Anticipatory Guidance (continued)

Non-Nutritive Sucking

• Sucking is a natural reflex for infants. Most infants require some amount of additional sucking beyond that needed for nourishment. This type of sucking, known as non-nutritive sucking, provides emotional benefits, enabling the infant to calm himself/herself and focus attention. If parents choose to have their infant suck a pacifier, health professionals can advise them to take certain safety precautions. The following precautions are recommended:
• Never attaching a pacifier to a ribbon or string around the infant’s neck.
• Making sure the pacifier is of sturdy, one-piece construction and that the material is flexible, firm, and not brittle.
• Keeping the pacifier clean.
• Not dipping a pacifier in sweetened foods (e.g., sugar, honey, syrup) to encourage sucking.
• Never orally cleaning a pacifier before giving it to an infant.