Can sucking a dummy affect a child’s speech?
Giving a baby a dummy to suck is a very common way to sooth and make them feel comforted. They are very popular amongst parents as it is a very efficient way to stop your child crying and it seems completely harmless. However, can sucking a dummy be detrimental to a baby’s development? Despite their popularity and long history, the use of a dummy is now quite a controversial topic amongst professionals and parents/carers. This is mainly due to the effect it can have on a child’s speech.
Some advantages of using a dummy include:
- Their role in soothing and helping babies settle down to sleep. This is especially important to parents/carers and when a child is anxious or upset.
- Sucking is a natural reflex and sucking dummy can help to establish good sucking patterns in young and especially in premature babies.
- There is some research to suggest that sucking a dummy can lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, this theory has not been established as the research is very new and so it cannot be seen as a preventative measure.
Some of the potential risks of using a dummy include:
- There is a concern around the increased risk of stomach, mouth and middle ear infections (otitis media). While a baby is sucking the tube which links the nose and middle ear (Eustachian tube) opens. This can allow bacteria to get into the middle ear from the nasal area, which can cause infections. Frequent ear infections have been linked to poor language and literacy skills later in life.
- There are associated dental problems such as the teeth not coming together at the front (open bite) or the teeth being tilted (cross bite). The muscles of the mouth can also be affected (myofunctional condition). Both of these cause abnormalities in the structure of the mouth which can make a child’s speech unclear.
- Sucking dummies can also impact on the development of speech and language. Babies will naturally experiment with sounds as they grow. They start cooing and blowing raspberries at around 5 months and progress to babbling e.g. bababa and copying sounds they hear from adults, at around 7 months. However, when a baby has a dummy in their mouth it can reduce or even prevent them from playing with sounds in this way all-together. This means that they miss out on an important developmental stage towards learning to speak which can cause a speech delay.
So should you let your baby suck on a dummy? Of course, this is completely your choice but it is important that you weigh up both sides of the argument. The need for sucking and comfort is strongest in the first 6-8 months so their usefulness in comforting a child declines after this age. Therefore it’s recommended that babies do not use dummies later then around 10 months and only used when a child is upset or at nap/night times. Also, many of the structural problems of the mouth associated with sucking a dummy are caused by long and persistent use. A child is more likely to play with sounds when they are alert and engaged in play, so they should not have a dummy in their mouth at these times. Ear infections are also less common in young babies.
Alternatively, it could be better to encourage your child to suck on their own fingers rather then a dummy. This way they get increased sensory feedback, which can be more comforting, and they are more likely to stop naturally when they are developmentally ready. However, in some cases they will not stop and you can create another issue with persistent thumb sucking. This is extremely difficult to manage, as a child’s thumb cannot be taken away from them like a dummy could be. The thumb continuously pushes the tongue back which in time will affect the tongue position even when the thumb is not in the child’s mouth. This can significantly affect the child’s speech in the future. For advice on how to stop you child sucking their thumb you can click on the following link:
If you are concerned that your child’s speech has been affected by persistent dummy use or thumb sucking a speech and language therapist can work with your child on the specific speech sounds that are troublesome. Oral motor therapy exercises can also be used to help the child’s tongue strength and positioning so the tongue muscles can “recover” from the effects of thumb-sucking.
The team at Integrated Treatment Services are happy to speak with you and discuss the options in how we can help your child. You can call us on: 0845 838 2921 or simply email info@integratedtreatments.co.uk. We will discuss what therapy your child needs or simply offer any support we can with no obligation to use our service. We can also help to guide you through how to get NHS support and will work alongside NHS therapists to give your child the best possible treatment.
If you have found this article helpful and have more questions then you can contact us with ideas for topics you would like us to cover in future blogs.
Laura Oldakowska
Speech and Language Therapist
May 2013
