It's important to know the facts!
Soothers can provide great assistance to all us moms to help comfort our little ones, but being aware of soother safety and doing some important checks before ever giving one over to your baby is vital.
Too often we hear of horror stories in the news whereby a baby has choked or was rushed to hospital due to an incident related to a soother. It is important that all parents are made aware of soother safety before a child ever comes into contact with one.
Here are seven steps to ensure your soother meets all requirements before it meets your baby.
- Do the pull test overtime before you give your baby their soother - The pull test simply involves you pulling hard on the teat and then tugging on the handle and ring, to make sure nothing will not give way under pressure, if it does - bin it!
- Always choose a soother with a shield and ventilation holes.
- Throw away any soother that discolours or begins to show signs of "wear and tear".
- Sterilise and wash your baby's soother in hot soapy water, rinse and air dry. If you're using sterilising solution, avoid leaving the soother in the sterilising solution for longer than the time recommended. NEVER wash in boiling water.
- Check the manufacturer's leaflet to see how long it recommends you use the soother for.
- Never leave a soother in direct sunlight or near a strong source of heat (radiator/open fire).
- Never attach a soother to a string or ribbon as this could cause strangulation.
Follow and repeat these steps every time your baby comes into contact with a soother to ensure optimum safety.
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