Are Baby Pacifiers a Health Hazard?

For hours, babies can suck on a pacifier (or a "binkie" as many people call them) while soothing gums and entertaining their small mouths between feedings. A pacifier is about a feeling of safety for a child and a moment of silence for the parent. With ongoing research on the negative effects of plastic though, should our children be using latex pacifiers for numerous hours each day? Is it completely safe for a child to spend his/her first few years sucking on something that could cause health problems in the future?

No one is completely sure on the exact health effects of a child sucking on a pacifier however there is still a cautionary word sent out by pediatricians to each parent as he/she on the possible long-term effects of chooses to use a pacifier. Pediatricians fail to warn about the material that the pacifier is constructed from, which is usually either silicone or latex.

Latex has been noted in many medical journals as a health hazard for allergies. Many people are allergic to latex and parents commonly find about this first allergy with their child when giving his/her latex pacifier. Latex is also used in many other common everyday items such as automobile tires, clothing, and even in latex paint. Not only can latex bring your baby into anaphylactic shock but it is almost like giving your child an auto tire to suck on throughout the day.

Silicone is widely used in cookware that is marketed as the only true nonstick cookware that comes in various bright colors. In research studies though, this new silicone cookware has been targeted for leeching chemicals into the body. Leeching emits chemicals into the body that has been noted as one of the minor causes for cancer and is now being intensively investigated.