Soothers and Speech Development
DO SOOTHERS AFFECT SPEECH DEVELOPMENT?
Love them or hate them they have been around forever and in our house, I was a big fan. Let’s start with what we know about soothers for babies— they help with learning to self-soothe (that’s a huge life skill), babies are born wanting to suck and there is research to suggest that using a soother reduces the risk of SIDS. All good reasons to be a big fan.
But here’s the thing, according to research, using a soother may negatively affect speech development for babies and toddlers if they are used too frequently and too long. So for a lot of parents, the winning formula is to start gradual weaning between your toddler’s 2nd and 3rd birthdays. In my house, it was more like 18 months because breaking the habit earlier was my thing.
Here are the big THREE for why using a soother too long becomes a problem:
Your baby’s teeth— there is a greater risk that they will be out of alignment when a pacifier is used after the age of 2.
The roof of your baby’s mouth can be altered by using a soother too long AND tongue thrusting can develop
Increased risk of ear infections.
TIMING AND WEANING:
From newborn to 12 months of age, it is always helpful for your baby to get the opportunity and have practice making sounds. This means cooing and babbling SO be sure to give him time to do this. But, do let your baby tell you if he needs his soother and be sure to follow that cue. There is research to suggest that the easiest time to take away the soother is around 6 to 8 months because at this age your baby has not yet formed an attachment to it.
After 12 months of age, consider how long and how often your babe is using it; so maybe just those “chill” times of day—- nap time, even book reading before naps or bedtime, car rides and stroller rides if he needs
Between 15- 24 months of age, you want your little one to have A LOT of opportunity to talk— practice imitating, trying words, having little conversations etc. This is going to be the time to really limit the soother and get those back-and-forth interactions going.
BOTTOMLINE:
At the end of the day, there are lots of positives that come with using a soother in the first 6 months of life. And there is no perfect research to say that using one for too long use will affect speech development, although we know it might after the age of one. Here’s the thing, if you have a toddler who has been using a soother for some time, consider how long and how often he’s using it during the day AND come up with your plan to pull the plug.