Frequently Asked Questions

Because NUK has based the special design of its soothers on nature. More precisely on the mother's nipple when breastfeeding, where the baby can feed contentedly as nature intended.

The NUK teats and soothers are designed in such a way that sucking, to a large extent, demands the same sucking, chewing and feeding habits typical for breastfeeding. Thus training the lower jaw and face muscles.

The NUK design supports the natural, healthy orthodontic development of the child when used specifically to calm the child, avoid damaging thumb-sucking or to facilitate intensive orthodontic training in between meal times.

Read more about this in the NUK Form.

Many mothers think that symmetrical soothers correspond to the nipple the most because they look like they have the same shape. It should be noted here, however, that the nipple changes its shape during breastfeeding and adapts to the shape of the child's mouth, as well as the sucking and motor activity. The shape it takes has been scientifically proven to be orthodontically correct, unlike the round or cherry-shaped designs of many other soothers.

In the 1950s, the dentists Dr. med. dent. W. Balters and Prof. Dr. Dr. A. Müller looked for ways to prevent tooth displacement and jaw deformation in children. They discovered that these problems were seen much less often in children who had been breastfed. The dramatic change of the shape of the nipple during breastfeeding and thus its perfect adaption to the mouth of the child led the dentists to create the first anatomically pre-formed and thus orthodontically correct NUK teat and soother. Similar to what happens during breastfeeding, the flattened baglet of the teat supports the cavity of the lower jaw while the upper rounded side promotes the development of the palate perfectly. Meanwhile, the lip rest remains flat so that – almost like drinking at the breast – a firm closing of the lips is possible. The hole in the teat has been consciously placed further to the back and not directly at the peak. The food thus remains in the mouth of the child for longer, allowing for better salivation to take place, something which is very important for a healthy digestive system.

The teat with the typical NUK design optimally trains the lips, tongue and face muscles and is still recommended by orthodontists today. 

Fundamentally, a soother should physiologically adapt to the jaw of the child and should allow the tongue enough room for movement. A flattened baglet, i.e. with an undersurface rounded slightly upwards, facilitates the natural position of the tongue and supports the development of both the lower and upper jaw. It is also important to ensure that the soother is soft and flexible. It is recommended that the teat neck (the area that connects the baglet to the mouth plate) is narrow enough to ensure there is as little pressure as possible on the jaws and the teeth. Further information can be found in the NUK Form.

The NUK teats and soothers are designed in such a way that sucking, to a large extent, demands the same sucking, chewing and feeding habits typical for breastfeeding. By using the NUK soother, your child is not only satisfying her natural sucking urges but is also intensively training his jaw.

Normally, the lip guard of the soother presses lightly against the mouth and chin of the child when sucking. The rubber part in the mouth of the child thus automatically returns to its correct position. Most children will turn around an incorrectly placed orthodontic soother themselves or spit it out if it is too small.

If the soother is simply being used to pacify the child or because it has become a habit, the original purpose of the soother has been lost: If anything, the child will no longer suck the soother but will regard it as a toy that can also be put into his mouth upside down. It may also be the case that your child has become accustomed to another, symmetrically designed soother that can be placed in the mouth in any position.

We would advise, however, that parents have patience when introducing soothers and show their child how the soother should be properly used.

There is no risk of jaw deformation or tooth displacement from the soother if the child occasionally turns it in his mouth. Because the NUK soother has such a flexible and soft baglet, there will be only very slight pressure on the child's mouth. Which is certainly not the case for thumb-sucking, on whose damaging effects all experts agree.

