That is really interesting. Thanks for sharing. I wonder if there could be a study done on pacifier use and the relationship to infections, antibiotic use, or asthma, as he mentioned a type of mold that can contribute to asthma. I wonder how you would do that and control for everything else. I also wonder if the same is true for nipple shields, and if there should be a limit on the amount of time one uses a shield. All of this brings up the issue of germs. If babies crawl around on the floor and put things in their mouth, are they being exposed to the same germs as the ones highlighted in the pacifier study? And is that exposure to germs "good" because it helps build our immune system? Or is it "bad" if it exposes us to harmful germs, molds, and yeasts? And how do you differentiate? If we are producing more and more dangerous germs through antibiotic use, how does that affect it? Do we need to be also be exposed to those to build up resistance to the more dangerous germs? Or is exposure to those germs not good for us? So many interesting things to think about there! Sonya *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome