Why Dummies or not?

It's amazing, really, how much emotion a small piece of plastic can stir up. But it can – and does. Ranged in the 'against dummies, no matter what' corner are, generally speaking, the older generation, mutteringly darkly about bad habits and wonky teeth. Facing them from the 'for dummies, actually' corner are, equally generally speaking, an evangelical crowd of new parents who've finally found the way to get a moment's peace.

To save you time sifting through the (occasionally dodgy) claims of either side, here's a quick dummy-debate lowdown...

 

The pros of dummies (maybe)

•They soothe your baby's cries when nothing else can. This is certainly true for some 'sucky' babies who just don't seem to be able to settle any other way. Not for nothing are dummies called pacifiers in the US.

•They can reduce your baby's risk of cot death. There are indeed studies that shown an association between giving your baby a dummy while he sleeps and a lower risk of cot death. But it's not yet clear whether it's actually the dummy itself that's providing this protective effect or simply the action of sucking (which a baby could do just as well on his fingers or at the breast).

•They're (eventually) simple to get rid of. Because you can chuck 'em out when the time comes. Which you can't really do with your child's thumb.

 

The cons of dummies (maybe)

•They are ugly. Granted, they're no thing of beauty but maybe, like Unfitmother, you can live with that.
•They make breastfeeding harder. Breastfeeding experts say that giving a very small baby a dummy can cause 'nipple confusion' – because sucking on a dummy is quite different to sucking on a human nipple. And that can make it harder for you to establish breastfeeding. For this reason, breastfeeding mums are generally advised not to introduce a dummy until their baby is a month old and feeding is going well.

•They can give your child wonky teeth. True, but only if your child still has a dummy at age five or six when his permanent teeth are coming through. And sucking a thumb can cause tooth-wonkiness, too, of course.

•They can delay language development. Possibly, but only if your child's plugged in to it morning, noon, and night.

•They become such a source of comfort, you'll have a battle getting your baby to give it up when he's older. Maybe; maybe not. But if you're desperate to settle your screaming baby, that probably sounds like a good trade.
•They can cause night-time waking when they fall out of your baby's mouth. Often true but at least the back-to-sleep solution is close at (your) hand.
•They are used by lazy mums who can't be bothered to find out what their baby's really upset about. A sentiment, it has to be said, that is generally only expressed by people who have yet to attempt to calm their squalling progeny for three ear-splitting hours on the trot.

"This is outrageous, arrogant and downright rude. It is pure snobbery. Dummies are totally harmless and, if anything, they are good for babies, yet they attract such hostility. My son had a dummy and he really, really needed it. And I am really glad I followed his needs and not other people's snobbery when I made choices about his wellbeing." aloha

And, as to the whether you should join the dummy-doomsayers corner or the dummy-devotees, we really wouldn't bother fretting because, odds on, the choice isn't going to be yours to make, as this mum explains: "It can go both ways. My daughter used one up until she was about two. I'd actually rather she hadn't but, on many occasions, I was glad that she did. My son has never liked them, which is great for many reasons but there have been lots of occasions when I have wished he would take one. Dummies are neither good nor evil. They are just a choice. And, generally it's the baby who makes the choice."