Babies like sucking on pacifiers because it reminds them of being in the womb. In fact, sucking is one of 5 womb sensations (known as the 5 S's) capable of triggering a baby's innate calming reflex.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend weaning children from pacifiers in the second six months of life to prevent otitis media. Pacifier use should not be actively discouraged and may be especially beneficial in the first six months of life.
While a pacifier is a must-have for most babies, some simply don't like them. However, it usually isn't the paci itself that they don't like. Rather, a newborn may avoid using pacis because they actually need some cuddle time or feel hungry. During infancy, we rely on our parents to understand why we cry.
There's no need to remove your baby's pacifier while they're sleeping. In fact, doing that might wake them up, and we all know the old rule about never waking a sleeping baby. If the pacifier comes out at night and your little one is sleep sleeping soundly, don't feel like you have to put it back in.
Check how he's sucking. If he latches on well and takes long, drawn out pulls, then he's likely hungry and actually eating. But if his sucking motion is shorter and shallower, then he's probably sucking for comfort. You can also check whether he's swallowing the milk.
Using a pacifier can cause a baby's hunger cues to be missed because any kind of sucking, including non-nutritive sucking, can pacify or quieten a baby.
Can pacifiers prevent overfeeding? Yes. Sometimes, babies have the urge to suck for comfort and end up overfeeding during formula feeds. So, pacifiers definitely help lower the risk of overfeeding in babies.
Using a pacifier.
“Almost all babies will find some baby gas relief by sucking on a pacifier,” O'Connor says, because the sucking action releases endorphins that will soothe them.
Pacifiers have many benefits – including soothing babies, helping them fall asleep at night, and potentially reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Cons of pacifiers include establishing a habit that could be hard to break, as well as a possible increase in ear infections.
Other things that can cause gas include normal baby stuff like crying, sucking on a pacifier or simply getting the hiccups. Anything that causes baby to swallow excess air can trigger gas.
It's thought by some that gentle, repetitive tapping on the bum is said to mimic the sound and rhythm of a mother's heart beat in the womb. If your baby was head-down-bum-up like most are in the third trimester, their wee bottom's are what was closest to Mom's heart in utero.
SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable. So, all infants in this age range are at risk for dysfunction of neurological control of breathing.
If not try to use minimal soothing to settle baby back down without the pacifier. Often jiggling the crib (so baby's head jiggles lightly) or gently patting baby's back like a tom tom are good non-invasive techniques.
"They do interfere in the beginning with breastfeeding sometimes so that's why we don't have them in the hospital and have them for the first three to four weeks," explained Dr. Theresa Patton, with Methodist Dallas Medical Center. "Pacifiers are gone from general use.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice recommend reducing or stopping pacifiers early, since there is research that pacifier use beyond 12 months of age has the potential to increase the risk of ear infections in some children.
Consider the drawbacks: Your baby might become dependent on the pacifier. If your baby uses a pacifier to sleep, you might face middle-of-the-night crying spells when the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth. Pacifier use might increase the risk of middle ear infections.
You can also incorporate the use of a pacifier to help with burping in this position too. If your baby is really having a hard time burping, sucking on a pacifier while you gently pat or rub their back in this position can help get a stubborn bubble up and out!
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does recommend parents give pacifiers at naps and bedtime because they can help protect against SIDS.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic. The face may be flushed. The abdomen may be tense with legs drawn toward it.
An infant's penchant for sucking is often satisfied at the breast or with a bottle. But, let's be honest, you can only feed baby so much before soreness and exhaustion kick in, or baby is full. Not surprisingly, between 60 and 85 percent of infants are using pacifiers, according to studies.
Breastfed babies cry more, laugh less, and generally have "more challenging temperaments" than formula-fed infants, a study has found. But such behaviour is normal, and mothers should learn to cope with it rather than reach for the bottle, according to researchers.
You should definitely strive to sterilize your baby's pacifiers at least once per month, but you should sanitize pacifiers daily. Sanitizing is when you eliminate enough of the microorganisms on an object for it to be considered “safe.”