I see lots of short kids every day.  My personal observation is that speech
is delayed    and garbled when the pacifier is ever present in their
mouths.  It doesn't seem to matter what language either.  Sorry I don't
agree that it is a marker for a kid who may have a problem with speech.

I've always believed that there is a natural timing to the use of
pacifiers.  Some babies really need the extra sucking early on, but if
parents pay attention, somewhere between 5 and 7 mo the need seems to
lessen on the baby's part.  They can be easily done away with at this point
IF the parents are paying attention and aren't the ones popping it in to
shut the baby up.  Miss this stage (5-7 mo) and it seems to be that you're
in for the long haul.  It becomes a habit and omni-present.

One of the parenting mags (Baby Talk) had an article on pacifiers this mo.
One little kid said the rule was: don't talk with your pacifier in your
mouth!

IMHO, as a culture,  by not meeting a lot of suck needs by BF we create a
great deal of this whole pacifier mess.  It's sad/pathetic that we accept a
pacifier perpetually stuck in a 2 yo face, but are horrified that a 2 yo
nurses.

Sincerely, Pat in SNJ