A Dangerous Pacifier Practice

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

23 Jul 2008 01:00 PM

I recently learned of a dangerous practice that involves pacifiers. What makes this practice even more scary is that in the past, there were pediatricians that were actually recommending it. It is dangerous and doesn't make much sense to me. What is it? Read this post and find out!

Some parents are taking interesting measures to wean their children from pacifiers. One practice involves cutting down the pacifier a little bit each day until there is nothing left of it. The thought is that the child won't notice the absence of the pacifier as much, and as it shrinks, it will serve as a physical reminder that the days of using it are coming to an end.

Cutting down a pacifier can be very dangerous. It could lead to choking or swallowing the fragments of the pacifier. Also, there could be sharp edges that result from the cutting. I also don't understand how the baby wouldn't be upset about the pacifier changing. Do parents cut from the bottom and then reattach the nipple, or cut it from the top?

Some better ideas for weaning off a pacifier might include the following.

Encourage pacifier use only at nap times and sleep times, asking your child to leave it in the crib or bed.

Tell your child that now she is a big girl (or boy) you need her help. Ask her to help you gather up all of the pacifiers into a box or bag that she can then give to other babies who need them. Make a big deal by decorating the bag or adding a colorful ribbon. I have heard this work very well in many cases. You might have to remind her what happened to them the next day, but it seems to work.

Not having children who became attached to pacifiers, I don't have any real experience with getting rid of the pacifier. I would like to hear from anyone who can offer some insight and share what worked for them. Thanks!

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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deedee1231 (4030) 23 Jul 2008 01:16 PM

When my son was over a year old and still taking the pacifier I saw a segment on Donny and Marie Osmond's show where Marie demonstrated how to do this and praised how well it had worked for her own children. She just snipped the end off the binky with a pair of scissors. Then every few days snipped a little more until it was down to a nub that could not be held in the mouth unless the baby was biting into it with his teeth.

Well, I tried it and my son just wouldn't take it after it had been snipped. He spit it out and cried so I threw the damaged pacifier away and gave him a whole one.

When he reached 24 months without showing any signs of wanting to give up his binky I just packed them all up and threw them out. He fussed a lot more than normal for about a week and then he got over it. After he was off the binky for a month or so he found one in his toy box that I had missed and immediately popped it into his mouth. I thought, oh no, here we go again with the pacifiers, but he just chewed on it for a few minutes then spit it out. He had finally broken the habit for good, he just needed a little help to do it.

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 23 Jul 2008 01:57 PM

Thanks for sharing your experience deedee!