Patient's question:
My child is now two and a half months old. Recently, I've noticed she loves sucking her fingers a lot. Can using a pacifier help alleviate this? Is it good for a child who is only two and a half months old to use a pacifier? Are there any negative effects?Doctor's answer:
Just like a baby chewing on their hands, using a pacifier is also an objective process. Using a pacifier for babies can indeed help calm their emotions, and it is also good exercise for their upper and lower jaw, facial muscles, and tongue extension. The formation of a protruding upper lip is not directly related to pacifier use. It's only that if a baby continues to use a pacifier when they are teething, it can be harmful to their teeth.Research has shown that when a baby constantly sucks on a pacifier, air enters the mouth and stomach from both corners of the mouth along with the swallowing motion. When the stomach cannot accommodate the volume of air, it contracts, causing spitting up in children. At the same time, the baby's gastrointestinal tract may reflexively move frequently, making it easier for them to experience intestinal spasms, which can lead to abdominal pain. These phenomena are all related to excessive pacifier use. As long as parents control the frequency of the baby's pacifier use moderately, these issues can be avoided.
From birth to around age 2, babies enter the oral stage. Through sucking with their mouths, they can help alleviate tension and enhance a sense of security. In addition to using sucking to eat and maintain growth and development, the action of sucking can also promote tactile sensations around the lips and tongue, leading to a sense of satisfaction.
Sucking is a way for babies to calm their emotions. If they don't have pacifiers, many babies will suck their fingers instead. This can easily lead to illness due to dirty fingers or cause their fingers to become chapped. If this habit persists as the baby grows older, it may affect the development of their gum tissue.