International studies show that the use of soothers does have a positive effect against Sudden Infant Death. In order to examine this finding more closely, scientists from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (2)analysed two internationally relevant studies from the years 1966 to 2004. They came to the conclusion that children who go to sleep with a soother are at a much lower risk of Sudden Infant Death. The reasons for this are not yet known

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that babies up to one year of age are given a soother whenever they are put down for sleep, both during the day and night. This covers the age when Sudden Infant Death occurs the most, as well as during the period when children have their greatest urges for sucking. Children should not be unnecessarily encouraged to use soothers and the soother should never be coated with something sweet. If the soother falls from the child's mouth after falling asleep, it should not be reinserted.(3)

The most effective way to protect your child is explained in the following basic rules:

Breastfeed your baby if possible. Your baby loves body contact – breastfeeding provides nourishment for both the body and soul. Breast milk will also protect your baby against allergies and infections.

• Place your baby only on her back for sleeping. This is the safest and best sleeping position for your child.
• Do not smoke while pregnant or after your baby is born. The risk of Sudden Infant Death rises with every cigarette!
• Ensure your child has a healthy sleeping environment: In your bedroom, in her own cot on a firm mattress and in a baby sleeping bag. Covers, pillows and large cuddly toys etc do not belong in the baby cot! Keep the room well ventilated and do not dress the child too warmly.
• Should you detect any signs of illness or if your child is not at ease, contact your paediatrician.(4)

 (1) Source: Gemeinsame Elterninitiative Plötzlicher Säuglingstod (GEPS) Deutschland e.V. (German national SIDS organisation)

(2) Founded in 1930, the American Academy of Pediatrics has almost 60,000 members in the USA, Canada and Latin America, committed to the physical, psychological and social health of children and adolescents.

(3) Source: American Medical Journal "Pediatrics" (2005; 116 3716-e723)

(4) Recommendations from the brochure "How can my baby sleep safely?" from the Hamburgischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Gesundheitsförderung e.V. (Hamburg working group for the promotion of health) in cooperation with the Hamburger Behörde für Soziales, Familie, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz (Hamburg Authority for Social Affairs, Family, Health and Consumer Protection) and the Hamburg-Eppendorf Universitätsklinikum

The calming soother has no button but a kind of ring-pull which protrudes slightly, making it easier for children to take the soother from their mouths themselves. In general, all soothers without this ring and those with a ring which fits flatly into the mouth plate are suitable for use as sleep-time soothers. Thanks to the flat mouth plate, pressure points on the face of the child are avoided.

The baglets of the sleep-time and calming soothers do not differ in their design, function or size. Which means a sleep-time soother can be used as a calming soother and vice versa. Where they differ is how they are used. If pressure points do appear while the baby is sleeping, the use of a sleep-time soother is recommended.

This generally comes down to personal taste as both materials have their own specific advantages. Of course, both soothers can be used interchangeably. Should your baby refuse a new latex teat because of how it tastes, simply boil it for three minutes in milk first. However, while this will neutralise the taste, it will also age the teat quicker than usual due to the fat content in the milk. A latex soother should be used as soon as your child's teeth start appearing as latex, in comparison to silicone, is bite-resistant.

How they differ:

NUK latex soothers are made from rubber milk or latex, a high-quality natural material. The finished latex material is extremely durable and elastic. Thanks to its high-resistance, latex is particularly suitable for babies who already have teeth. A disadvantage to latex is that is must be kept out of sunlight – UV rays cause this material to age quicker. There is, however, a positive side to its discolouration: This is a clear signal that the soother needs to be replaced (after approx. 1 to 2 months). Another advantage is that latex, as a natural material, can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

NUK silicone soothers are made from a high-quality synthetic material. The clear silicone material is particularly resistant to temperature. Direct sunlight and fat also have no effect on the aging of the material. However, silicone can be easily damaged. A silicone soother must be immediately replaced after the first bite marks or any other "faults" become apparent.

