Is Introducing Pacifiers Safe For An Infant?

Posted on Mon, 26 Sep 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 Answered on

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : My baby is 2 month old. I was wondering if we can give pacifier(Soother) to her while sleeping at night. Is it advisable to give soother or pacifier to baby. Currently she is putting her hand in here mouth all the time.

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Pacifiers cannot be a good option.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on Healthcaremagic.

Children of this age try to put something in their mouth when they either feel lonely, insecure, or seek company of the mother. The best option is to breast feed the baby on such occasions. Unless you attend to the baby in time and offer the right care that the baby is demanding, the baby would tend to put his hand in her mouth. Pacifiers or soothers are not a solution for this. Moreover, irrespective of how well you wash them, they would come in contact with the surrounding items and would thus become a source of infection. This will result in your child frequently falling ill. Unless you want that, pacifiers or soothers are not the solution that you are looking for.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar