A recent study suggests that the use of a pacifier in infants below one year of age is associated with a 90 percent reduction in sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. SIDS is any sudden and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant aged one-month to one year.

A pacifier is a rubber, plastic, or silicone nipple given to an infant or other young child to suck upon. According to an article in Nursing for Women's Health, recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Task Force on SIDS, suggests that medical practitioners should give adequate knowledge to new parents on the potential benefits of using a pacifier.

AAP also encouraged pacifier use for children less than 1 year old but parents should know how to use it safely and should discourage it's use before the age of one month in breastfed infants to avoid any hindrance in regular feeding habits.

Experts also added that infants should not be forced to take a pacifier once the infant falls asleep. It should also be replaces after short time and cleaned regularly. Additionally, professionally made pacifier is always better than homemade pacifiers with strings or cords that hang the pacifier around the neck of a child.

According to experts, the raised surface of the pacifier holds the infant's face away from the mattress, thus reducing the risk of suffocation.