Before using the soother for the first time, wash it thoroughly using a gentle washing-up liquid (e.g. the NUK Rinsing Agent) and then boil it for approx. 5 minutes. Press out any remaining fluids from the baglet or simply leave it to dry. Never clean the teat in the dishwasher as this may damage the material. Adults should never lick the soother clean. Caries bacteria can be passed on to the child in this way. The same goes for spoons and teats. If the soother is dirty, it should be thoroughly rinsed under running water. Soother chains or ribbons which can be attached to the clothing of the child can prevent soothers from getting lost or falling on the ground.

All NUK soothers have an AIR SYSTEM. A valve ensures that air can escape from the rubber part when it is pressed together by the palate. The soother thus optimally adapts to the child's mouth at all times. Due to the valve opening, water can sometimes enter the rubber part when the soother is boiled.

Our tip: Press out the remaining water from the soother directly after boiling it.

If a vacuum builds up in the soother, there is a simple trick that nearly always works: Pull sharply on the rubber part of the soother! You will not break the soother; the rubber part and the mouth plate are durable enough to withstand this.

Such a vacuum can occur if (e.g. after boiling) the AIR SYSTEM is blocked. This is because a valve ensures that air can escape from the rubber part when it is pressed together by the palate. The soother thus optimally adapts to the child's mouth at all times. Should you be unable to release the vacuum using the aforementioned trick, simply send us your soother and we will provide you with a replacement free of charge.

The general rule of thumb is: A latex teat should be replaced every 1 to 2 months like a toothbrush, or at the latest when it starts to get sticky. A silicone soother must be immediately replaced after the first bite marks or any other "faults" become apparent. It is recommended that soothers are replaced at an earlier date if your child contracts a cold or throat infection in order to avoid repeat contamination.

From the time he is born. Babies have natural urges to suck and a soother allows them to do this. This is par for the course when breastfeeding.

A soother is primarily there to be sucked, encouraging, comforting and calming the baby. If it just hangs loosely in the baby's mouth, it should be taken away.

It is slowly time to part from the soother by the time the child reaches the age of three.

Talk to your child: Explain to him why it is time to stop using the soother – for example, because the child is too big for a soother or the soother is now too old.

It won't happen overnight: Saying goodbye to the soother in stages is often easier. Agree with your child that she only uses the soother in the house from now on and keep to this new rule until the child stops using it completely.

Give the soother away as a gift: Explain to your child that there are other children, for example a friend's baby, who need the soother urgently. Give plenty of praise to your child when the soother is given away.

Use your imagination: A special "soother fairy", like the Easter bunny or Santa Claus, can help ease the final transition. The child gives up his soother and receives a treat in return. In some parts of the world, there are "soother trees" which the soothers are tied to when children stop using them.

The abbreviation, BPA, stands for Bisphenol A. BPA is a raw material in the manufacture of polycarbonate (PC), a synthetic material. BPA is “embedded” in the material and is firmly bound in it.

PC is a very versatile type of material. It is durable, heat-resistant, unshatterable and transparent. This is why PC is used to make countless items in everyday use.

BPA is a starting material for polycarbonate, which is found in many products which we use daily: for example, in plastic bags or milk cartons, food packaging, but also in mobile phones, CDs as well as sunglasses, adhesives or nail polish.

Yes. NUK switched the complete production of baby bottles to BPA-free materials at an early stage and only offers bottles from a range of BPA-free alternative materials today. To make identification as easy as possible for parents when shopping, BPA-free baby bottles from NUK are clearly marked as “BPA free”. In addition, effective June 1^st, 2011, the European ban on the use of materials containing BPA for the production of baby bottles will extend to the sale of such products. So bottles containing BPA may no longer be offered for sale by the trade in general.

Basically, yes. However, as with all NUK products, it is generally recommended to clean them thoroughly before each use and check them for any damage. Damaged baby bottles should be replaced.

For many years there have been baby bottles in the NUK range made out of other materials, such as glass, polypropylene (PP) or Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), which, for easy identification, are marked as “BPA free”. As a matter of course, all the materials used by NUK are continuously subject to safety checks. We guarantee that we make absolutely no use of materials containing BPA in the manufacture of baby bottles at our production sites. We guarantee that we make absolutely no use of materials containing BPA in the manufacture of baby bottles at our production sites.

