SUCKING has a soothing effect on babies; it can relieve pain, help the baby fall asleep and encourages digestion, and a new study has examined the impact of different pacifier shapes on the palate, jaw and teeth of babies.
Experts have been critical of the negative aspects of soothers, such as malpositioning of the teeth and jaw or causing problems with breastfeeding.
The wrong pacifier can thus have a lasting effect on a child's health, therefore many parents are skeptical about whether they should even give their baby a pacifier -- and if so, which one?
The question that arises here is: Which pacifier is the best?
A fascinating study on this subject has been performed by the University of Minho in Portugal.
Using computer simulations, the study examined the impact of different pacifier shapes on the palate, jaw and teeth of babies.
The simulations show that NUK pacifiers with the orthodontic shape are the safest for the palate and jaw.
Pressure is distributed more evenly by the flattened shape of the teat during sucking, so reducing displacement of the incisors and molars and can help avoid malpositions of the teeth.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 21 Dec 22
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 21 Dec 22
