Pacifiers have several benefits. These include: 1. Pacifiers are the most helpful in children younger than 6 months of age. 2. Soothing a fussy baby. 3. Sucking on a pacifier will calm your baby. 4. Sucking on a pacifier when sleeping may lower your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Doctors believe this may be because babies sleep lighter while sucking the pacifier.