Benefits and Risks of Using a Pacifier

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/crying-colic-9/using-pacifiers

Pacifiers: They can be a source of intense debate among parents. Should they use a pacifier with baby, or banish them forever from the house?

The issue isn't so black and white. According to pediatricians, parents, therapists and dentists, there are many pros and cons of pacifier use.

Pros:

• Protection against SIDS. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents consider letting their child fall asleep or nap with a pacifier their first year, as it seems to have a protective effect against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Use the pacifier when putting baby down to sleep -- don't put it back in baby's mouth once he's already asleep.

• Helping babies pacify themselves. Infants need ways to help soothe themselves, says Jennifer Shu, MD, pediatrician and co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality, and a pacifier can be a source of comfort for a crying or colicky baby.

• It satisfies the suck reflex. Some babies have a need to suck that exceeds the time they get on the bottle or breast, says Laura Jana, MD, pediatrician and co-author with Shu of Heading Home with Your Newborn.

• Easier weaning. When you’re ready for a child to stop, it’s much easier to wean them from a pacifier than off of their own thumb, says Shu.

Cons:

• According to a study reported in Pediatrics, pacifiers may lead to 40% more ear infections (called acute otitis media). Though researchers aren’t sure why this happens, they suspect it may be due to a change in pressure between the middle ear and upper throat. Reinforcing this, one study showed that “children who stopped using pacifiers regularly after the age of six months had more than a third fewer middle ear infections than children who use them,” writes Rod Moser, PA, PhD, in his WebMD blog “All Ears.”

• If a pacifier is introduced too early, there’s the risk of nipple confusion for a baby who’s just learning to nurse, says Shu. If you want to give your baby a pacifier, wait until after their first month before starting.

• Parents can mistakenly offer a pacifier when baby really needs nutrition-based sucking, such as a breast or bottle

Babies who are overzealous suckers may change their tooth alignment or delay speech. However, for children less zealous, pacifiers shouldn’t be a problem. They “can certainly be a godsend for fussy babies,” says dentist Kimberly A. Harms, DDS, an American Dental Association consumer advisor, and “as long as they are only used for a short period of time, they do little damage to the baby's teeth.”

One of the most important facets of successfully using a pacifier is knowing when to stop using it. Though some pediatricians suggest weaning from the pacifier at about nine to 12 months -- the same time you banish the bottle -- others believe aiming to wean by about 18 months is good, too.