03/30/2022
🗣 Being a parent is H A R D, and there is so much information out there to navigate. Today Babbling Brook Speech and Language Therapy, PLLC and I are talking about prolonged use of pacifiers, bottles, and sippy cups, which can cause more harm than good if used for too long.
🦷: While it may seem unnecessary to take care of the teeth when babies don’t have any yet, promoting proper oral health and dentition can set the stage for facial growth, making sure that there is enough room in the mouth for adult teeth in the future, and for the tongue to assume its necessary resting posture in the palate. Extended use of the pacifier and bottles can lead to poor dentition, such as malocclusions, crooked teeth and tooth decay, improper growth of the jaw, improper positioning of the tongue and more.
‼️ Here are some other things that research has shown:
-Sucking is appropriate and typical for self-soothing in infants (& for decreasing the risk of SIDS), but prolonged sucking on pacifiers & bottles can place children more at risk for speech differences.
-Prolonged bottle use can lead to nutritional deficits (such as iron deficiency)
-Prolonged pacifier use is also linked to ear infections, and allergies
✅ What can you do instead?
-Start the weaning process early! Set your family up for success by allowing a LONG transition process, this way you don’t have to go cold turkey.
-Open & straw cups can be introduced at 6 months of age. Give a little breastmilk or formula in each every day to get babies accustomed to it. Skip the sippy cups and 360’s as they promote improper drinking patterns.
-Give appropriate mouthing toys such as chewy tubes, grabbers, and tethers. Aim for the ones that can get deeper into the mouth rather than just at the front teeth to help your child practice chewing on the sides of the mouth.
-LEARN! There are a lot of wonderful family-facing resources out there for families to be PROACTIVE!
-Get support! A speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist trained in oral motor and infant feeding can help you navigate this time if you need. Never be afraid to reach out ❤️
🧠 We recognize that some neurodivergent children have strong sensory needs and routines. We encourage parents so work together with professionals to decide what is best for each individual child.
