奶嘴停下来的时候, the bite naturally starts to correct, 所以戒得越早, the better the outcome and less treatment required,贝克说.
奶嘴断奶
Most children will stop their sucking habits on their own. However, this is not always the case, and your child might need some encouragement. It’s time to start thinking of pacifier weaning around 18 months.
“Speech development is so important after one year,” says 伊丽莎白R. 史密斯博士, a pediatrician at University of Utah Health. “I typically encourage parents to transition to only using the pacifier for sleep, 这样当孩子醒着的时候, the pacifier doesn’t get in the way of making speech sounds.”
When it's time to give up the pacifier, it’s important to know the comfort it can bring to a child. This is a good opportunity to transfer that emotion to another object.
你可以这样做：
- Limiting pacifier use to naps and sleep.
- Offering another security replacement such as a stuffed animal or blanket.
- Praising your child when they don’t use their pacifier, such as through daily rewards or star charts.
- Keeping your child distracted or busy to get their mind off the pacifier.
And when you’re ready to ditch the pacifier completely, make it special for your little one.
“Sometimes this can involve a ‘pacifier party’ where the toddler gets a surprise to replace their pacifier,史密斯说. “Some parents will also let their child ‘trade in’ their pacifiers for a toy of their choice, which is a fun way of letting them be involved in decision making.”
If you have any concerns about pacifier use, talk with your pediatrician. Pacifier weaning is not always easy, but 随时都可以得到大发娱乐.
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