There are numerous studies worldwide where the danger to health caused by the intake of Bisphenol A (BPA) is examined. The results of these studies are not conclusive and over the past months have been very inconsistently assessed by different institutes in various countries. The scientific controversy over a possible danger to health through the effect of BPA in the human organism led to an ever more critical public discussion and made parents feel extremely unsure.

As a precautionary, consumer protection measure and in the light of the complex information, the European Commission took the decision to adopt a  directive, based on which, BPA may no longer be used in the production of baby bottles from 1 March 2011.  In addition, effective June 1st, 2011, the sale of baby bottles containing BPA will be prohibited in the countries of the European Union.

NUK had already reacted to parents’ uncertainty at an earlier date and no longer produces any baby bottles with BPA. We can offer parents products made out of other materials such as polypropylene (PP) or glass, for example.

To find out what the appropriate authorities such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) have to say on the topic of BPA, you can go to their websites:

 European Food safety Authority (EFSA):

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/faqs/faqbisphenol.htm?wtrl=01

 Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR):

http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/7195

Synthetic materials are marked as follows for the consumer.

The abbreviation, PET, stands for the material, polyethylene terephthalate. It is used for soft drink bottles. There is no BPA in PET.

 PE-HD means “High-Density Polyethylene” and is a material used in the production of all types of plastic bottles. There is no BPA in PE-HD.

 PVC is not used in the manufacture of bottles; there is no BPA in PVC.

  “Low-Density Polyethylene” is a synthetic material, which, for example, is processed into plastic tubes and contains no BPA.

 Polypropylene is a milky synthetic material, which is used, for example, by NUK to produce BPA-free baby bottles.

 “Polystyrene” (PS) is a synthetic material commonly found in the toy industry; it contains no BPA.

 “All other plastics” are grouped under the 07 symbol – among them the synthetic material, polycarbonate that does contain BPA, but also other BPA-free synthetic materials such as Polyamide (PA). NUK has therefore given all its BPA-free baby bottles an extra, unambiguous logo, “BPA free”.

The logo, “BPA free”, identifies all NUK’s BPA-free baby bottles and help parents find their way around the shelf more easily.

Throughout its range, NUK also has other products which babies suck. All these are also made from BPA-free material: silicone and TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer) are BPA-free synthetic materials; natural rubber latex is a natural material, obtained from the latex milk of rubber trees.

The resin identification code 07 identifies “all other plastics” and explains if, and how, these can be recycled. In this group, 07, is the synthetic material, polycarbonate, which contains BPA, but also other BPA-free synthetic materials such as, polyamide (PA). To make it easier for parents when choosing baby bottles, NUK also marks all its BPA-free baby bottles with the unambiguous logo “BPA free”.

You can find further information on BPA here:

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA):

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/faqs/faqbisphenol.htm?wtrl=01

 Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR):

http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/7195

  European Union:

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/229&format=HTML&aged=0&language=DE&guiLanguage=en

There are various parts to a NUK soother. The baglet is always made out of silicone or natural rubber latex and, so, is BPA free. Polycarbonate (PC) was used before for the soother’s so-called “mouth plate” and ring.

NUK reacted early on to the uncertainty of the consumer however and switched their complete soother production to BPA-free materials, such as polypropylene (PP). All NUK soothers are therefore clearly marked as “BPA free”.

NUK switched the complete production of soothers to BPA-free materials at an earlier date. It cannot be ruled out that NUK polycarbonate soothers can still be found in stores. In order to make identification as easy as possible for parents when shopping, BPA-free soothers from NUK can be found in store, clearly marked as “BPA free”.

Basically, yes. However, it is generally recommended to clean all NUK products thoroughly before each use and check them for any damage. Damaged soothers should be replaced.