The terms "pacifier", "soother" and "dummy" are often used interchangeably, since suppliers do not always use the same wording.

Why Is A Pacifier Important?

 "The gavage-fed baby is able to suck and has been doing so in-utero since the early months of gestation; but he cannot nipple-feed until he learns to suck, swallow, and breathe in the right sequence. In the meantime, sucking remains an important activity for the baby. Gavage-fed babies, even those on respirators, are often given pacifiers to suck during their gavage meals. Practice with a pacifier give the baby a stronger suck for later nipple-feeding. Researchers have also found that babies who suck on pacifiers during gavage feedings digest their food better and gain more weight than do babies who are not given this sucking experience."   (The Premature Baby Book by Helen Harrison p 81)

"Another important developmental milestone comes at about 28 weeks, preemies begin to suck. Their sucking is feeble at first, and still not coordinated with swallowing, so they aren't ready to breastfeed or bottle feed yet. But they can suck on a tiny pacifier or the tip of your pinky. Try it when your baby seems agitated, and you'll see that this first "non-nutritive sucking can help him relax and can even soothe mild pain"   (The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies by Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli andMia Wechsler Doron, M.D. p 140)
 

Why Must I Use A Premature Dummy And Not A Normal Dummy?

The palate of the premature infant is still very soft. Using a normal dummy could lead to the palate being pushed-up and thus resulting in developmental problems, that could lead to problems with breast or bottle feeding and even speech. The premature infant may also gag on the bigger dummy.

Why Can We Not Find A Premature Dummy In The Retail Outlets

Premature dummies are much smaller than normal dummies, and in most cases they are classified as medical products, thus they may only be used under strict medical observation. Most premature dummies don't conform to the strict standards with regards to size, to prevent the dummy from being a swallowing hazard.

Due to these reasons, premature dummies may not be sold in retail stores.
 

Some parents have also used the following dummies, even thou they not classified as prem:

Pigeon No 1 soother.

Pretty Baby - Small available from Pick and Pay