The cons

Pacifiers have pitfalls as well. Consider the drawbacks:

• Your baby might come to depend on the pacifier. If your baby uses a pacifier to sleep, your baby might have crying spells during the night. These can happen if the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth.
• Pacifier use might raise the risk of middle ear infections. However, rates of middle ear infections generally are lowest from birth to age 6 months. This is the same age when the risk of SIDS is the highest and your baby might want a pacifier the most.
• Long-term pacifier use might lead to dental concerns. Pacifier use during the first few years of life generally won't cause long-term dental concerns. However, using a pacifier for a longer time might cause teeth to be misaligned.
• Pacifier use might disrupt breastfeeding. If you're breastfeeding, you might wait to offer a pacifier until breastfeeding and latch are routine. But research studies have found that pacifier use does not affect the length of breastfeeding when started after breastfeeding becomes routine. They also showed that pacifiers do not affect whether a baby only breastfeeds or also receives formula or other forms of nutrition.