From The Informed Parent:
“The bottom line is pacifiers are NOT bad. The literature shows overwhelmingly that their use is protective against SIDS. Pacifier use should be on an individual basis. Quite frankly, it should be a decision that is made between the mom and the child. The official stance by the American Academy of Pediatrics, published in October of 2005 in updated guidelines for the reduction of SIDS, was a recommendation that parents consider offering a pacifier at bedtime for infants up to twelve months of age.”