Whether you call it a dummy, a pacifier or a soother; the use of this kind of comforter has always been the subject of debate. The current thinking is that dummies are a good thing in the first six months of life, as some research has shown that they can protect against SIDS [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.] And whilst the use of a dummy can sometimes be detrimental to sleep – as any parent who is up and down several times a night replacing their baby’s lost dummy will tell you - there is no doubt that dummies do, in some circumstances have their advantages.

Some dummy plus points:

• Can help ease the symptoms of colic and reflux.
• Can help a “sucky” baby to drop unnecessary feeds.
• Can provide comfort during teething.
•  Can help premature, tube fed babies to establish feeding from the breast or bottle.
• The rhythmic and natural sucking process can help to induce sleep.

However, whilst a dummy may be a Godsend in your baby’s early weeks, the advantages are often only very short term.  It is frequently the case that over time, the use of a dummy can end up working against you rather than to your advantage. This is particularly the case if your baby becomes over dependent on the dummy and is only able to fall asleep whilst sucking.

When your baby falls asleep, the dummy is likely to fall out of his or her mouth. The nature of sleep is such that frequent waking up due to the sleep cycles means that they may need the dummy replacing several times.

During the first year or two of your baby’s life, when they are teething or have a cold, their tiny nasal passages will become easily blocked. When this happens they will struggle to breathe through her nose. This is especially difficult for them when they are lying flat in the cot. In order to keep the dummy in place, they need to be able to breathe freely through their noses. For a baby who is only able to sleep with a dummy in situ, this can cause real problems.

Some dummy minus points:

1.     There is a link between dummy use and ear infections.

2.     Using a dummy during the day may delay your baby’s speech development.

3.     There may be an increased risk of stomach and other infections.

4.     Dentists advise against the use of dummies [and thumb sucking] as these can lead to orthodontic problems in the future.

5.     Over dependence on a dummy can impair your baby’s ability to sleep through the night.

If your baby is waking during the night due to problems with the dummy, you have two choices:

1. Get rid of the dummy altogether.
2. Teach them how to manage the dummy independently.

How to help your older baby self manage the dummy at night:

1.     During bath time, play “race for the dummy” game, where you challenge her to beat you at picking up the dummy first and putting it in their mouth.

2.     Place plenty of dummies in the cot at night, so they can find a spare if they lose one.

3.     If they call out for you during the night, having lost the dummy, always give it to them into their hand rather than putting it in their mouth.

If you choose to give your baby a dummy; there are some guidelines for its safe and responsible use:

• Do not dip your baby’s dummy into a sweet solution, as this will cause tooth decay.
• Always use an orthodontic teat, which has less of a tendency to push your baby’s teeth forward.
• Make sure that your baby’s dummy is scrupulously clean and has no cracks or tears in it.
• Never tie, tape or strap the dummy to keep it in your baby’s mouth.
• Allow your baby to have the dummy for sleep time only. Having it during the daytime may impair speech development.
• With very young babies, do not allow the dummy to replace milk feeds.

If there is no good reason for your baby to have a dummy, then after the age of six months, it is best to encourage them to give the dummy up.

You may dread the thought of losing the dummy but remember that although babies protest noisily and vigorously when presented with change; after this protest, they very quickly accept a new behaviour.