Nursery World - Speech - In the clear

What are the effects of dummy use on young children’s speech and language development? Radhika Kovendrakumar gives advice, based on research she did for her pre-school

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For many parents, a dummy is a wonderful thing. It can pacify a child with ease, and the benefits don’t stop there. But with the benefits come a range of disadvantages, particularly in the risk that dummies pose to a child’s speech development. As a result of my research, we have introduced a dummy policy at All Saints Preschool Harrow Weald, north-west London to inform families about the pros and cons of pacifiers and to encourage parents to limit their use.

Much like a bottle, which can have a similarly detrimental impact on speech development, dummies are often used by parents to comfort young babies, either at night to settle, or during the day to make their baby feel relaxed.

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