Did you know? Comforters/Dummies

Parents who have "given in" and offered their child a dummy/comforter, often feel guilty when they try to discourage the soothing habit which they offered their child. Well, here are some good reasons why you should discourage the use of this "soothing" equipment;-

1) Toddlers using dummies/comforters, are 3 times more likely to develop ear infections.

2) 50% of all children using them are sent for Speech and Language therapy.

3) Children who use dummies/comforters tend to speak from the back of their mouths so the "t" sound becomes "k"

4) Children who use dummies/comforters often do not try to chat to other children as readily as those who don't use them.

5)  Sucking a comforter/dummy can lead to overcrowding of the front teeth even when the said object is supposed to be "orthodontic".


For parents who have discovered that their child is more easily quieted and soothed by sucking on a comforter/dummy, you may find it helpful to know that you can limit their use by;-

1) Only allow the child to suck until they are calm. Once the child is calm remove the comforter.

2) Do not allow your child to fall asleep sucking this.Particularly if you have a small baby who sucks as a soothing mechanism. If the comforter falls out, baby wakes and needs this replaced. Better to learn to soothe themselves without it.

3) Use a big event, birthday/Christmas, to tell your child you know that they are now big enough not to need this anymore. Make an event of removing all comforters from your home. Reward this progress with a treat. Time one to one doing something fun, a magazine or a special toy.

Toddlers won't be keen to stop using a comforter, so prepare yourself by choosing a time when you have plenty of support. Tell other carers so that they can support you and your child. Prepare yourself for protest, and decide in advance what you will do, when you are faced with it.

Speech and Language skills

Overall about 5% of children entering school have significant speech and langauge difficulties without any additional sensory or cognitive impairments. When sensory and cognitive impairment is an additional feature this number rises to 25-35%.

For the majority of children speech and langauge develops without any problems and by the age of 6 years children are relatively sophisticated users of language. Speech and language skills incorporate a number of elements including;-

• Structure of language
• Use of language
• Understanding of language
• Vocabulary
• Speech sounds

Some signs which may indicate that a child has a speech and language problem include;-

• Inability to follow simple, everyday instructions at age 2years.
• Restricted vocabulary development at 30 months. (70% of children have at least 500 words by this age)
• Sentence structure of 2-3 words at the age of three years.
• Family cannot understand the childs speech at 3 years of age.
• Difficulties in attentionm understanding, development of play or with the social aspects of language.
• Failure to use grammatical endings such as ing, ed, and plurals at 4 years of age.

It is important to ensure that the child has good hearing as missing a pitch or tone can result in poor speech. Language difficulties are pervasive and early intervention and support can make a considerable difference to the child's learning and speech and language development. Referral to a speech and language therapist for assessment and support can be invaluable.