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SOOTHER
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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How
often do I have to clean a soother?
Before
first use boil for 5 minutes or sterilise in the
MAM microwave steriliser.
Wash with water and sterilise regularly,
ensuring hygiene.
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How
often should I replace the soother?
Always
inspect the soother before and after each use
for wear (e.g. sticky surface or swollen latex
teats) and damage (e.g. bite marks) and throw
away when worn, damaged or punctured. Normally
an intensively used soother should be replaced
after approximately 1-2 months. The life span of
latex, a natural product, could be prolonged by
using chemicals. However, we do not do this
because there would be a slight risk to baby’s
health. To prolong the life span of silicone soothers by increasing hardness or wall
thickness is not recommended by orthodontists,
so we do not do this either.
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Could
my baby swallow a soother?
No.
The MAM soother was developed together with
experts, corresponds to international standards
and cannot be swallowed. Do not panic if your
baby puts the whole soother into the mouth. The
special soother design with many ventilation
holes enables your baby to continue to breathe
in such an event. Keep calm and remove the soother
carefully. It is stressful and alarming
when the baby cries or gets red in the face from
anger, but there is absolutely no danger of
suffocation. Since the minimum sizes for soothers and ventilation holes for
soother shields were introduced 20 years ago, and remain
in force today, there has been no serious injury
or death due to suffocation in the USA or
Europe.
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What
is the difference between latex and silicone teats?
Latex
is a very smooth, resistant natural rubber,
which ages and loses its hygienic appearance
after longer usage. Silicone is easier to clean,
does not wear and has a hygienic appearance.
However it is not as bite-resistant and slightly
less elastic. Let your baby decide which teat it
prefers.
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How
important are shape and texture of the soother teat?
The
orthodontic shape of the teat is essential for
correct sucking habits. "Pre-shaped” or
asymmetrical soothers can only be used in the
correct position – with the "right” side
upwards. For that reason, our MAM soothers have
symmetric teats and guarantee that the baby
cannot use the soother "upside down".
Because of their shape and the different sizes
for different age groups, MAM teats adapt
perfectly to your baby’s mouth and train the
jaw muscles.
The teat should be soft to adapt naturally to
the baby’s sucking action.
The MAM teats deflate and extend during
sucking. This is caused by small air vents at
the stem of the knob. Thus the teat becomes
flatter and more comfortable to the gum.
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Can
soother use be harmful for my baby?
75%-95%
of all babies satisfy their sucking need with a soother
or a finger. While sucking of any kind
for a long period of time can lead to
malformation of the jaws and gums, research suggests that orthodontic
soothers promote
muscular activity and thus have a good effect on
the healthy development of children’s teeth.
In general, babies using a soother are less
inclined towards "baby bottle tooth
decay" which is caused by using baby
bottles instead of soothers.
Soothers promote the production of saliva.
Saliva contains a high percentage of calcium,
phosphates and fluorides, three important
elements in building up dental enamel. Saliva is
the natural enemy of cavities.
Scientific studies indicate that babies using soothers stop them earlier than thumb suckers,
an important reason why many paediatricians
recommend soothers.
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How
often and how long per day can my baby can suck on the
soother without any harm?
Let
the natural sucking reflex of your baby answer
that question! There is no "recommended
maximum daily rate”. To avoid damage of jaws
and teeth, we would recommend to let a baby have
an orthodontic MAM soother rather than the
finger.
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Does
a baby need a soother?
Most
babies suck longer than necessary for feeding.
Research studies indicate that
"non-nutritive” sucking plays an
important role in early development and should
not be restricted. Without a soother a baby
might suck on the finger, which is a more
difficult habit to stop and could also affect
the healthy development of jaws and teeth.
Therefore many paediatricians recommend the soother. But do not use the
soother to replace
your love. Babies who do not want a soother should never be forced to use one.
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Which
types of colours does MAM use for printing soother motifs (including Night
soothers)?
All
the colours we use are approved to be used with
foodstuffs and meet all safety standards.
Furthermore they conform to DIN EN 71, part 3
migration of special elements.
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Why
are the sizes of MAM soothers overlapping?
Not
all children are the same size at the same age.
For that reason MAM have developed soothers with
overlapping sizes. We recommend changing to a soother
with a bigger shield at the age of 4 months. Sometimes, however, there is no point in
changing at exactly this age. For example, if
your baby is still very small at the age of 4 months you may continue using
0+ months
soothers.
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When
should a child stop using a soother?
There
is no strict rule for that. Most children should
stop using a soother before their 3rd birthday,
only 1% of children continues until the age of
5. In case your baby does not want to stop using
a soother by herself, we recommend to reduce it
gradually until the 36th month of life.
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soothers
