Pacifier For most children, there are no hard-and-fast rules. The Pediatrics recommends waiting until your child is at least 12 months old before you wean her from her binky. That’s because pacifier use at nap time and bedtime lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
One important exception: If your child is prone to ear infections, ask her doctor if it’s a good idea to banish the binky earlier (say between 6 and 12 months), because pacifier use may lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear, increasing the risk of ear infection.
Pacifiers can reduce stress
For many kids, the pacifier serves as a transitional object or lovey: It relieves stress and helps them adjust to new or challenging situations, like starting daycare or even going to sleep. If your child takes great comfort from his pacifier, you can let him continue to use it.
Some children use a pacifier well into their toddler and even preschool years, and they typically stop on their own between the ages of 2 and 4.
Can pacifiers harm my child’s teeth?
It’s unlikely that the pacifier will cause permanent damage while your child still has her baby teeth, and her permanent teeth won’t typically start appearing until she’s about 6 years old.
Still, if your child shows no signs of quitting when she’s 3 years old, it’s a good idea to have her dentist evaluate her jaw and teeth. Depending on how frequently and earnestly she sucks on her paci, the dentist may recommend that you start weaning her from it to prevent permanent damage. Strong sucking can potentially change the palate and/or jaw shape. And that can affect how her adult teeth come in.
Can long-term pacifier use cause other problems?
Even if your child has no trouble with ear infections and the dentist doesn’t see any potential problems, you might want to consider removing his binky sooner rather than later. A pacifier habit can be difficult to break.
Some experts think pacifiers could interfere with speech development. If your child often has a pacifier in his mouth, he may be less likely to babble and practice talking, or the pacifier may distort his speech.
How should I wean my baby or toddler from a pacifier?
There are many ways to wean a child from a binky, so choose one that you think best suits your child. Some parents think a cold-turkey approach works best. Others find it easiest to start by limiting daytime use, then work their way up to phasing it out of the nighttime routine. Starting a new bedtime ritual can help.
The pros
For some babies, pacifiers are the key to contentment between feedings. Consider the advantages:
- A pacifier might soothe a fussy baby. Some babies are happiest when they’re sucking on something.
- A pacifier offers temporary distraction. A pacifier might come in handy during and after shots, blood tests or other procedures.
- A pacifier might help your baby fall asleep. If your baby has trouble settling down, a pacifier might do the trick.
- A pacifier might ease discomfort during flights. Babies can’t intentionally “pop” their ears by swallowing or yawning to relieve ear pain caused by air pressure changes. Sucking on a pacifier might help.
- A pacifier might help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sucking on a pacifier at nap time and bedtime might reduce the risk of SIDS.
- Pacifiers are disposable. When it’s time to stop using pacifiers, you can throw them away. If your child prefers to suck on his or her thumb or fingers, it might be more difficult to break the habit.
The cons
Of course, pacifiers have pitfalls as well. Consider the drawbacks:
- Your baby might become dependent on the pacifier. If your baby uses a pacifier to sleep, you might face middle-of-the-night crying spells when the pacifier falls out of your baby’s mouth.
- Pacifier use might increase the risk of middle ear infections. However, rates of middle ear infections are generally lowest from birth to age 6 months — when the risk of SIDS is the highest and your baby might be most interested in a pacifier.
- Prolonged pacifier use might lead to dental problems. Normal pacifier use during the first few years of life generally doesn’t cause long-term dental problems. However, prolonged pacifier use might cause a child’s teeth to be misaligned.
- Pacifier use might disrupt breast-feeding. If you’re breast-feeding, you might wait to offer a pacifier until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and you’ve settled into a nursing routine. However, a review of unrestricted pacifier use in healthy, full-term infants found that it had no impact on the continuation of breast-feeding.
Pacifier do’s and don’ts
If you choose to offer your baby a pacifier, keep these tips in mind:
- Don’t use a pacifier as a first line of defense. Sometimes a change of position or a rocking session can calm a crying baby. Offer a pacifier to your baby only after or between feedings.
- Choose a one-piece, dishwasher-safe variety. Pacifiers made of two pieces pose a choking hazard if they break.
- Let your baby set the pace. If your baby’s not interested in the pacifier, don’t force it.
- Keep it clean. Until your baby is 6 months old and his or her immune system matures, frequently boil pacifiers or run them through the dishwasher. After age 6 months, simply wash pacifiers with soap and water. Resist the temptation to “rinse” the pacifier in your own mouth. You’ll only spread more germs to your baby.
- Don’t sugarcoat it. Don’t put sweet substances on the pacifier.
- Keep it safe. Replace pacifiers often and use the appropriate size for your baby’s age. Watch for signs of deterioration. Also use caution with pacifier clips. Never attach a pacifier to a string or strap long enough to get caught around your baby’s neck.
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