Which is better: baby using a pacifier or thumb suck?

Do you often see babies put something in their mouth? Is it his own hands or something else? Likewise, when you bring your hand to your mouth, most babies will reflex to open their mouths. Actually, at that time the baby is recognizing whether it is the mother's nipple or not.

Maybe some of you will provide a pacifier to overcome this problem or some will let the baby suck their own thumb. However, which one is better; baby using a pacifier or letting the baby suck its own thumb?

Recognize the pros and cons of using a pacifier and thumb sucking in babies

Babies have a natural reflex to suck, which is to help them suckle on their mother's nipples. This reflex is useful for babies to get food, comfort, and safety. Usually babies will start doing this when they are tired, getting hungry, feeling bored, or irritated.

Babies who are not constantly breastfeeding or latching on to their mother's nipples will automatically put their hands in their mouths. Maybe there are some parents who do not like this habit so they will provide a pacifier. There are also parents who just let it go.

Thumb sucking may be easier for a baby to do when not breastfeeding. Moreover, when the baby wakes up at night. This brought calm to himself, even helping him to fall asleep again. Unfortunately, babies have no awareness of cleanliness. This is why babies can suck their thumbs carelessly, for example after playing on the floor or handling dirty things.

Long-term thumb sucking habits can cause skin and nail problems on the thumbs and teeth. For example, skin thinning of the thumb, sores, and eventually infection. Damage to the front teeth due to thumb pressure on the teeth is also common in babies who like to suck their thumbs. Various germs also make it easier to enter the body.

To avoid the bad effects of thumb sucking, parents prevent the habit of thumb sucking with a pacifier. Not much different from thumb sucking, pacifiers also provide comfort for the baby so they are not fussy. Reporting from Mom Junction, pacifiers prevent sudden infant death syndrome.

However, using a pacifier is not completely safe, there may be some problems that arise in the baby. Initially the baby will experience breastfeeding problems, such as nipple confusion. Then, there is a possibility that the baby will have crooked teeth or get otitis media (middle ear infection) because the pacifier is not clean.

So, is it better for babies to use a pacifier or thumb suck?

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in Very Well Family, either thumb sucking or using a pacifier can affect health, especially of the teeth. However, thumb sucking tends to be unhygienic and is more difficult to break the habit. Using a pacifier is also not a guarantee that the child will not suck his thumb. When the pacifier is not around, the child will easily put their thumb in their mouth.

So, which is better, baby using a pacifier or sucking his thumb? The answer is to use a pacifier. A pacifier can be monitored for cleanliness more than by thumb sucking. The soother with a lid is also easy to put on the baby so that the baby can find it easily. Most importantly, the advantage of a pacifier is that it can prevent sudden infant death syndrome because the baby can breathe freely and stay comfortable without being covered by lots of blankets.

However, there is a time limit to the use of a pacifier. When your baby enters 6 months of age you can stop using a pacifier. You do this by reducing contact between the baby and the pacifier, for example during naps or at night. Give the pacifier flavors that your baby doesn't like. This will stop the baby from pacifying.

If at any time you catch your child sucking their thumb again, give them a signal that you shouldn't. When your child begins to understand what you are saying, let him know that thumb-sucking is bad in clear, easy-to-understand language.