The pros and cons of dummies

“Honestly, the dummy saved my sanity the second time around,” says Sindiswa, a mom of two from Port Elizabeth. Her children couldn’t be any more different, while the first born seldom cried and self-soothed, only a dummy seemed to calm her five-month old. “I was hesitant to use one at first because of how hard I hear it can be to wean them off it, but my baby was inconsolable, we were exhausted and had tried every other trick in the book,” she recalls. 

What is a dummy used for for?

Dummies are used to calm fussy babies. They can even help a restless baby fall asleep. They work by triggering the natural sucking reflex, which releases chemicals that reduce stress. This helps a baby to fall asleep or soothe them back to sleep if they were startled overnight. They are great to use during periods of stress, such as vaccinations or illness because they counteract pain by redirecting a baby’s attention. A dummy is a baby’s main method of self-soothing until they are old enough to soothe in other ways. Some babies take to dummies right away, while some reject them from the start. If your baby falls into the latter, do not force them to use a dummy, they are not a must-have baby accessory.

What are the benefits of a dummy?

Aside from the relief parents experience with a baby that cries less or is easily soothed during a moment (or hours) of distress, it is also said (although not proven) that a dummy may reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) because the sucking motion prevents them from sleeping deeply, allowing them to easily wake up if they have difficulty breathing. Sucking or chewing a dummy may also relieve teething pains, and if managed correctly, a dummy may also help a premature baby hone their sucking reflex which hasn’t fully developed to make breastfeeding easier.

The downside?

In newborn babies, dummies can create nipple confusion, preventing baby from having a good latch during breastfeeding. This in turn reduces breastmilk supply due to reduced demand, not to mention other breastfeeding problems such as engorgement or mastitis. To combat this, doctors recommend introducing a dummy after the first six weeks of baby’s life. To prevent inhibited speech caused by babbling with the dummy in the mouth, doctors also recommend weaning between six and 12 months.

Dummies have also been associated with dental problems like overbites, lisps or tooth decay in cases where they are dipped in sweet substances to encourage use. Using a dummy for long periods allows bacteria to move from the mouth to the middle ear, causing ear infections which mostly affect babies from six months. Should a baby use a dummy to fall and stay asleep, it becomes a pain to have to pop it back in when it slips out and causes baby to cry.  Because they cause dependency, a dummy should not be the first solution to calm a fussy baby and should only be considered once other methods have failed. 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for calming fussy babies (which is a normal way for babies to express discomfort). Having weighed up the pros and cons, giving baby a dummy is ultimately your choice, so long as you’re prepared for any eventuality.

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