Pacifier vs Thumbsucking for Baby
According to parenting experts, sucking on the thumb or pacifier is normal behavior for babies. The sucking reflex is a natural soothing behavior for infants. Some kids suck their thumb for comfort, and the habit normally decreases as they grow older.
On the other hand, the American Academy of Pediatrics points out that using a pacifier could help prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Hence, parents should allow their kids to use them. Despite their positive attributes, pacifiers and thumbsucking are not without some downsides.
Prolonged thumbsucking may affect the proper development of the mouth and teeth alignment. Also, it can cause changes in the roof of the mouth. Pacifiers can affect oral and dental health in virtually the same way that thumbsucking does.
However, it usually is easier to break the habit of pacier use compared to thumbsucking. Let’s take a detailed look at pacifier vs. thumbsucking.
Pros and Cons of Thumbsucking
The major reason thumbsucking is better than pacifier use is that your child usually doesn’t need your assistance. Unlike a pacifier, he’ll put the thumb in his mouth on his own whenever he needs to soothe himself.
For a pacifier, you’ll have to get up several times during the night if your baby cries every time it falls out. One of the significant downsides of thumbsucking is that it is a harder habit to break. A sucker can develop a prolonged sucking habit.
Pros and Cons of Pacifiers
The primary advantage of a pacifier over thumbsucking is that you can take it way if your baby becomes addicted to the pacifier. For thumbsucking, the thumb is always there if the child feels like sucking on it.
According to some dental experts, orthodontic pacifiers minimize the risk of dental issues. One of the significant downsides of pacifiers is that they can make your child more susceptible to ear infections, attributable to the fact that sucking can impede airflow through the eustachian tubes.
Now that you understand the pros and cons of both pacifiers and thumbsucking, you can decide what’s best for your child.
