Babies have a natural sucking reflex so pacifiers / dummies are a great source of comfort for them.
Many Health Professionals believe that dummy use should be restricted from around six months of age and that the use of a dummy or pacifier has ended by the age of one, however as children differ age is not set in stone.
Now you will have different reasons as you want your child to ditch their dummy, here are a few important reasons you may not be aware of:
Increased ear infections: There is a proven link between prolonged dummy use and ear infections. Sucking on a dummy increases the chance of an infection back tracking from the mouth into the Eustachian tube (the narrow channels that run between the ears and the throat). Children s tubes are very small and can easily get blocked.
Link to stomach and other infections: Dummies can harbour many germs therefore they pose a risk to your child suffering from symptoms such as vomiting, fever, diarrhoea and colic..
