Parents may try many things to soothe a wailing child, such as a diaper change, a feeding, or even burping the baby, but when nothing works some parents take to the magic of the pacifier. Other parents argue the damaging effects the pacifier has on a child and the lasting consequences. There are many different parenting styles and preferences in the world and this is one of them.

In order to make the decision of whether or not a baby will be given a pacifier, the parents must weigh the pros and cons. Since sucking is often a calming reflex to babies, the pacifier can soothe a fussy child and act as a temporary distraction. A pacifier during bedtime may also help a child fall asleep and there is evidence that a pacifier at bedtime may reduce the risk of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. Parents should wait a month before giving a pacifier to the child because of the interference with breast-feeding. A mother’s nipples and a bottle’s nipples require a different method of sucking, which may confuse the child and turn them away from breast-feeding. Another factor that may deter a parent from choosing to use a pacifier is the dependence some babies gain on the pacifier. If a child uses the pacifier for an extended length of time, they can develop dental problems in the future, such as misaligned teeth or teeth that do not come through the gums properly. Along with dental problems, the risk of middle ear infections are also increased.

A mechanism for the introduction of an ear infection as a result of frequent use of a pacifier is explained in the statement, “continuous sucking on a pacifier can cause the auditory tubes to become abnormally open, which allows secretions from the throat to seep into the middle ear,” Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Maria Smith said. “Transmission of bacteria in secretions would lead to middle ear infections.” Antibiotics are often given to a child to ward off infections, but if a child suffers from ear infections often, a surgical procedure can be done. A parent may try weening a child off of the pacifier to reverse the damage being done to the ears. Correlation does not equal causation and all children will not experience this consequence from pacifier use. Along with increasing the risk for infection, pacifiers may potentially decrease the risk of SIDS.

SIDS takes the lives of around 3,000 babies  each y
ear and little is known about why this occurs or how to prevent it from happening. But pacifiers may offer one way to reduce the risk. Babies that suck on pacifiers while asleep are kept in a lighter state of sleep. The pacifier in the baby’s mouth will ensure that an airway is kept open and lessens the chance that the child will stop breathing. A study was done in which 185 mothers who lost a child to SIDS was interviewed as well as 312 mothers who were in a control group. The mechanism of how a pacifier reduces the risk is poorly understood, but the study found that pacifier use may reduce the risk of SIDS up to 90%.

Ultimately the decision of whether or not a child should be given a pacifier is solely in the parents’ hands and each child may have a different response to the object. While there are both pros and cons, most of the cons can be easily avoided. Starting the use of the pacifier after the baby is a month old will reduce the interference the pacifier has on breast-feeding and weening a child off of the pacifier by the time they are two-years old will prevent dental damage. Though pacifiers may become a dependency for children, they can easily be thrown away to encourage the child from ending the habit, but a child sucking their thumb is harder to break the habit. There is little to do to prevent the ear infections they may cause, but parents must have to take the risk. When compared to reducing the risk of the fatal SIDS, most parents will choose to take the risk of ear infections.