Pacifier dummies are dangerous for boys
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Pacifier pacifiers can cause a delay in emotional development in boys.
This was stated by a team of psychologists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This study for the first time revealed the influence of pacifiers on the psychological development of babies.
Earlier pediatricians already showed concern about the use of the nipple. They came to the conclusion that pacifiers can harm a child's health, in particular, provoke dental disorders and even ear infections.
People of all ages even willy-nilly imitate facial expressions or gestures of other people.
"Thanks to this copying, people can understand each other's emotions. In particular, it is easier for us to perceive feelings of joy or vice versa, irritation and anger. This is only one of the ways by which we can interact, understand each other and communicate, "says Paula Nidenthal, professor of psychology and lead author of the study. - When we communicate with babies, we can talk to them, but at the initial stage the child is more important than our facial expressions and the tone of our voice. It is because of this that young children learn to understand the meaning of words. "
According to the researchers, the dummy prevents children from copying the facial expression and therefore the understanding process is violated. The consequences of the delay in emotional development remain for life. This applies only to boys, this does not affect the development of girls. Why this happens, scientists find it difficult to answer. The reasons for such differences remain to be determined.
This effect was compared with the effect of Botox injection, which paralyzes the muscles of the face and smoothes wrinkles. People who undergo such a procedure involuntarily express fewer emotions that might express and sometimes hard to understand by the face what a person feels and what emotions he experiences.
"This study can be said to have opened our eyes. Just imagine how hard it is for a child who learns the world through mimicry and sounds, imitating and copying with a pacifier in his mouth, "says the professor.
The scientists conducted an experiment, the participants of which were students. With the help of the survey, experts recreated the picture of their childhood. Some men very well remembered that the parents did not try to wean them from the nipples and they sucked a pacifier longer than their peers.
The experiment consisted in making a decision based on an assessment of the emotions of another person. It turned out that men who sucked pacifiers longer, "read" on the faces of other people was more difficult than the rest.
It is possible that girls who are not affected by this influence simply progress in emotional development faster than boys.
Experts do not argue that using a nipple is an absolute evil. In order to get to the bottom of the truth, more research is needed, but such an interconnection seems to exist between the harmless pacifier and the development of the child.
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