New guidelines out - offer newborns a dummy

[uberalice]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6229516.stm

Silly. Just plain silly. As if we can't decide for ourselves whether or not to use a dummy. Personally, I don't really mind them... but NEVER at bedtime. Because I don't want to spend the next two years getting up to find it for him/her in the middle of night. So, no dummies in the cot at my house.

saw that this morning too.

Eleusis - I've never used a dummy with any of my DS's (although am contemplating one for DS3) but both DS1 and DS2 used to like to fall asleep sucking "something" - in DS1's case it was my breast - and he then couldn't be moved, and DS2 it was his bottle - we'd feed him and he'd fall asleep we'd then wind him and put him in the cot, he'd then stir/wake up - so we'd let him suck on the bottle (usually a few dregs left) for a few seconds - he's then fall asleep and we'd take the bottle away........and he slept all night from really early on - never had an problem with him waking up looking for it.

The article does also say that you shouldn't force them if they don't want it (the baby that is LOL) and to wean them off it around 6 months (when it's easier to do most of the 'sleep programmes' eg CC, No cry) with them.

i thought it was detrimental to breastfeeding, especially in the beginnning..
my MW tried to show me how to keep it in DS mouth, with a toy, stuffed there... rejected though.. then HV pointed out the breastfeeding prob.

yes it is - it also says in the article that breastfed babies shouldn't be offered a dummy until they're at least 1 month old to let the breastfeeding get established.

you can tell i didnt read article ..just headline

I read it

I don't like dummies. I know to lots of people they are an absolute godsend, but I just don't like them.
Don't the dummies mostly fall out as they fall asleep anyway. Am I being dim - I don't get the link - how does it reduce cotdeath ?

Bad idea anyway, I reckon.

Oh I can imagine some poor first time mum pulling her hair out at her PFB not taking a dummy.

sounds ridiculous, let them find their thumbs

Nbq - it also says not to force them if they don't want it (am I the only one who actually read the whole article ).

yes

Report says - There is no clear reason why dummies protect against sudden death.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "It is possible that using a dummy at the start of any sleep period reduces the risk of cot death

= Report has no scientific reasons at all = what a load of nonsense.

elastic - DS1 never did find his thumbs (or fingers for that matter). DS2 found 2 fingers REALLY quickly - DS3 - well he occasionaly finds his fist or a finger and then punches himself in the eye with it

No no. I was a good girl. I read it

Even if it says dont force it, there will still be HV's about ramming "give them the dummy" advice at them.

When DTDS were in hospital they were encouraging the use of dummies with a couple of the prems that were having trouble coming of the respiratory support (not all prems though)

I think there was a theory that the sucking was aiding lung development and function - so maybe it is related to that rather than the fact it is a dummyt at bedtime IYSWIM.

They do say they don't know why it works but this sounds like a sensible possibility to me.

ahhh but that's a whole new topic - HV's - .

Anyhow - better got - DS3 awake (again) (and no he didn't have a dummy to get to sleep LOL).

Agree with slightlymadsugar.

Message withdrawn

Oblomov - just because they don't know why it lowers cot death doesn't mean it is all nonsense.

"A recent study by researchers in California found that giving a baby a dummy may reduce the risk of cot death by as much as 90%"

And it is not just based on 1 study either....

This new baby will certainly be having a dummy.

I'd have given my limbs for ds to take a dummy.

none of mine liked them

This has been the advice in the States for some time. The study looked at babies that had died from SIDS and whether they had started that sleep with or without a dummy. The BBC report isn't terribly good (there's a surprise).

It is supposedly to do with the sucking action bringing the tongue (and muscles or the throat) more forward and so keeping the airway open. And that even when the dummy falls out the baby keeps the muscles in the same configuration. Or something.

But it was ages ago that I read the study to be fair!

I agree it is not as easily enforcable as feet to foot or back to bed etc. but it is at least something we can try to reduce the risk.

so offer thea dummy, once thy are over a month, but take it away at 6 months...
right ho.