Should babies be given pacifiers, and if so, at what age should they be taken away?

• 85% said, Yes, babies should be given pacifiers if they seem to need one.
• 7.5% said, No, babies should NOT be given pacifiers.
• 7.5% said, something Other than yes or no.

As to what age children should be encouraged to give up their pacifiers:

• I think pacifiers are very useful for calming a baby. They have a strong sucking urge, and pacifiers help greatly. I used to think it was better for the baby to suck their thumb or fingers, but that was before I realized that you can't eventually take away their fingers, and it is much more difficult to break them of the habit. With a pacifier, it is surprisingly easy to break them of the habit (if they are just using it in their crib) by age 2 or so.
• I have 2 kids...my oldest took a pacifier and gave it up about a month or two after he turned 2. The reason I started my son on a pacifier is because he had colic extremely bad..in fact the doctor ended up having be get this medicine that I had to get at the pharmacy. It really helped but he still wanted the pacifier. Now my daughter never liked the pacifier..but she stayed on the bottle longer then my son did. So i think it is different with every child and parents.
• Babies have a need to suck. It comforts them and rather than nurse 24 hours a day, I'll give my daughter a pacifier whenever she seems to need it to calm herself. I did the same for my son, now 19 months. He gave up the pacifier right around 1 year. We stopped making it accessible to him, and he gradually grew used to the fact that it was gone. He really didn't even miss it!! This was also the age that we took him off of the bottle. It's better for teeth development to take away the bottle and pacifier around this age.
• pacifiers are a ok thing to use as a baby it helps stop them from sucking there thumbs and having buck teeth and its easier to break from the pacifier than the thumb both my children where done with the pacifier by the age of 2 but every child is different and when using a pacifier its just that a pacifier to help pacify the child to its whining that you don't want to hear!
• Way too big a deal is made of this issue. I see no problem with a child taking comfort in a pacifier, and unlike a thumb, it is something that can be given up when the child is ready.
• I think that pacifiers are a substitute nipple, and if the mother can offer her child her breast, that is much better. I never had a pacifier for my children and just breastfeed whenever they seem to want it.
• My first child never used a pacifier, blanket or stuffed animal and I thought great, I won't have to take something away later. However, she always needed me. Not that that is so bad, but she could not calm herself down by herself, she always needed my help. She is now 7 and still doesn't go to bed easily, because she has a hard time calming herself down to be able to fall asleep. At a 2 month check-up our pediatrician suggested that we give her a pacifier, since she was trying to find her thumb. I was very hesitant, but he told me that you can always take a pacifier away, but not the thumb, and kids that suck their thumb do so longer. By doing so longer, it can effect teeth alignment. I took his advice, and it has been a godsend. The youngest can calm herself, unlike her sister. We also never went through the fussy time of night with the youngest because she could calm herself with a pacifier. The oldest was fussy every night as an infant for about two hours. As for when it should be taken away, Certainly if my child expressed a desire to give it up, I would follow their lead. She is currently 2 and it is used only at bedtime, and doesn't leave her room. I have noticed children have speech delays and pronunciation problems when they are allowed to keep it in their mouths at all times. I also try to find out what the matter is before putting in the pacifier. Children under two sometimes still have that urge to suck!
• I think babies should be allowed to use a pacifier with moderation. I have two children, one "binky" user and one that did not use a pacifier. With our first born we allowed him to use his "binky" until just before his second birthday and we gave him some of the control regarding giving it up. We narrowed his use to just one particular binky that started to wear out so we discussed how it was getting "yukkie" and that pretty soon we would need to give it to the trash man. Finally the day came when I told him that today was the day we were gonna give his "yukkie" binky to the trash man and he ceremoniously handed it over to the guy when he came and collected our trash! I am kind of on the fence regarding taking away a pacifier from a child that is going to revert to sucking their thumb because a pacifier is much preferable orthodontically than a thumb. So, in my case taking it away at two worked, but I realize that approach may not work for all.
• I was totally against pacifier until I had a child of my own. We decided to try a pacifier as a "last resort" to comfort our son. I feel that a pacifier can be useful for some babies, not all. If it seems to comfort your baby, I don't see any harm in offering a pacifier. I do think that letting any child keep a pacifier for many years is unacceptable.
• My children all had pacifiers until they were close to 3 years old however it was only something they had at nap time once they got older. I see nothing wrong with this and view it as a type of security issue.
• If it comforts the baby why not? But there is nothing more unattractive than a 3 year old with a pacifier or bottle in its mouth...or in a stroller for that matter.
• When my children were small, had pacifiers and none kept them longer than 1 year. It wasn't ever an issue because no one made it one. It was there when they needed it and gone when they were done. Some children just have a need for the pacifier to satisfy an oral need. Maybe by allowing the children to satisfy the nursing needs that they are born with, they won't have the problems with food smoking and alcohol that many "Adults" have. Ya Think?
• Before I had my son I was determined he would not use a pacifier. For me that was a great theory that did not hold up in practice. That first screaming diaper change quickly changed my mind. He needs something to suck on and the pacifier does the trick. I believe the pacifier is a form of security blanket for them. I have a friend who's baby gave her pacifier up at four months but now she is teething and wants the pacifier. I believe that some day on their own (when they feel secure enough) a child will give up the pacifier.
• I believe in the thumb my son is 3 and he only sucks his thumb when he is sleepy. I see kids that have a pacifier in there mouth 3/4 of the day. Also I'm one of 4 children in my family we all sucked our thumbs, we all have nice teeth with no help from braces. I get a lot of flack for the thumb but my doctor says he agrees, the thumb is better.
• I have seen toddlers (ages 2-4) with pacifiers in their mouths...I think that this is ridiculous! Most children I know have given their pacifiers up by age 1. My daughter never used one...she pacified herself in other ways.
• As the mother of a 4 year old avid thumb sucker, I'm all for pacifiers. Unfortunately, my son wouldn't use one. Pacifiers can be taken away, thumbs cannot.