As a new parent, comforting your baby is one of your highest priorities, and you may find a pacifier very helpful. While some babies find activities like rocking and cuddling to be perfectly soothing and are content to suck during feedings, others just can't seem to get enough of sucking, even when they're not hungry. But if your baby wants to suck even after she has her formula or breast milk, a pacifier may be just the thing.

A pacifier isn't a substitute for nurturing or feeding, of course, but if you've fed, burped, cuddled, rocked, and played with your baby and she's still fussy, you might want to see if a pacifier will satisfy her.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests waiting until breast-feeding is well established before offering a pacifier, to avoid “nipple confusion”.

There's another benefit to using a pacifier, too. Some studies have shown that babies who used pacifiers at bedtime and naptime have a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). These studies don't show that the pacifier itself prevents SIDS, just that there's a strong association between pacifier used and a reduced incidence of SIDS.

How to choose the right one?

* Choose the right size – a smaller pacifier for a newborn and gradually increase the size as baby grows.

* Collect a variety of nipple shapes and features (cherry, orthodontic etc.) as your baby may have a distinct preference. Orthodontists recommend pacifiers with flat nipples, like Baby Kiko, because they don't obstruct the development of baby's jaw and teeth.

Cherry shaped.	Orthodontic shaped.

* Familiarise yourself with latex or silicone pacifiers. Latex nipples tend to be harder but not as durable. Silicone nipples are firmer, higher durability and will conform to your baby's unique palate.

* Pick a sturdy pacifier with a shield that is at least 1-1/2 inches wide to prevent your baby from choking and with ventilated holes so that the nasal passages are not obstructed. This also prevents rashes on your baby's face.

* Select a pacifier with one-piece construction to avoid pieces breaking free and posing a choking hazard.

Dos and don’ts

* Buy and store extras if baby accepts the pacifier. They are easily lost.

* To lessen the rubbery taste of newly bought pacifier, boil the pacifiers for 5min before first use, this will also sterilise them.

* Offer the pacifier to baby to satisfy the need to suck but avoid the temptation to plug up baby every time she cries. This may create a habit that you will regret when you are getting up at night to put a pacifier back in her mouth, or when she is three years old and still walking around with a pacifier.

* Do not hang your baby's pacifier around her neck or fasten to a crib, playpen or stroller with a ribbon or string; this poses a strangulation risk.

* Avoid using a bottle nipple for a pacifier (even in dire situations) as the nipple may come apart from the bottle ring and create a choking hazard.

* Inspect pacifiers routinely for signs of wear; tears pose a choking hazard.

* If the pacifier looks discoloured, thin, cracked or worn, replace them.

* Expect a baby to push it out at initial stage. Try another time but respect baby's reaction. Some babies like the pacifier; however some would prefer to suck their thumbs or nothing at all.

Article contributed by Baby Kiko