Which Pacifier or Bottle Nipple Is Best for My Baby?

Does it matter what kind of pacifier/bottle nipples you use?

—Anonymous

Generally, no, there isn’t a “best” pacifier or a “best” nipple.

In the case of pacifiers, you will sometimes hear people suggest that some pacifiers are better for mouth development or speech. These claims aren’t well supported by data. Doctors caution against pacifiers that are attached around a baby’s neck with a cord, since those can be a strangulation risk, but among loose pacifiers, there’s no best option.

Bottle nipples do have an additional consideration, which is flow speed. Smaller babies need milk to flow more slowly; a very fast milk flow can cause air bubbles and result in choking or spit up. Older babies need faster milk flow so they can get more calories in a shorter amount of time. As your child ages, you’ll move through nipple sizes (generally, denoted by numbers). This is true for any brand of nipple, and there is no “right” type of nipple.

A consideration with both of these dimensions: babies may have preferences. If you are planning to use a pacifier and your infant rejects one option, try another. Similarly, if you are trying to get bottle feeding started — especially if you’ve been exclusively nursing and your baby is not taking to the bottle option — some nipple types may be an easier transition.