Tips for Safe Pacifier Use

  • Clean pacifiers regularly. For infants younger than 6 months, boil the pacifier or run it through the dishwasher. For babies older than 6 months, clean the pacifier with soap and water.

  • Do not use homemade pacifiers. Some parents have used bottle nipples as pacifiers, sometimes stuffing them with cotton. This creates the danger of choking or ingesting air.

  • Most pacifiers are made of natural rubber or latex, which saliva eventually will break down. Throw out a pacifier that shows signs of age.

  • Remember that a pacifier will not calm a hungry baby, and that the baby will keep crying.

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