Important Update regarding Happy Baby Dummies

Important Update regarding Happy Baby Dummies

What are some of the key differences between Latex Soothers and Silicone Soothers?

Latex rubber differs from silicone. It is a natural material, with molecules that are interlinked and thus more tear resistant. Those interlinked molecules mean it is not as susceptible to tearing as silicone.
Latex, because it is a natural material is softer, more malleable (and for that reason, is preferred by more babies). Despite being a softer feeling texture for baby, it is actually more resilient.

But latex will deteriorate with age, and certain types of conditions will cause it to age prematurely, which is important to note. Things that can affect the performance of soothers, or that can actually damage it include leaving a soother in direct sunlight, or exposing the soother to sweet foods (like dipping it in honey). All of these things can weaken the latex, which means it won’t be as strong as it needs to be, it might not be safe for your baby to use, the latex teat can actually come away from the shield and that becomes a choking hazard.

If your dummy seems to be sticky, it’s a sign you need to change it. If the soother comes into contact with certain medications (like the ones used to treat reflux) this can compromise it. Over sterilising, excessively boiling it, even exposure to UV light all of these things are really tough on a dummy. This is why we recommend using 3 dummies in rotation and changing them all every 2 months.

We know that it’s not always easy to be a parent. We understand that parents are extremely busy people and it is one of the reasons we like to get involved in these discussions to help raise the importance and awareness of the care and usage instructions and warnings on the back of pack. Highly important issues include rotating the dummies, throwing them out if they don’t look “right”, or they are an unusual colour. We know it’s important to you and it is importance to us.

Deflation
Happy Baby soothers are pneumatic (they hold air inside them, like a tyre)

Watch out when your little one starts to get teeth, remember, little baby teeth are very sharp! They might puncture the soft latex dummy, and this will cause it to deflate. That’s actually not such a bad thing. If your baby makes a tiny bite mark in a dummy, so tiny that you can’t see it, then that dummy is no longer perfectly hygienic. The deflation acts as a warning sign that the dummy should be replaced. For teething babies, we recommend using Gummy which is designed to withstand sharp teeth and chewing actions. Using that with a good teething gel is a great combination as it soothes the tender gums and provides an safe outlet for the chewing.

All soothers need to be replaced on a regular basis, at least every 2 months. We recommend using 3 soothers in rotation, and replacing them all every two months.


Discolouration/Feel

Make sure your latex soother teats are a nice creamy colour. Any soother that looks purply/pink or brown has probably been exposed to UV light, or may be old. Also, check how the soother feels- is it a bit “tacky” or sticky? This too is a sign that the dummy shouldn't be used any more.


Testing & Safety

Soothing babies is an important part of our business, and we’ve been doing it for over 45 years. Our products have passed all the tests, ACCC, Choice, CSIRO, we adhere to all the Australian Safety Standards, and in fact our Chairman helped develop those standards many years ago. But we also conduct our own daily internal production testing – testing that shows we exceed those standards in several areas. For example, our strength tests show that our dummies are up to 3 times stronger than the standards require.