Pacifiers – how to choose?

Is it worth giving the baby a soother? There are situations when a toddler really needs a pacifier and in such moments it will definitely be useful. However, you should remember about its proper selection. Therefore we have prepared a short guide for you, which should make it easier to decide which soother is the best for your child.

The primary reaction of the newborn is the sucking reflex, which results not only from the need to satisfy hunger, but also the desire for closeness and warmth of the mother. For the first half of a child’s life it is incredibly strong - when a toddler is unable to suck their mother’s breast, they put their thumb, toys or a piece of blanket in the mouth. Therefore, to calm the baby we usually give them a soother. As research and experience show, this is not the best solution because breast-sucking is also a developmental exercise. Prolonged sucking of the pacifier and fixing the infant sucking method may adversely affect the tongue’s position, and consequently lead to speech defects and excessive salivation. The use of a pacifier may carry a large risk of too early weaning and may cause lactation problems. Sometimes, however, the pacifier proves to be helpful in difficult times, then it is good to have one at hand, that is safe and comfortable.


Silicone and latex pacifiers

Pacifiers consist of a rubber, a shield and a ring to hold. Latex or silicone is used to make the rubber. Latex pacifiers are made of natural rubber with a light brown, slightly matt or transparent colour. They are not resistant to sunlight and quickly become mat but because of the characteristic taste and smell of children they are more likely to use it.

Silicone soothers are made of artificial, thin plastic. They are not destroyed under the influence of the sun, but have less resistance to biting, so you have to make sure that the child does not chew through it and does not swallow the silicone. The pacifier’s shield should not impede breathing and should allow the skin to breathe, therefore it must have ventilation openings. The grip ring should be solidly made so that it can not be broken.



Size and types

After selecting the material, decide what size will be best for your toddler. Every single pacifier goes with the information about the age of the child that the soother is designed for. Pacifiers for infants up to 6 months of age have a small shield and the smallest rubber. However, it is worth not using the soother for at least the first 8 weeks of the newborn’s life, during the time when the lactation is regulated. The second type of pacifiers is intended for older children from 6 to 18 months of age. Pacifiers for older babies are no longer available in all types, because they should not be given to children over the age of 18 months.


There are 4 types of pacifiers available on the market that differ from each other with the shape of the rubber:

Anatomical pacifier, also called orthodontic, is slightly flattened from tongue’s side and convex from the palate’s side. You only can put it into the child’s mouth with the convex side towards the palate.

Round pacifier can be placed into the child’s mouth in any way. Shield’s area is narrower and it is larger and round at the end, reminding the shape of a cherry.

Symmetrical pacifier is flattened from upper and bottom sides, can be placed into the child’s mouth in any way.

Dynamic pacifier is made of a heterogeneous layer of silicone, thanks to which it stretches and shrinks according to the child’s rhythm of sucking. Symmetrical shape of the rubber is inspired by the shape of the mother’s nipple.


Read product description

When choosing a pacifier, check if it has the appropriate certificates and recommendations. Among the available soothers, you should consider choosing a 100% natural product. Pacifiers made entirely of rubber tree are soft, they usually do not have any fractures and connections so that they are hygienic. They are popular among parents and children. In the silicone pacifiers category you can find many variants. A lot of them have soft silicone liked very much by children. Silicone can be repeatedly sterilized which is an additional advantage.


Care of hygiene

Remember that the pacifier should be replaced every two months, and when replacing, do not forget to have the same rubber as the previous one. Pacifiers should be sterilized and stored in separate cases.