Do dummies and pacifiers affect Speech Development?

Dummies are loved by both babies and parents. They provide comfort for babies and a well-needed moment of relief for parents when their baby is soothed. But do they affect speech and language development?

Let's discuss both the pros and cons of dummy use and what the evidence shows about the long-term impact on speech development. At Walky Talky, we support families with expert therapy services that include speech and language development support for babies and toddlers.

Dummy Use Benefits for Babies and How It Relates to Speech Development

• Dummies can be a wonderful way to help soothe your baby and settle them to sleep
• There is strong evidence that the use of dummies is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). For more information on this, check out Red Nose. 

At our Perth therapy services, we often support parents in making informed choices about soothing strategies, including dummy use, in a way that protects their child’s overall development—including speech development.

Health and Development Risks of Dummy Use in Children

• Dummy use can cause a higher rate of middle ear infections
• Dummy use, especially beyond about 4-5 years of age, can increase the chance of dental issues later in childhood. This is because the dummy can cause incorrect positioning of the teeth (often an 'anterior open bite' where the front top and bottom teeth don’t touch when the back teeth bite together). 
• Your baby will wake every time their dummy falls out of their mouth. You will have to go in and replace it every time until they learn how to do this themselves! As parents who have gone through this ourselves, it's a highly annoying period 😂

Our team at Walky Talky in Perth helps families navigate these challenges through personalised therapy services, always keeping your child’s long-term development, including speech development, in mind.

What Research Says About Dummy Use and Speech Development

A study in 2021 published in the International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders found that the "evidence base for any effects of dummy use on speech is very small. Dummy use may increase the number of atypical speech errors a young child makes. However, only the frequency of daytime use seems relevant, not the duration or night-time use, and these errors may resolve over time".

Therefore this indicates that using the dummy for prolonged periods during the day may affect speech development. 

Recommendations are for dummy use to be stopped or reduced after 12 months of age. This is when your child will be starting to say their first words, and if they are trying to talk with an object in their mouth (i.e. the dummy!), this can make it difficult for them to talk and make sounds clearly.

In our Perth-based speech therapy services, we often observe that children who use a dummy throughout the day may develop speech delays or unclear articulation patterns. They sometimes speak around the dummy, which interferes with proper tongue placement needed for clear speech sounds.

How to Reduce Dummy Use and Support Your Child’s Speech Development

• After 12 months of age, limit dummy use to sleep time only.
• Make a rule that the dummy 'stays in the cot' and don't make them easily accessible for your baby/toddler to get themselves during the day
• Tell your child to 'take your dummy out to talk'. This is especially important if you have a child who is really stuck on using their dummy. You can start with this step to get them used to talking without a dummy in their mouth. 
• Remember that it's tough for both you and your child to stop using a dummy! It's ok to go slow (rather than cold turkey!) and make small adjustments that work for you and your child (e.g. start with no dummy in the playroom, then no dummy in the car etc). Some days, a screaming toddler might be too much for you and they'll need the dummy more than another day!

If you're unsure how to approach this transition, our therapy services in Perth can support you with gentle, developmentally appropriate strategies tailored to your child’s needs—particularly if speech development is a concern.

When to Seek Support for Speech Development Delays

If you have any concerns about your child's speech and language development, regardless of whether you think a dummy is impacting this or not, please get in touch with us or see your local Speech Pathologist for a 1:1 assessment. Our team at Walky Talky in Perth offers comprehensive therapy services for babies and children. We provide assessments and therapy that support language development and communication milestones from infancy through the early years.

References on Dummy Use and Speech Development Outcomes

Strutt, C., Khattab, G., & Willoughby, J. (2021). Does the duration and frequency of dummy (pacifier) use affect the development of speech?. International journal of language & communication disorders, 56(3), 512–527. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12605