I'm familiar with the idea, and some of the papers showing that
pacifiers can lead to delayed speech.  I now wonder if the
circumstances that lead to the need for a pacifier in some children is
the same situation that can cause speech delay?  I've always assumed
that the pacifier *caused* the speech delay, and that may indeed be
the case in children for whom pacifier use is sort of optional.

The mom I'm discussing this with tried to avoid giving her son a
pacifier but she and her wonderful supportive husband felt that their
3rd child really needed it.  He's 2.5 now, has very few words, and is
starting speech therapy.  Interestingly, the intake forms asked about
how the child was fed, but not pacifier use.  She's going to ask the
therapist today, but I would like to be able to provide anything else.

The archives only helped me find a statement by Barbara Wilson Clay
that sometimes pacifiers are given in speech therapy as oral exercise.
 This boy doesn't seem to use them as strong exercise, and his mother
is trying to "lose" them lately.

mailto:[log in to unmask]
==

Kate Hallberg, mom to Ursula (wow! 4) and Sage (almost 2)
http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~kolina
Does "I hope I've answered your questions" mean "Have I answered?"
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/8193/


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