>Re: SUCKING.....Freud's fixation argument OR 1-2 year impulse argument...OR >>survival argument....OR habit argument....it occurs. Don't forget -- evolutionary research suggests that the normal duration of human breastfeeding should be about 6-7 years. One would suspect that the "sucking need" should last the same amount of time. >>Re: SUCKING OUTCOMES & HYPOXIA....it is most important to know that IF early >>sucking is a respiratory survival technique, it GENERALLY works against >>survival as time goes on as it creates a smaller airway which can be measured >>after year 2 or 3... But does this "smaller airway" occur only in pacifier suckers or thumb/finger suckers? What about children who breastfeed for 3-9 years? Do they have smaller airways than bottle-feeders? If so, then the smaller airway must be considered the normal/natural/ appropriate size. >thus it is then important to determine time of need to >>cut-off...i.e. to remove the "blankie" or other known factors which increases >>dramatically the chance to stop the SUCKING & AIRWAY CONSTRICTION. Children should be allowed to suck on *something* -- mother, pacifier, finger/thumb, until they are ready to give it up. For most children this will be between 3-5-8 years of age. If currently-designed pacifiers create airway problems for children, then they need to be designed, not just "disallowed" once a child turns a certain age. You can deny the comfort of sucking to the child, but you can't change the innate need/urge to suck. Also, I would be interested to know what percentage of orthodontia can be clearly linked to bottle/pacifier/thumb sucking, and what percentage is caused by other factors. I nursed til 18 months, sucked my thumb until 8, and have beautifully straight teeth. My daughter nursed til 4 years, never sucked her thumb, only occasional pacifier use, and she had to have full orthodontia. As with so many other issues, I suspect breastfeeding for several years prevents some kids from needing orthodontia, who otherwise would have needed it, but not all. And some breastfed kids still need braces, for reasons unrelated to how they were fed. Kathy Dettwyler *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html