Mommy Talk: Do Pacifiers Really Help or Do They Make Things Worse

 

Even when my daughter was a baby, she seldom got cranky. Of course, there were some crying here and there but nothing compared to my nephew's. He just cries every after 10 minutes.

I don't even remember my daughter throwing tantrums before she was 1 year old. It's only now that her crying and drama irritates me. She's now 2 years and 10 months old.

Back then, we thought of buying her a pacifier to soothe her. We called it "paci" for short. Paci had not been so much of help when she was growing. Most of the time, we didn't need it either because she was not crying or she didn't like that something is in her mouth. Before she turned 9 months, we totally disregarded having to use one. 

When my nephew was born, I gifted him with those cute Avent pacifiers. They looked so clean and colorful.

He used them the moment he was born and boy, it is so useful for him as he was such a cry baby. He's now 1 year old and I could still see a paci tucked in his mouth all the time. I think he is so attached to it already.

This morning, I got to read an article in TIME about pacifiers and it made me think of the advantages of using a pacifier. Sure it does soothe him when he gets cranky but does it really help? 

The article discusses how pacifiers could sicken babies instead of curing crankiness.

  

According to a study, "pacifiers breed biofilms, a slimy slick of bacteria that can affect the healthy balance of microbes in a baby’s mouth." 

Dr. R. Tom Glass, the study’s principal investigator and a professor of forensic sciences, pathology and dental medicine at Oklahoma State University said that biofilms "can potentially increase the likelihood of colic or ear infections and could possibly heighten the risk of allergies and asthma."

With that being said, I hope my sister and all the ones out there make sure that they reach for fresh and clean pacifiers the moment their baby cries. The study hopes to alert mothers instead of creating panic.

I am sure there are mothers who will agree that obsessing over cleanliness would just make one too paranoid. But being aware that germs are everywhere should make you cautious in all the things that your baby holds and especially those things that he/she puts in his mouth.