The Right Pacifier for Your Baby

Pacifier sucking is a normal behavior in infants and toddlers, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Parents rely on pacifiers to soothe a fussy baby, relieve teething pain, and promote sleep. But store displays may feature a bewildering selection of different kinds of pacifiers. How can you choose?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you let your baby decide. It may take several tries with various styles and shapes to find the one your child prefers.³

Safe Designs

The pacifier as we know it today—with the familiar guard and handle—was first patented in 1900. While the design is basically the same, materials and safety features are continually improving.²

It may help to know that all pacifiers made and sold in the U.S. must comply with government safety standards and pass thorough product testing. Among other regulations, the  Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that the nipple and mouth guard be molded together from the same material to prevent asphyxiation that could result if they became separated. Mouth guards must have enough holes to permit air entry if the guard is ingested. And they must be large and rigid enough to stay out of the baby’s mouth.²

Today most pacifiers are made of silicone. Some less expensive, imported pacifiers may be made of latex. Latex is less durable and can cause allergic reactions. Silicone is preferable because it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals and doesn’t crack or break down after repeated washings or chewing. Its smooth, less porous surface also harbors fewer germs.²

Simple Tips for Using a Pacifier

To make sure your baby’s pacifier is safe, follow these guidelines:

• Make sure the pacifier is a one-piece design, with a soft nipple.³

• Choose the correct size. Smaller pacifiers are for the first six months; larger ones are for babies and toddlers beyond that age.³

• Never use the nipple from a baby bottle as a pacifier. It’s a potential choking hazard.³

• Never hang the pacifier on a string around the baby’s neck.³

• Do not dip the pacifier in honey or other sugary liquids. This can cause tooth decay.^1,2

• Clean pacifiers regularly in warm, soapy water and rinse well.²

• Replace the pacifier if it becomes damaged, the plastic begins to crack, or the surface breaks down or changes color.³

• Begin weaning your child from the pacifier by age 2 to prevent tooth misalignment and other long-term oral problems.^{4, 5}

¹ “Thumb Sucking and Pacifier Use.” Journal of the American Dental Association. August 2007, vol. 138, p. 1176. www.ada.org/sections/scienceAndResearch/pdfs/patient_77.pdf Accessed 2010.

² “Infant Pacifiers: An Overview.” R.H. Schwartz and K.L. Guthrie. Clinical Pediatrics. May 2008, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 327–31. http://cpj.sagepub.com/content/47/4/327.extract Accessed 2010.

³ “Pacifiers and Thumb Sucking.” American Academy of Pediatrics. June 22, 2010 www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/pages/Pacifiers-and-Thumb-Sucking.aspx Accessed 2010.

⁴ “Policy on Oral Habits.” American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2006. www.aapd.org/pdf/habits.pdf Accessed 2010.

⁵ “Pacifier Use in Children: A Review of Recent Literature.” S.M. Adair. Pediatric Dentistry. 2003, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 449–58. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14649608 Accessed 2010.