Researchers asked the parents of 272 children under the age of 18 months to limit their child's pacifier use to before falling asleep and to stop using it altogether at the age of 10 months. They then compared the children's health with that of 212 children whose parents were allowed to use the pacifier as they wished. Ear infections, acute otitis media, were 33 percent more common in children who had unrestricted use of pacifiers. The problem may be linked to the connected anatomy of a child's ears, nose and throat.
Researchers suspect that it has something to do with the pressure inside the nasal pharynx.
When a child has a blocked nose and is sucking a pacifier, it is possible the pressure in the nasal pharynx harms the function of the tube between the nasal pharynx and the middle ear. Stuffed toys or other objects may work to calm and quiet children and can be used as substitutes for pacifiers. Watch this report about showing affection to boys. Find out here. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment.