Tips on Pacifiers

By now you have noticed that your baby sucks his fingers and hands a
lot. Sucking brings pleasure to a baby. This is a strong need in babies this
age. Being able to suck his own fingers and hands means he can make himself
feel good all by himself. Sucking helps him feel happy and calm.
Sometimes sucking fingers is a sign of hunger.

A baby often sucks his fingers or pacifier while he watches and learns about
his world. As something grabs his attention, he may stop sucking for a
moment to watch. He will then start to suck again.

Many parents buy pacifiers for their babies. You may have heard that paci-fiers can harm a baby’s mouth. You may have heard that pacifiers will keep
a baby from developing correctly. A pacifier isn’t necessary. But it’s OK if
your baby uses one.

Never tie or pin a pacifier to your baby’s clothes. The ribbon or string could
get wrapped around his neck. This could choke him. A pin in your baby’s
clothes can stick him.

Be sure to buy the kind of pacifier that cannot come apart. Be sure it can be
washed in a dishwasher. Clean the pacifier often. You can clean it by boiling
it in water or putting it in the dishwasher.

Never dip a pacifier in sweet liquids, honey or syrups to make it tasty.
Germs in honey and syrups can make your baby sick. Sweets may cause
tooth decay when your baby is older.

This content has been provided freely by CMC. Click Healthy Start, Grow Smart—Your Three-Month-Old for your free download. Click GreatDad Free Ebook to download the entire Health Start, Grow Smart series.

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