Personally I wouldn't let this sway me either way, as the research seems not to be conclusive. While many SIDS deaths are a tragedy where you can't pinpoint the cause, as I understand it the biggest single risk factor is passive smoking, followed by other things such as sleeping position, safety of the bed, cot or bassinet, etc. All other things being equal, breastfeeding is usually the best source of sucking and would provide all the advantages of a dummy and then some. But having said that, I definitely think there is a place for dummies, especially with bottlefed babies as it is not recommended to leave the bottle in the mouth for long periods. I used a dummy for one of my children and not the other, we didn't see it as any big deal.