Using a dummy safely
Some research suggests that using a dummy during sleep can lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
If you choose to use a dummy:
- Wait until breastfeeding is well established – usually when your baby is around four weeks old.
- Use an orthodontic dummy – these adapt to your baby’s mouth shape.
- Make it part of your baby’s sleep routine – offer the dummy for every sleep, not just occasionally.
- Gently stop using the dummy between six and 12 months – to avoid problems cause by longer term use, such as misaligned teeth and ear infections.
Things to avoid
- Don’t force your baby to take a dummy – if your baby spits it out, you don’t need to worry about putting it back in.
- Don’t use a neck cord and dummy attachments – as these can be dangerous.
- Don’t put anything sweet on the dummy, such as honey.
- Don’t offer the dummy during awake time.
Frequently asked questions
We don’t yet know exactly what it is about a dummy that lowers the risk of a baby dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). As with most of the safer sleep information, we only know that there is good evidence to show:
- What you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS
- What increases the risk of SIDS
- What to avoid.
Yes. If you’re using a dummy, it’s best to offer it for every sleep, day or night, not just some sleeps. This will also help you and your baby get into a sleep routine.
If the dummy falls out of your baby’s mouth during sleep, there’s no need to put it back in.
If you choose to use a dummy, only introduce it once you have established breastfeeding. The time this takes differs for everyone, but it could be a few weeks – make sure you get help if you need it. Once you have established breastfeeding, introducing a dummy shouldn’t make it more difficult.
There are some situations where medical professionals suggest using dummies before breastfeeding has been established.
For example:
- To comfort babies when they are having procedures or on ventilators.
- To help premature babies develop facial muscles while they learn to suck.
- For babies receiving a kind of ventilation called CPAP, to help keep their mouths closed and maintain pressure in their airways.
We recommend following your health professional’s advice in these situations.
Not all babies like dummies. If your baby keeps refusing a dummy, don’t force them to take it.
Remember, following other safer sleep advice such as not smoking and placing your baby to sleep on their back, in their own sleep space, will all help lower their risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Remember
Using a dummy could help reduce the risk of SIDS, just make sure if breastfeeding you start offering a dummy after breastfeeding is established and use the tips on this page of how to use a dummy. Everyone is different and not all babies like using dummies, but by following our safer sleep advice there’s lots you can do to help keep your baby safe.
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