The Air Force Safety Center is a Field Operating Agency with headquarters at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
The Finnish researchers are unsure why the use of a pacifier might lead to an ear infection, but theorized it may have something to do with the change in pressure equilibrium inside the ear caused by the sucking.
1 Sucking on a pacifier at nap time and bedtime might reduce the risk of SIDS. 2  If you're breast-feeding, wait to offer a pacifier until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and you've settled into an effective nursing routine. 3  Pacifiers are disposable. 4  When it's time to stop using pacifiers, you can throw them away. A pacifier might help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 2  Sucking on a pacifier at nap time and bedtime might reduce the risk of SIDS. 3  If you're breast-feeding, wait to offer a pacifier until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and you've settled into an effective nursing routine. 4  Pacifiers are disposable.