The Effects of Using a Baby Pacifier

A simple plastic and rubber object used to soothe a crying infant appears to be straightforward, but the effects of baby pacifiers have been at the center of parenting debates for decades. While the long-term use of pacifiers has been associated with disruptions in developmental growth, studies published in “American Family Physician,” an affiliate journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians, indicate that there are major health benefits to providing babies with non-nutritive sucking devices, including a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Prevents Thumbsucking

• All infants have an inherent impulse to suck. They instinctively attempt to satisfy this need by sucking on fingers. Substituting a pacifier for thumbsucking puts the parent in control when it is time to wean the child away from sucking habits, reducing the likelihood that the child will form an unhealthy dependency. Even in cases when pacifier use becomes habit forming, the habit is easier to break than that of thumbsucking.

Soothing

• Beyond the gratification of an infant’s natural sucking reflex, pacifiers provide a source of comfort, calming anxieties and helping babies to fall asleep. From a medical perspective, pacifiers are a source of relief for infants undergoing minor medical procedures. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), pacifiers are effective at soothing pain from procedures like circumcision, catheterization and venipuncture.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

• The AAP points to pacifiers as a means of reducing the risk of SIDS. The connection is not entirely clear, but researchers hypothesize that providing infants with a pacifier just before sleeping prevents interruptions in breathing, gastrointestinal complications and nocturnal movements that increase the potential for SIDS.

Feeding

• Studies concerning the effect of pacifiers on breastfed and bottle-fed infants are numerous. Some doctors believe that pacifiers cause “nipple confusion” and early weaning for babies learning to breastfeed, while others maintain that pacifiers prevent bottle-fed babies from overfeeding. Research published from 1999-2003 in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, showed that changes in infant breastfeeding patterns were not related to pacifier use, and were likely brought on by other complications. As a precaution, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends that parents introduce pacifiers after establishing healthy breastfeeding habits.

Ear Infections

• Frequent pacifier use may contribute to the development and recurrence of ear infections, known as otitis media. Continued sucking can stimulate the flow of secretions from the nose into the middle ear chamber, leading to infections. To prevent otitis media, the AAFP recommends restricted pacifier use for babies in the 6- to 12-month age range.

Dental Development

• Pacifiers have little effect on the dental development of infants, but prolonged daily use may interfere in speech development. However, constant sucking can be damaging to children over 4, leading to jaw deformities that cause protruding and crooked teeth.