Victoria Beckham was yesterday accused of stunting her daughter’s speech and putting her teeth at risk of damage by still letting her use a dummy.
At three years old, Harper Beckham is beyond the age that most health experts would advise giving a child a pacifier.
Dummies are intended to help settle a restless child at bedtime and are recommended only for small babies, as prolonged use can cause speech impairments and wonky teeth.
However some parents use them to stop a child crying, or because it has become a habit.
Yesterday Mrs Beckham, 40, was pictured emerging from a shop in Los Angeles and carrying her daughter, who was sucking on her pink dummy.
The toddler turned three in July and is well beyond the usual recommended cut-off point of 12 months.
Last night pregnancy expert Clare Byam-Cook said that Mrs Beckham was putting her daughter’s wellbeing at risk.
‘Most people agree that prolonged use of the dummy can damage the teeth, by pushing them forwards and getting them misaligned,’ she said.
‘It can also affect speech development, because so many mothers stick a dummy in their toddler’s mouth just to shut the toddler up. The toddler just sits there sucking away on its dummy and doesn’t talk or do anything.’
She added: ‘If a mother allows her toddler to have a dummy in her mouth for large parts of the day, she will definitely stunt her speech development.
‘[Harper] should be looking at her surroundings and pointing things out to her mother but anything she says will be unclear because of the dummy, so she will get used to mumbling speech.’
Most experts recommend parents wean a child off dummies before their first birthday because the habit becomes harder to break as they get older and can lead to thumb-sucking, which can also damage teeth.
Mrs Byam-Cook said: ‘A dummy should be there to comfort and settle a small baby, not just to stop a small baby crying, who is crying for a reason.
‘And certainly not to stop a three-year-old doing anything. It’s for use for very small babies only.
‘Harper is being carried by her mother, so she doesn’t need the comfort of the dummy.’
Harper is carried out of the store by her mother. An expert has said dummies should be used by very small babies only, and recommends weaning them off before their first birthday
David Beckham pictured with his daughter Harper and her dummy at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in August
Harper is the youngest of Mrs Beckham’s four children with her husband, former England footballer David, 39, and is the couple’s only daughter. The pair, who married in 1999, are also parents to Brooklyn, 15, Romeo, 12, and nine-year-old Cruz.
In the past Mrs Beckham, who is regularly seen out and about with her children, has admitted feeling guilty about leaving them behind when she goes to work.
The former Spice Girl said: ‘It’s a huge juggling act, when you are a working mother and looking after your family.
‘Millions and millions of women around the world are doing this every day, but it’s not easy and, yes, you feel guilty every time you walk out of the door to go to work.’
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