Often we see the baby on ultrasound sucking on his finger, still in the womb. This natural instinct is very strong in some babies after birth, and they still are willing to suck even after eating.

Use or not use a pacifier is a parental choice. Some parents resort to it as a simple and practical solution to calm the baby. Others prefer not create this habit for aesthetic or hygiene reasons.

There is no physical reason not to give the baby a pacifier. However, one should not use a pacifier before the baby has learned to take chest, not to hinder learning because the pacifier generates mouth movements to suck slightly different from those that are needed to suck on the nipple.

You should not also give the pacifier soon as the baby finishes feeding. Put him to burp, change the diaper, cuddle him, and solve the needs of the baby when he is impatient. You will have a baby less dependent on the pacifier.

Often there is concern that the pacifier affects the growth of the dentition. There is no reason for that, permanent teeth grows only at around 5 or 6 years old, long after the disappearance of the pacifier. You should however, be aware to the habit of thumb sucking, which is frequently more difficult to resolve.