• Knowledgebase: Newborn Questions: General

    Questions about the care of newborns, rashes, stooling.

    13. Should I give my baby a pacifier? - Top

    Q: Some friends have told me to start my new baby on a pacifier in order to keep him from sucking his thumb. Is this the right thing to do?

    A: Almost all babies need some sucking outside of that needed for nutrition. For- some babies, this is their form of relaxation and security. Pacifiers have no major advantage over the child sucking their thumb except the pacifier can be controlled by the parents. One myth is that you can take the pacifier away later and your- problem is solved however commonly, children will then go to thumb sucking as a substitute. Thumbs and pacifiers can result in teeth misalignment if the activity persists past age 4 years. Pacifiers can result in strangulation if the mouthpiece can come loose or if the pacifier is tied around the neck (which it never should be). Also, recent evidence suggests that babys who take a pacifier may have a lower risk of SIDS- sudden infant death syndrome.
    So the answer to your question is that either a pacifier or thumb are acceptable sucking objects and encouraging or discouraging one or- the other really holds no advantage and is essentially a personal choice.
    - Updated: March 12, 2008

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    • James L Horwitz, MD

    David C. Thomas, MD

    Barbara Lindberg, PNP