Dummies, pros and cons: your dummy questions answered

It’s worth noting that not all babies want to take a dummy. If they spit the dummy out, don’t force them to take it (Lullaby Trust, no date).

What are the benefits of using a dummy?

• Some parents use it to calm the baby and provide comfort until the parent or carer can respond.
• Sucking, even when not for feeding, can help reduce pain in both preterm and full-term babies (Ridell et al, 2023).
• Sometimes, premature babies are given dummies with feeding tubes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This may help the babies go from tube feeding to feeding by mouth. It might reduce their time in hospital (Foster et al, 2016; Tolpolla et al, 2022).

Can dummies affect feeding?

Some studies have shown that dummy use doesn’t affect breastfeeding in babies up to four months (Jaafar et al, 2016; Tolppola et al, 2022).

However, if using a dummy, breastfeeding counsellors recommend waiting until breastfeeding seems to be going well. If the baby sucks on a dummy rather than on the breast in the early weeks, it can lower milk production. This happens because the breast is not stimulated to produce milk. This might mean the baby doesn’t gain enough weight (La Leche League, no date).

Observational studies show that babies who use a dummy stop breastfeeding earlier (Tolppola et al, 2022).

Using a dummy can also mask feeding cues, however the baby is fed.

Does using a dummy delay speech development?

A Norwegian study suggests that using a dummy for several hours each day at two years old might be associated with worse speech and language development. This is especially true for toddlers aged two and over (Muñoz et al, 2024).

However, another study states this effect is very small and only if the dummy is used for several hours during the day (Strutt et al, 2021).

Frequent dummy use for children up to four years old has been shown to be associated with a lower IQ in Brazilian children at the age of six (Giugliani et al, 2021).

Any effects might be because the baby or toddler has less chance to practice speech. Or they might be related to the talking or other enriching activities the child does with their family (Giugliani et al, 2021).

Speech and Language UK say there is no evidence that speech is affected directly by using a dummy (Speech and Language UK, 2023). Read our article on helping your baby to talk.

Do dummies affect tooth development?

Studies have found that dummies can cause dental malocclusion (where the teeth don’t grow correctly). Using the dummy more often and for longer periods may affect the teeth more (Sadoun et al, 2023).

Orthodontic dummies adapt to the baby’s mouth and can be better for teeth (Lullaby Trust, no date).

When should dummy use stop to protect teeth?

To minimise damage to the teeth, it has been recommended that dummy use should stop by two years old (Sadoun et al, 2023).

Ear infections, eczema and asthma

Babies who regularly use a dummy have been found to be at a higher risk of ear infections (Rovers et al, 2008).

One small study suggested that parents who ‘cleaned’ the dummy by sucking it themselves rather than using antiseptic to clean it were less likely to have children with asthma or eczema at 18 months of age. This might be because microbiota in the parent’s saliva can help strengthen their baby’s immune system (Hesselmar et al, 2013).

Using a dummy has been linked to increased chance of food allergies at six months old. The risk is stronger if the dummy is cleaned with antiseptic (Soriano et al, 2021).

So, how do you clean a dummy?

Dummies don't need to be used with antiseptic sanitiser after every use. Sterilising too much can cause damage to the plastic. Instead:

1. Before first use, steam sterilise the dummy, or put it in boiling water for three to five minutes.
2. After that, clean the dummy with hot soapy water after each use (or if it is dropped on the floor/another multi-use surface).
3. Regularly check the dummy for signs of wear and tear and throw it away if you see any.

Does dummy use reduce SIDs?

It's not known how dummies would reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Dummies aren't particularly recommended as a way of reducing SIDS because the evidence isn't clear (Basis, 2025).

Recent studies suggest that the risk of SIDs might increase when dummies are usually used, but then not used on any single night (BASIS, no date).

So the guidance is that if parents decide to give their baby a dummy, they should do so for every sleep until their baby is around six months old and past the peak age for SIDS. Once asleep, it doesn’t matter if the dummy falls out of the mouth, it doesn’t need to be put back in (Lullaby Trust, no date).

Don’t use dummy cords or chains around the neck to secure the dummy, as these can be a strangulation risk (Lullaby Trust, 2025).

How to stop using a dummy

Some parents gradually wean the baby off the dummy, while others prefer to stop abruptly. There isn’t really a ‘best’ way.

It may encourage a baby or toddler to let go of their dummy if they:

• Give the dummy away to someone important to them
• Are visited by the ‘dummy fairy’ who takes the dummy away
• Swap the dummy for a cuddly toy or gift.