Can Pacifiers Cause Gas

What are pacifiers? Pacifiers are sweet distractions that soothe babies, make them calm, and gently help them fall asleep, but can pacifiers cause gas?

It has many nicknames known as soothie, paci, bo-bo, binky, and many other fun games. It is always easy for parents to fix babies when they throw tantrums, fuss, or get uncomfortable quickly. It is very helpful. It feels like a nipple that they need to suck through or rub their gums.

It is made from silicone nipple, plastic, or rubber that babies can suckle on when they are yet to be fed or just restless. The pacifier most times have an extended teat, handle, and a mouth shield to make it easy to use.

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Can Pacifiers Cause Gas

The mouth shield helps the baby fix it in the mouth easily and not choke or swallow it in the process of sucking. Sucking does not only help babies get all the nutrients they need. It also helps them get comfortable; this is one of the best activities they love doing with pleasure.

Newborns love having things put in their mouth like breasts so they can latch on instantly. Sucking for babies is more like a reflex action; they need to suck on their fingers, toes, mouth. Even during the ultrasound, it shows them when they suck when still in the womb.

According to medical practitioners and some researchers, pacifiers do not cause gas in facts directly. However, it can be developed if the baby swallows empty air after consistent sucking on the pacifier. More reason why it is important to know the type of pacifier you pick for your little one and be sure it is their appropriate size.

Babies often find it very easy to pass gas out, either by flatulence, burping, or belching. However, some find it difficult to do, which makes them uncomfortable, then they start to throw their legs, wiggle, behaving fussy or unwell.

Passing out gas is not strange to babies, but they find it challenging to do most times because they have an immature nervous system, and they lie on their backs, which makes it not easy to do.

Adults find it easy because they can move from one place to the other, use medication to aid gas, and find solutions to pass gas out while babies depend on caretakers to help them with letting gas out when they find it very difficult to do.

The fact about babes and gas is that they are usually used to swallowing empty air when they are having activities with their mouth, such as crying, sucking a pacifier, or breastfeeding. In a day, the gas out about 12 to 22 times, according to research.

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At times gas release is normal with babies, and other times they are hungry. Digesting the proteins and other content sucked from the breast can be challenging for babies. The reason for gas in this situation might be related to caffeinated beverages or cow milk diaries.

Hard time breaking down substances in formula mix; for instance, cow milk’s content after being digested can cause the baby to be extra gassy. Instead, allow your doctor to pick the best formula for your baby that would make it easy for food to digest.

Most parents give their babies juice extracted from fruit to balance their diet. However, it is unknown that this juice has sugar alcohols and is challenging for babies to digest.

PROS:

Babies get happy feelings when they get busy with their mouth sucking. The pacifier helps soothe them when they are feeling fussy.

Most babies love pacifiers, and it helps them achieve a satisfying feeling in between meals. Below are some of the pros;

• It can be a perfect temporary distraction, especially in moments when they need to take the blood test, shot, or other procedures that can cause them to cry.
• At times babies get restless when they are having difficulty sleeping. It can help them sleep off easily when they keep sucking on it.
• When they have pain in the ear caused by air pressure and can’t release it easily by yawning or swallowing so it pops out, using a pacifier relieves them of the pain they feel.
• It is very helpful on flights when they feel discomfort
• It helps babies prevent the risk of having sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), affecting them. Using the pacifier during nap time and bedtime might help them through.
• If you feel they are no longer useful, you can dispose of the pacifier, so they don’t get addicted or switch to sucking their fingers or thumb. However, it might be challenging to stop them from doing it.

CONS:

As great as pacifiers can be for babies, they have bad effects;

• When you use pacifiers to calm them down, sleep, distract them, or stop them from crying, they get dependent on it and have difficulty letting it go. They even tend to cry so loud when it drops out of their mouth.
• Excess pacifier use can increase the risk of ear infections babies might get exposed to around 0month to 6 months. This time is when they get even more into the pacifier.
• Extended use of the pacifier for a baby during their early stage might feel safe, but when they start developing teeth and still use it, it affects their dental development and cause it to misalign. As a result, it leads to dental problems for them.
• It is best to wait a while before introducing pacifiers to your baby, especially when breastfeeding. Early use of pacifiers for babies affects them from focusing on the breast.

When you decide to introduce pacifiers to your baby, take note of the dos and don’ts listed below;

• The pacifier should not always be the first step when they get fussy or uncomfortable. Try another method like rocking babies in different positions to calm and stop crying. It is advised to offer a pacifier to them in between feedings alone.
• A pacifier with two separate parts might affect the baby by causing them to choke when it breaks. Using a one-piece type is safe and good to clean with a dishwasher.
• Do not force this on your baby if they do not accept it on your first attempt of introducing it; let them accept it at their own pace.
• It is recommended to boil the pacifier when they are still around 0 – 6 months because they still have an immature immune system.
• Another way to keep them clean is by using water or soap to wash them or clean them with a dishwasher. Avoid cleaning it with your mouth because you pass germs to your baby. Note: always make sure it is clean; hygiene is important.
• Never add sweet content to the pacifier; it is unhealthy to sugarcoat it when you want to give your baby.
• It is okay to get the baby’s right size according to their age growth, protect it from rusting or deteriorating, and keep them safe always. Always put eyes on your baby when they are using it, so the rope with the pacifier does not tighten their neck.

Final Note

In conclusion, if you feel the pacifier is safe and a great option for your baby, then you can go ahead to introduce it and pick out the best for them. There are different types of pacifiers available in various materials, sizes, and shapes.

The newborns have an extra small size made from silicone and can be used during bedtime or daytime. Check out manuals and options before deciding so you can select the best for every phase.