Kids Health Notes give-away: Wubbanub pacifiers

When my son first started sucking his thumb at one month of age, my first response was to stop the habit cold. I wasn’t too thrilled about thumb sucking, as my firstborn didn’t have the same habit. Besides I got plenty of unsolicited advice about thumb sucking as a bad habit. My efforts to remove my son’s thumbs were rewarded with a different habit – he sucked on his two other fingers!

But really, thumb sucking is one of the most common habits of young children. This natural sucking instinct is a child’s way of self-soothing. It also does not cause permanent damage unless it continued past the age of 5. It may however cause some biting problems or protruding front teeth. If you are uncomfortable about letting your child thumb suck, then pacifiers may be a better alternative. Pacifiers are softer and cause less damage to the teeth, and they can be cleaned. However, not all pacifiers are made equal, and some are safer than others. Some are also better looking than others, like this one by Wubbanub.

The WubbaNub is a Soothie brand pacifier attached to a plush stuffed animal, helping keep the pacifier in place and keeps the child feeling calm and secure. Commissioned and used by hospital NICUs across the nation, the latex-free medical grade silicone pacifier is completely safe for all children to use.  The products also aid in hand-eye coordination.  The WubbaNubs are available online at www.mom4life.com and www.twobluepeas.com for around $10.00. For more information, visit http://www.wubbanub.com.

So now, for the give-away: Six winners will receive 2 Wubbanub pacifiers each, so that way you have an alternate when the other is dirty. Here’s how to join:

• Just tell me you want one!
• One entry per person per day
• It’s open to residents of the 48 contingent US states only.
• Contest ends 12:00 midnight EST on August 17, 2008 (Sunday). Six (6) winners will be randomly chosen and announced via blog and email the week after.
• If the winner does not reply within 3 days, he/she forfeits her winnings and an alternate winner will be chosen.

I tried the Wubbanub on my son and he liked it. The pacifier is small enough for an infant and easy to clean. The small stuff toy is a nice distraction that sometimes he ends up playing with it instead. He can also grasp the toy with his hands so the pacifier doesn’t end up on the floor, or squished somewhere hidden.

image used with permission from Wubbanub