Pacifiers are made of different materials, usually rubber and plastic, latex, or silicone. Some are good, safe, and healthy, and some not so much. A pacifier is an item that calms your baby when it is nervous and upset.
It is used for newborns from the end of the first month of life to the twenty-fourth month. It imitates the nipple of the mother’s breast and thus calms the baby, develops a feeling of sucking plus it helps the development of the jaw and tongue muscles.
Parents always make sure that the pacifier is of good quality and made of healthy materials. But what are pacifier made of, well: it is made of different materials such as plastic, rubber, silicone, and latex. They come in different colors, shapes, and designs, however, there are two basic types of pacifiers: orthodontic and conventional pacifiers. They consist of three parts: a ring, shield, and nipple.
Silicone pacifiers are obtained from synthetic polymers, thus they are easy to maintain, durable, resistant to odors, withstand high temperatures of boiling and sterilization. There are also high-quality types of silicone, whose pacifiers cannot cause possible allergies, therefore these types of pacifiers are used the most.
Latex or rubber is obtained from a tree that grows in South America and Asia. It is a special type of sap that is chemically processed to get firmness, durability, and elasticity. It has been determined that some latex proteins can cause allergies.
Overall, latex is a natural material and cannot withstand long-term use. It does not withstand frequent boiling and is naturally susceptible to decomposition. These rubber pacifiers have no resistance to odors.
Almost all serious pacifier manufacturers consult with experts and doctors. The pacifier must have the appropriate shape that is most comfortable for the baby. It is very important what the pacifier should look like and what material it is made of. Shape size and healthy materials are essential for your baby’s health.
What are the parts of a pacifier?
The pacifiers are made of several parts and can be of different materials and different designs. Overall it has three main parts: a nipple that mimics the mother’s breast, shield, and holder. It serves to calm the baby when it’s nervous, upset, or the teething time has come.
The nipple part is made of latex or silicone. Latex is obtained from wood, which chemicals are added to gain firmness. Unfortunately, these chemicals contain proteins that sometimes can cause allergies in some babies. Latex pacifiers are also not long-lasting and do not tolerate high temperatures and sterilization.
Silicone, on the other side, is a synthetic polymer that is long-lasting and resistant to high temperatures. There are also certified, high-quality silicones from which pacifiers are made.
The shield part prevents the baby from sucking on the pacifier and prevents choking. It is desirable that the shield and the nipple are made of one part, that there are no joints where bacteria would gather. It is also very important that the nipple and the shield do not separate, so the nipple can’t suffocate the baby.
The shield needs to have holes through which the baby can breathe if somehow the whole pacifier gets into the baby’s mouth. And, the last part is the holder that serves to remove the pacifier from the baby’s mouth as needed.
What is the best material for pacifiers?
Experts believed that sucking a pacifier that resembles a mother’s breast calms the baby, and saves the parents from a potential headache. Pacifiers are made of latex, a kind of rubber, silicone, and plastic. Latex is obtained from a natural material, from wood that grows in South America and Asia.
The problem arises when chemical agents are added to the latex. Chemicals serve to make the latex harder, more durable, and easier to process. These chemicals can cause allergic reactions in babies.
Unfortunately, latex pacifiers do not last long and do not withstand high temperatures and cooling, as well as sterilization. You will definitely buy more latex pacifiers than silicone ones.
Silicone pacifiers are made of polymers that are more durable and can withstand boiling and cooling. You won’t have to buy a lot of pacifiers unless your baby loses them. It is necessary for the pacifier to be poured from one part so that there are no joints between the shield and the nipple.
The shield should have holes that allow the baby to breathe if the whole pacifier gets into her mouth. The ring at the end of the shield serves to pull the pacifier out of the baby’s mouth, if necessary it can be made of silicone or some other material. Some manufacturers put a holder instead of a ring so that the baby does not hook the ring and pull out the pacifier.
What is the manufacturing process for pacifiers?
The safest pacifier is the pacifier made from one part, there are no joints and small parts that can break and endanger the baby. These one-piece pacifiers are the easiest to make. They are made in a factory where crushed silicone – pellets are heated up to two hundred degrees Celsius.
The molten silicon is then injected under high pressure and at high speed into the mold. This is necessary because silicone is viscous and cannot be poured into a mold. A little more molten polymer is added to compensate for the contraction of the pacifier, which is caused by cooling.
The silicon used for pacifiers is often certified, which means that it does not contain harmful substances that could endanger your baby. When completely cooled, they are packaged and distributed on the market.
Before the start of production of new models of pacifiers, checks and tests are performed to determine their durability and safety. In the same way, the pacifiers are checked and at the end of the production, the safety of your baby is in the first place.
Experts, in cooperation with medical workers, determine which tests the pacifier has to pass from the mechanical stretching of the pacifier, endurance, resistance to temperature changes, the size of the pacifier, and even the size of the holes on the shield. Only in this way can we be sure that the baby is protected and that her favorite pacifier cannot endanger her.
Summary
Pacifiers are very important things for babies. They can help it with making the baby fall asleep faster, calm it down, make it less nervous and soothe it in its own way. There are different shapes, designs, and types of pacifiers, so a lot of parents ask what are pacifier made of?
They are usually made of plastic, rubber, silicone, and latex. Silicone pacifiers are obtained from synthetic polymers, which are easy to clean, odor-resistant, and can withstand boiling temperatures and sterilization. Latex is a natural material so it cannot resist all these things, therefore you will most likely end up constantly buying these types of pacifiers.
