> I'm convinced that Barbara Wilson-Clay is exactly right in her observation
> that persistent pacifier users (or thumb-suckers, or
> all-night-nursers, etc)
> probably are meeting some yet-undescribed biological need. The Japanese
> research she cites is very persuasive, and I have a personal example to
> verify this concept.

I must admit to not following this thread very closely, but I will briefly
add another anecdote here.  My son (who is now 9 1/2) had something in his
mouth 24 hours a day for about the first 18 months of his life.  He had
free, unrestricted access to the breast and nursed hourly throughout the
day, and several times at night.  When he was not nursing he had the binky
in his mouth.  He would nurse while holding the binky, come off the breast
and put the binky in his mouth. He was constantly sucking on something (but
never his thumb).  I couldn't believe how suck-y this baby was.  He weaned
from the breast early...at 19 months when I was pregnant and crawling out of
my skin with every nursing.

At 3 1/2 years, after a year of weaning from the pacifier (in very gradual
steps), he no longer used the pacifier.  He now chews on his clothes.  He
eats holes in his shirts until they are unwearable.  He eats his socks,
bites his fingernails and chews up all his pencils.

He is also (and I think this is relevant to his oral needs) autistic and has
sensory integration dysfunction for which he receives occupational therapy.

I am not saying, of course, that all persistent suckers (be it pacifier,
thumb or breast) are autistic, but this child had an oral need (still does)
that is very, very high.  My other 2 non-autistic, "neurotypical" children
also were very high need nursers (nursing until 27 months and 52 months),
but were completely not interested in "recreational" sucking.

Kathy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kathy Koch, BSEd, IBCLC
Great Mills, MD
mailto:[log in to unmask]
"Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there's always one
determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger
desires."- Marcelene Cox

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