A Brief History into the Pacifier and the Pros and Cons Associated With its Use

A Brief History into the Pacifier and the Pros and Cons Associated With its Use

Bring a baby into this world is usually a joyous occasion for most new mothers. The crying, the laughter, your infants first smile, are all so precious to you. From the time they are born until they grow up they will remain your baby. It is your job to make sure they are safe under your care and remain healthy in every way every day. Most new mother breast feed their young infants and use a pacifier to sooth them. Today I will be discussing the pacifier and the pros and cons associated with its uses in children.

The pacifier was invented in 1902 by a James Meacham. Its purpose was to sooth babies as a replacement for a mothers nipple. While the pacifier was said to have been invented in 1902 some sites report that the pacifier dates back to the 15th century, where the pacifier was depicted in English paintings. The pacifier still takes on the original shape to this day and remains a useful tool in soothing a baby.

The pros of using a pacifier:

One pro of using the pacifier is its soothing power. If a baby is crying or cranky you can place the pacifier in the baby's mouth to help calm him or her. Babyzone.com reports that a Dr. Cathryn Tobin once stated that sucking a pacifier releases a chemical in the brain that is associated with decreasing stress levels in children. (http://www.babyzone.com/baby/baby-development/pacifier-pros-cons_65812# )  Another benefit of using a pacifier is that it keeps the baby from more serious habit forming behavior, such as thumb sucking which can cause gaps between the teeth as well as other tooth damage.  Another pro is that the pacifier can reduce the onset of SIDS in children. There are many studies out there that supports this statement.  It has been reported that pacifiers do not cause physiological or medical problems for infants. It has also been reported that they help with reduction in SIDS by producing a lighter sleeping baby and increasing the air flow around a infants mouth and nose.

The cons of using a Pacifier: 

With a product there is always pros and cons. One con of using a pacifier is that it could be used as a replacement or a delay for meal time, which is unhealthy for the baby. Pacifier usage can also be habit forming and hard to break a child out of. If a child is using a two piece pacifier a choking hazard presents itself, as one piece may come lose blocking the Child's airway. Another con of using the pacifier is that it can interfere with a mothers breast feeding. This could cause the baby to chose the pacifier of his or her mothers nipple, which in turn causes a decrease in breast milk production, all which make it hard for the mother to breast feed her infant.

The use of a pacifier with an infant child is very beneficial. It calms them in times of stress, is less habit forming than thumb sucking, and even reduces the onset of SIDS in children. Most places report that when the child reaches age one, A doctor should be consulted on the continued use of the pacifier and how to wane a child off of it. While there are some cons of using the pacifier, let it be known that it has been around for several centuries with no hopes of disappearing in our immediate future.