Kids 'should give up dummies well before school'

October 23 2009

A language expert has warned using a dummy after the age of three could limit a child's speech development, early years teachers may be interested to hear.

According to a spokesperson for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, a toddler with a dummy in its mouth is less likely to "babble" and experiment with talking, making them less confident communicators.

He added that a child's ability to swallow may also be affected, which could further impair speech development.

Parents and teachers should share nursery rhymes, songs and reading aloud with young children to encourage them to join in, he advised.

Recent research published in the medical journal BMC Paediatrics revealed youngsters using dummies beyond the age of three are three times more likely to develop speech problems.

Those babies who are breastfed - rather than through a bottle - are less likely to acquire language disorders.

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