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A child’s need to suck her thumb or a pacifier comes from a normal reflex that is present at birth. These behavioral forms of sucking do not indicate emotional problems in your baby. In fact, about 80 percent of children suck at times other than feedings. Many seem to need to suck to comfort or quiet themselves, and this behavior will often increase as breast- or bottle-feeding decreases. Most babies discontinue this extra sucking around age one.
Because your baby’s need to suck is natural, you won’t want to stop her. Both thumb and pacifier have their advantages. The thumb never gets lost in the middle of the night or left behind at Grandma’s; the pacifier is within the parents’ control and can be removed at a later age. It’s hard to say which is better.
If you prefer pacifiers, they should be introduced in the first eight weeks (but if you’re nursing, wait until breast-feeding is well established, usually by six weeks, to avoid “nipple confusion”). Use only pacifiers made from one piece of rubber; avoid those that can come apart. Once your baby decides on a certain type, it’s smart to buy a few extra you can pull out when one ends up on the floor or is chewed by the dog.
Don’t coat the pacifier with sugary sweeteners; this habit can cause cavities later on. Never tie the pacifier to a string that is then tied around your child’s neck. This could cause strangulation. Remove the pacifier from the crib before bed or naps so your baby doesn’t become dependent on it for going to sleep. A pacifier can gradually be taken away between ages 6 to 12 months before the baby grows to depend on it. Also, the findings from a recent study suggest that pacifier use may be associated with an increased risk of ear infections.
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