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Expert Q&A
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| By iParenting Staff iParenting Staff Experts | ||
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My 13-month-old son still uses a pacifier to get himself to sleep at night. He sometimes wakes up looking for it and starts to cry.Should we take it away? If so, how?
It is about time to take him off of the pacifier. I am not a big fan of the pacifier at this age and it can actually cause some health concerns if it continues much later. I would say when you are ready, take the pacifier away cold turkey. He might suffer for three nights or so, but the pattern will be broken. The problem with continued use of a pacifier is that it can promote the spread of germs and actually cause some ear infections. After 15 months of age, using a pacifier can disrupt the teeth patterns as they develop.
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