Why is a dummy bad for baby

[Hope54321]

Why are dummies considered to be bad for babies?

They can be a useful sleep tool, but when they are used regularly while baby / toddler is awake they can limit language development, and also be bad for their teeth.

They are only bad once they are toddlers and if overused can cause speech/teeth issues.

By whom OP? They are thought to be of benefit in reducing the risk of SIDS for example. If you bf, they can be a pleasant break for your nipples as well Can be an issue with an older child but that is a bridge I was happy to cross when I got there.

Ime as necessary up to a year old. Bedtimes /naps after that. Binned with the cooperation of pre schooler..
No long term issues I have had giving one (hundred!) to any of my dc...

They can be amazing.

Like all things there’s good and bad. They can limit language development, some people think they can cause an overbite. Equally there’s research that they can help regulate breathing and reduce SIDS risk, and they can be a comfort allowing parents to get better sleep.

There’s no right or wrong answer, you have to decide what you are comfortable with.

It is actually suggested that that can reduce the risk of SIDS so in my opinion are good for sleeping. If they have them all the time until well into toddlerhood though they can cause speech and language development issues and teeth alignment problems.

We haven’t used dummies with ours, mostly because I didn’t want to create a problem that had to be addressed at a later date.
Also, I was breastfeeding and they’re not recommended for the first six weeks until feeding is established and by six weeks it seemed pointless.

Good for babies, bad for toddlers. I've tried really hard with all of mine to get them to take a dummy, none would but still trying with dd3. Need to be gone soon after 1 or they affect speech and teeth but they're really useful in the first year (so I hear)

They’re not, a lot of it is snobbishness, on MN they seem to be regarded as common. I was happy to be seen as common while enjoying my many hours of unbroken sleep a night because my DC loved theirs and would sleep happily with it. I don’t like to see toddlers with them in during the day but used appropriately there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.

They're not. They reduce SIDS trial and can help with reflux. There's a point where the disadvantages outweigh the advantages but for babies, nothing wrong at all.

I packed a couple in my hospital bag and bf all of mine...
Personal choice ime.

They aren't.

They are bad once a child has their mouth constantly plugged when they are trying to develop their speech.

DS was given one at birth by neonatal staff as they reduce the risk of SIDS. I mainly used it just for naps / night sleep after a few months. He’s 2 now and I still put one in his cot for sleep but he rarely uses it, if he does he spits it out shortly afterwards.

He never has it when he’s awake.
His paediatrician and dentist have no issue with this sort of use.

I love dummies! What’s wrong with a child using them for comfort 🤷🏼‍♀️ DD1 had one from a baby to 3 years old. For sleep only past age 18 months or so. No speech issues, teeth are straight as a die, it wasn’t the easiest getting rid of it admittedly but we had a week of hell and a couple unsettled months & then fine. She liked the ‘dummy fairy’ and got a big treat!

DD2 has a dummy. She’s 12 months. I’ve no intention of getting rid until she’s older, it’s a godsend for sleep! She doesn’t have it in the daytime very often now & it’ll stop completely at 18 months as per big sis. I have swapped her dummies though, we had the BIBS cherry dummies and her teeth came in really bent.. switched to MAM orthodontic and they’ve gone completing straight within a couple months..

The reduced risk of SIDS seems to be a bit of misinformation, or misunderstood findings.
Babies who have never had a dummy are at no greater risk of SIDS than a baby who has a dummy. The risk seemed to increase when a baby, who usually has a dummy, did not have a dummy on that particular night.

“Previously reported case-control studies have reported a protective effect of soother usage with regard to SIDS.11 31 32 In this study more SIDS cases than controls habitually used a soother. However, 47% of these babies did not have their soother on the night they died. Infants who usually used a soother and did not have it during the last/reference sleep were almost six times more at risk than regular users who did have it (table 7). Thus it appears that rather than conferring a protective effect, it is in fact the absence of habitual soother use which presents a risk.”

adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/88/12/1058.full.pdf

I think back in my parents day they were considered bad and something 'lazy mothers' used.

Now things have changed a bit. My eldest had one. It helped him sleep and for a long time he only had it at sleep times.

My youngest hated the things and much prefers her own thumb

Ds1 had a dummy, he loved it and it stopped him using my nipple as a chew toy, we got rid of it when he was 2.5
DS2 wouldn’t even try one, hated the idea of it.
DD sucked her thumb till she was 11, nightmare to get her to stop, tried to introduce a dummy but she had absolutely no interest. She sucked her thumb from birth, it was in her mouth within an hour of her birth.

Dummies were a godsend when my lb was a baby! It gave my nipples a rest, was something to chew on when teeth were cutting and was a comfort for sleep. If used only for sleeping as they get older they don't interfere with speech or teeth. My hubby was a thumb sucker and his teeth stick out as a result (no cover for straightening). Using a dummy meant our son never discovered his thumb and when he got older he didn't need the dummy anymore. His teeth are perfectly straight and he doesn't stop talking!

They’re not, necessarily. They can be a very helpful sleep tool, and can help minimise the risk of SIDS.

If they are used too much and too late they can interfere with speech development, but most parents manage to use them appropriately.

My son refuses all attempts to get him to take a dummy, but he has a strong suck to sleep association so it would be very helpful if he would!

[quote AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]The reduced risk of SIDS seems to be a bit of misinformation, or misunderstood findings.
Babies who have never had a dummy are at no greater risk of SIDS than a baby who has a dummy. The risk seemed to increase when a baby, who usually has a dummy, did not have a dummy on that particular night.

“Previously reported case-control studies have reported a protective effect of soother usage with regard to SIDS.11 31 32 In this study more SIDS cases than controls habitually used a soother. However, 47% of these babies did not have their soother on the night they died. Infants who usually used a soother and did not have it during the last/reference sleep were almost six times more at risk than regular users who did have it (table 7). Thus it appears that rather than conferring a protective effect, it is in fact the absence of habitual soother use which presents a risk.”

adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/88/12/1058.full.pdf[/quote]
That is only one study from 2003. Meta-analysis shows that dummies do decrease SIDS risk.
I think it is just snobbery that makes people believe they are bad. My MIL was horrified that I gave my babies dummies. She never gave hers dummies. (Her mother, who provided most of her childcare, gave them dummies instead 😂)

@Wearywithteens

All 3 of my children loved them and virtually had them permanently lodged in their mouths day and night until they went to school. They all had perfect teeth and speech. They are all high flyers. Dummies are given bad press by snobby dickheads.

Snobby dickhead here, 👋🏼 it’s perfectly fine to not give your babies dummies if you don’t want to. It’s a personal choice as most of parenting is.

Feather12

Could you send me the research please? I’d love to read it 😊

They reduce the risk of SIDS and are a lifesaver with teething and great for comfort. I also breastfed and gave my DD a dummy at 2 weeks old. For us it helped her be able to go from bottle to breast and vice versa very easily.

My daughter had hers until she was two. Her speech and language was and still is ahead of her age (she’s now 4) and her teeth are fine (in fact they’re straighter than mine!). However we chose to stop at two years due to the dummy potentially having issues with her teeth after that.

We did a hard stop one night so had three nights of bad bedtimes but then it was fine. I’d use one again!

Ps I think I must have missed the memo about dummies being ‘common’ on MN....yikes.