Scientific Article

Using Soothers Responsibly

Bianca Happenhofer-Bileck

Development

The balance and interaction of a baby's orofacial muscles are of great importance not only in the development of speech but also for eating. Strong, coordinated sucking on the mother's breast during feeding ensures healthy development of the mouth, tongue and jaw muscles (nutritive sucking). Sucking on a finger or soother has a calming effect (non-nutritive sucking) but can have negative consequences if used excessively over long periods. It can affect the development of strength in the lips and tongue, and the formation of the hard palate and jaw, and the position of the teeth. To avoid these negative effects, parents need to know how to use soothers responsibly.

The responsible approach

Soothers should not be used until sucking for feeding has become established and comfortable. In general, parents should ensure that they are only used sparingly. As soon as the child has fallen asleep and the soother falls out of their mouth, it should not be given back to the child. Nor is a soother a playmate. When the child is playing, bathing, running or talking, the soother should remain in Mum's bag. It's a good idea to keep it in a clean place where it cannot be seen.

Breaking the Habit Early

You should think about breaking the habit as soon as your child has their first teeth and begins to talk, because it is at this time that sucking is naturally replaced by biting and chewing. Parents often feel very anxious about breaking the soother habit. Yes, it will be a new experience for your child. Separation means giving something up, letting it go, but also making space for something new. It's a nice idea to exchange the soother for some other special thing that your child loves.

Shape and Features

Most important features are:

The part where the jaws and lips rest should be thin.
The neck/shaft of the teat must be as thin as possible so as not to inhibit the growth of the incisors.
The teat should be as flexible as possible.
A flexible teat affects the functioning of the tongue less than a stiff one that is not at all pliable.
The teat should occupy as little space as possible: The soother should be flat and oval in shape so as to affect the mobility of the tongue as little as possible.
Lightweight soother: A soother that is too heavy strains the muscles of the lips and tongue and, if it slips to one side, can cause the muscles on one side to be overworked.
A soother should not grow bigger as the child does – they should break the habit as soon as possible. The increased space is for the tongue when talking and for learning how to swallow properly.

Myth or Reality?

Children who use soothers are delayed in their speech development

Four aspects of "speech development" can be defined: correct acquisition of grammar, understanding of speech, vocabulary and correct articulation. A soother may possibly affect pronunciation but not the acquisition of grammar and vocabulary or the understanding of speech.

Sucking on a soother is better than sucking the thumb

There is little difference when it comes to oral motor function and pronunciation. However, it is often easier to break the habit of using a soother. Furthermore, the thumb is inflexible, stops the mouth from closing and is not readily given up. A soother with a really thin neck would be a good alternative.

Children who use soothers are more prone to infection

If a child who uses a soother does not develop sufficient strength in their lips because the neck of the soother takes up too much space, and they therefore get into the habit of keeping their mouth open and breathing through their mouth, then the nose cannot perform its tasks of cleaning and warming the air. Viruses and bacteria can reach the child's respiratory system unfiltered and lead to more frequent infections.

Bianca Happenhofer-Bileck

Speech Therapist

Bianca Happenhofer-Bileck is a member of the board of logopädieaustria, head of its competence centre for PR, marketing and sponsorship, and regional chairperson for Vienna. She is also vice-president of the ÖGLPP (Austrian Society for Speech Therapy, Phoniatrics and Paediatric Audiology) and a freelance speech therapist in Vienna. She has two sons.