Ask Dr. Sandy: How to Clean a Pacifier

Babies love pacies, but they often end up anywhere but their little mouths. Like the floor, the lawn, the dog.

Consider rinsing a fallen pacie in your own mouth before giving it back to your baby.

A new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests the transfer of microbes from your mouth to your baby's, via the pacifier, initiates a protective effect. It makes the microbes in the baby’s digestive tract more complex and helps the baby handle the antigens that trigger allergies.