The Pros and Cons of Using a Pacifier
Soothing Babies with a Binky May Have a Downside
Pacifiers have become a common and inexpensive way to soothe babies. Babies can become dependent rather quickly and before long, parents cannot leave the house without several pacifiers in case one is lost. Sometimes an older baby may have multiple "binkies" in the crib at night for self-soothing. The question becomes, are pacifiers a help or a hindrance?
The Pros of Pacifiers
Pacifiers can be helpful when a baby wants to suck nearly all of its waking hours. For a breastfeeding mother, that can feel like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Even a motivated breastfeeding mother cannot always meet her baby's demands if her baby is satisfied nutritionally but still has a need to suckle for long periods of time. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) also recommends the use of pacifiers since there seems to be a reduction in the risk of SIDS with pacifier use, although it has not been proven why pacifier use may lower the incidence of SIDS.
Pacifiers are used commonly by parents in order to keep their baby quiet in public places or even at home. Parents find pacifiers are also helpful to help soothe their baby to sleep. Unfortunately, the misuse of pacifiers can create problems for both parents and babies.
The Cons of Pacifiers
Giving a baby a pacifier, instead of giving the baby a bit more time on the breast can decrease the mother's supply of breastmilk and interfere with breastfeeding success. If a pacifier is used before breastfeeding is well-established, it can cause the baby to become confused in learning how to suckle at the breast, also known as nipple confusion.
Parents who become dependent on a pacifier to soothe their baby may actually be creating more work for themselves since the baby may be relying on a pacifier to fall asleep. Running back and forth all night to pop a pacifier back into the baby's mouth every time they wake up is not something that parents typically enjoy.
There is also some evidence that the risk of ear infections is slightly higher in babies who are using pacifiers, not to mention that sucking on a pacifier may lead to improper teeth alignment and development.
In the end, it is likely that the judicious or occasional use of a pacifier may be the wisest approach. If you can soothe your baby in other ways or your baby is not interested in a pacifier, you may be better off not introducing one at all. If you plan to use a pacifier, please be sure to research the safety since there may be recalls on certain brands.
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