Pediatrics ; Use of pacifiers is associated with decreased breast-feeding duration. Pacifier use and the occurrence of otitis media in the first year of life. Pediatr Dent. Larsson E. Sucking, chewing, and feeding habits and the development of crossbite: a longitudinal study of girls from birth to 3 years of age. Angle Orthod. Pacifier use. An Esp Pediatr. A Finnish study on pacifiers has found that reduced pacifier use in children can decrease the incidence of acute otitis media, or ear infections.
The study, published in the September issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, followed two groups of children under 18 months. In one group, pacifier use was decreased by 21 percent, while children in the second group used pacifiers continuously. The first group had a 29 percent lower incidence of acute otitis media than the second. Researchers concluded that restricting pacifier use to when a child is falling asleep could prevent such infections.
Fleming, P. J, Blair, P. Some of the questions you might be asking are: When can I give my baby a pacifier? What are the pros and cons of pacifiers? Can babies sleep with a pacifier? When is it ok to introduce a pacifier? For babies who drink from a bottle: You can introduce a pacifier at any age. When to start using a pacifier if baby is premature? What are the Pros and Cons of pacifiers?
What are the pros for using a pacifier? Babies will find a way to suck on something. Introducing a pacifier is actually preferable to the habit of sucking on a thumb or finger. It can teach a baby to self-soothe. For parents, one of the most rewarding moments within the first year is when the baby falls asleep on her own.
A pacifier can help train your child to soothe without your physical presence. Pacifiers can help with traveling by plane. It can be used as a tool to help soothe your baby.
Sometimes babies are just fussy. A pacifier can help simply calm your baby down, which can calm your nerves as well! Pacifiers can help reduce the risk of SIDS. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between pacifier use and a lower risk of SIDS sudden infant death syndrome source. The reasons why pacifiers help reduce the risk of SIDS is still unclear, but research is pretty clear that giving your baby a pacifier at night can help.
In fact, there are a number of steps you can take as a parent to help reduce the risk of SIDS. Here is another resource if you would like to learn more about reducing the risk of SIDS — download this ebook for free! You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
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This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Infant and toddler health. Products and services. Pacifiers: Are they good for your baby? By Mayo Clinic Staff. Information from references 4 through Pacifiers provide a calming effect and have been used for pain and anxiety prevention. A subgroup of the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP lists pacifiers as one of the key methods for pain relief in newborns and infants younger than six months undergoing minor procedures in the emergency department.
A Cochrane review found that nonnutritive sucking is associated with shorter hospital stays, earlier transition to bottle feeding from enteral feeding, and improved bottle feeding.
Overall, pacifier use appears to be a reasonable and inexpensive option for preterm infants. AAP guidelines suggest offering pacifiers to infants at the onset of sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome SIDS. The exact mechanism of benefit for reducing rates of SIDS is not fully understood, but pacifier use may decrease the likelihood of rolling into the prone position, increase arousal, maintain airway patency, decrease gastroesophageal reflux and resultant sleep apnea, or increase respiratory drive with carbon dioxide retention.
Observational studies 23 — 25 and a randomized controlled trial RCT 21 showing that pacifier use is associated with early breast weaning have led to concerns. However, an RCT that studied the effect of pacifier use on breast-feeding in mother-infant pairs for three months postpartum had a different conclusion.
The authors concluded that pacifier use may be a marker of breast-feeding difficulties, but does not appear to be the cause of early weaning.
The intervention group used pacifiers less often, but had no significant difference in crying or fussing, suggesting that other soothing methods are as effective as pacifier use. A more recent RCT on preterm infants did not demonstrate a significant effect of pacifier use on early weaning. Because there is conflicting evidence about whether early use of a pacifier disrupts breastfeeding or merely indicates other breastfeeding difficulties, guidelines are cautionary.
A systematic review found inconsistent results regarding the effect of pacifier use on early childhood caries, suggesting that there is no proven correlation. A more recent study confirms these negative dental effects with pacifier use after two years of age. Studies comparing orthodontic and conventional pacifiers found minor differences in malocclusion.
Several studies have shown that pacifiers are often colonized with Candida and bacterial organisms typically nonpathogenic. A population-based study of more than 10, infants in the United Kingdom evaluated pacifier use and finger sucking at 15 months of age and their association with infection at 18 months of age.
The 2. One explanation for the association between pacifier use and illness may be that pacifiers were used to calm sick infants. A direct link between illness and type of sucking habit could not be determined from this study; more research is needed before recommendations can be made.
A systematic review of epidemiologic studies found three studies that showed an association between pacifier use and infection, such as otitis media, dental infection, and respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Although some evidence exists for pacifier colonization with microorganisms, the direct association between these organisms and infection has not been proven. There are two proposed mechanisms for how pacifier use could cause otitis media: reflux of nasopharyngeal secretions into the middle ear from sucking, and eustachian tube dysfunction from altered dental structure.
Breastfeeding reduced the risk of otitis media, with an RR of 0. One widely cited, open, controlled cohort study of more than patients evaluated the incidence of otitis media in infants whose parents were counseled to restrict pacifier use to when the infant was falling asleep.
This counseling reduced continuous pacifier use by 21 percent and led to 29 percent fewer episodes of otitis media in the intervention group. In addition to reviewing the risks and benefits of pacifiers, physicians should also counsel parents about the safe use of pacifiers. Pacifiers should be cleaned and replaced regularly to maintain good hygiene and avoid mechanical hazards.
Pacifier use should no longer be actively discouraged and may be especially beneficial in the first six months of life. However, the risks begin to outweigh the benefits around six to 10 months of age and appear to increase after two years of age.
Because research suggests that limiting pacifier use does not significantly affect crying or fussing, physicians should be prepared to counsel parents about soothing alternatives and pacifier weaning. Physicians should be mindful that after six months of age, pacifiers transform from a means of nonnutritive sucking to objects of affection that give the child a sense of security. Key alternatives to pacifier use in younger infants include swaddling, rocking, soft music, singing, and infant massage.
Some weaning methods that have been studied include physician or parent encouragement, putting unpalatable substances on the pacifier, and stopping the habit abruptly. Already a member or subscriber? Log in. Interested in AAFP membership? Learn more. She is also an associate editor for American Family Physician. Sexton received her medical degree from the University of Miami Fla.
School of Medicine and completed a family medicine residency at Georgetown University School of Medicine.
She received her doctoral degrees from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Reprints are not available from the authors. The authors thank Liza Draper, BA, for assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.
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