Flags have been in use for way over 4000 years. But they have always been used for the same purpose, to give others information.

King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table used to wear flags on their horses and armour so that others on their side could tell who they were. The Jolly Roger was a symbol of piracy and flown by pirates at the top of their vessels to scare people off meaning “no mercy will be shown to those who resist”. Also, more recently the Olympic flag represents the five continents coming together in friendly competition, with the white background symbolising peace.

So in the past, flags have played a significant part in society, which is also the case today. Every nation has a flag, whose colours are tied to the country’s history, for example, the orange in the Dutch flag represents the Orange Order that previously ruled the country. National flags are used to represent each country during conflict, sporting competitions, international conferences and events, but they also give individuals a chance to show their patriotism by flying the flag of their nation. This is particularly evident in England when a major football event is happening; the majority of the population who are football fans fly the flag of St George to show that they are behind the English football team.

Clubs and organisations have their own flags too, for example the boy scouts, and all have special meanings but are nevertheless there for symbolic reasons. Many organisations have caught onto the importance of flags and now manufacture these for a wide range of clientele. Piggotts ( piggotts.co.uk/flags-index.htm piggotts.co.uk/flags-index.htm) is one such example, and provides flags and flag poles for places such as the parliament buildings and other famous, high profile streets in London.

So why do well feel it’s necessary to expose these flags when we are feeling slightly patriotic? Well because they have been used for so many years, they have become a part of our heritage and are a symbol of individuality, which will continue for thousands of years into the future.

Andrew Cahill

Recent studies over the past several years have shown that the use of pacifiers in infants (whether they be the Nuby baby pacifier brand or others), may actually help prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Although there have been numerous studies, no one has been able to determine exactly why the number of deaths have fallen since pacifier use has been recommended. There have been many smaller studies that have concluded that baby pacifiers do help and that even the circumstantial evidence is pointing to the fact that there have been less deaths reported from parents of babies who suck on pacifiers.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is one of the leading causes of deaths in infants. In fact, in the early 90s a campaign was started to get babies off their stomachs and sides and have them sleep on their backs. This alone seemed to cut the rate of yearly deaths in half from 5,000 cases a year to the present 2,500 cases of SIDS.

When determining the reasons for SIDS, the use of baby pacifiers was considered to try something new. Here is one quote out of many found that advocate the use of baby pacifiers, Nuby baby pacifiers or others.

“The studies have consistently shown that risk declines with pacifier use,” says SIDS researcher and panel member Rachel Moon, MD, who is pediatric medical director at Washington’s Children’s National Medical Center. “We don’t really know why. But the evidence was too compelling to ignore.”

The doctors worldwide are recommending that babies use pacifiers all the way through to age one. If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may want to wait a month before introducing the pacifier to make sure your baby is established in nursing. If you are not nursing, you will want to introduce your baby immediately to the use of a pacifier. One of the better brands that is baby friendly is the Nuby Baby pacifier.

How can a baby pacifier help in this case? They are designed with one air hole on each side which will help in the rare case that your baby will be able to shove the entire pacifier inside his or her mouth. Many of the designs for infants ages 0-6 months have handles on the pacifiers. These handles often times flip up under the baby’s nose and create an air pocket if the baby’s blanket is pulled over his or her head. Studies are saying that the sucking process alone is helping to prevent this horrible death.

There is no need to worry about your baby’s teeth developing at this point. They come in orthodontic styles as well if that is a concern but studies have shown that there is no detrimental effect from the use of pacifiers during the early years prior to the eruption of teeth. There have been studies that have shown that orthodontic pacifiers may actually help instead.

Even if there is no logical reason as to why the pacifier seems to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, isn’t it wise to not take the chance and just go ahead and use them? You will never want to have to ask “what if” if you don’t give them a try. Visit babypacifiershop.com baby pacifier shop for more information.

As in all cases, you, as a parent or grandparent must take responsibility for overseeing your baby’s health and well being as well. For future reference, the address for the manufacturer of Nuby baby products as of this article is: Luv n’ Care2805 Saint Charles Ave Monroe, LA 71201 (318) 388-4916

Margaret Dunn is a very active single mom of two children and a grandmother of two with a passion for learning how to succeed on the internet. Her goal is to learn it, succeed at it and then show others how to do the same by providing free seminars. She has written several ebooks and articles on diverse topics of interest. Her profession of 20 years has been headhunting. In addition, she now has 15 websites and blogs in various stages. She is an avid beach bum and travels to Cancun Mexico as often as possible. She has built an Ebay store and markets baby products internationally. Her desire is to help single moms and dads and stay at home moms or dads discover that there is a way to make a few extra dollars on the side while managing a very busy life. If you need info on finding a job, visit jobsearchtop10.com jobsearchtop10.com for lots of free info.