Parentpedia

What Experts Say

Admit it: On some level, you loathe the idea of your child sucking away on a pacifier like Maggie Simpson. And what happens if she refuses to give it up? All you can picture is your baby, then toddler, then -- heaven forbid! -- preschooler running around with a binkie still firmly implanted between her lips.

However, some parents swear by pacifiers to calm a fussy baby and help her fall asleep. If you're one of them, or are considering giving your child a pacifier, here are some tips to keep in mind.

• If you're breastfeeding, hold off on offering a pacifier until your infant is 3 to 4 weeks old. This will give your body time to establish a good milk supply and ensure that your baby doesn't suffer from "nipple confusion."
• Unfortunately, if your baby does use a pacifier as a sleep aid, chances are you'll go through a phase when she's 4 to 5 months old where she'll wake up, realize her binkie is no longer in her mouth, and start crying. "You'll have to retrieve it for her and put it back in her mouth until she's about 5 or 6 months old," says Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of "Sleeping Through the Night." "At that point, put several pacifiers in one corner of the crib. When she wakes up at night, guide her hand to one and help her put it in her mouth. She should be able to find it on her own within a week or so."
• Don't want your baby to become a pacifier addict? Most experts recommend limiting pacifier use to just nap and sleep times after the six-month mark. (This will also help ensure that the pacifier doesn't affect her speech.)
• The experts are split on when you need to ditch the pacifier for good. Many pediatric dentists warn that using a pacifier after the age of 2 can affect a child's bite and adversely affect her teeth. Others, like Dr. Mindell, feel that as long as you get rid of the pacifier by age 4 -- about the age the permanent teeth come in -- your child's mouth will be fine. (Many children lose interest in the pacifier on their own at age 1.) Be sure to talk with your pediatrician to see what he thinks is best for your little one.

Safety Notes

• Wash your child's pacifiers after every use with hot water and soap or run them through the dishwasher to kill bacteria and germs. Like anything made of plastic, pacifiers deteriorate with time, so inspect them often and toss if the nipples are torn or begin to crack. (It's a good idea to replace a pacifier after about three months.)
• Never use a string to attach a beloved binkie to your child's shirt or collar -- it could wrap around her neck and strangle her.