Hi Linda,

 I haven't come across any studies on pacifiers and obesity, but you could
add these  to your list of possible problems with pacifiers:

[The relationship between oral habits and malocclusion in preschool children]
 [Article in Portuguese]

Tomita NE, Bijella VT, Franco LJ.

Departamento de Odontopediatria, Ortodontia e Saude Coletiva da Faculdade de
Odontologia de Bauru da Universidade de Sao Paulo. Bauru,SP, Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the way oral habits and speech problems affect dental
occlusion in preschool children. METHODS: A random sample of 2,139 boys and
girls aged 3-5 years old was evaluated. The children were enrolled in private
and state institutions in the city of Bauru, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The
cross-sectional study was developed in two steps: occlusion assessment, and a
questionnaire about their social and economic status. The occlusal
anatomical-functional characteristics assessment was done according to Angle
classification. Additionally, overjet, overbite, crowding, anterior open
bite, posterior crossbite, and anterior crossbite were evaluated. A
sub-sample of 618 children filled out the questionnaire. The prevalence of
malocclusion and some variables of exposure were tested by bivariate
analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of malocclusion was 51.3% for boys and
56.9% for girls. There was no difference related to gender. In regard to age,
there was a higher prevalence of malocclusion in the 3 year-old group, which
decreased significantly with age (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Among the
environmental factors evaluated, the habit of sucking a pacifier was the most
important in the association with malocclusion (OR=5.46) followed by the
habit of sucking fingers (OR=1.54). Speech problems did not show any
influence in malocclusion occurrence.
Rev Saude Publica 2000 Jun;34(3):299-303

 Nipple care, sore nipples, and breastfeeding: a randomized trial.

Centuori S, Burmaz T, Ronfani L, Fragiacomo M, Quintero S, Pavan C, Davanzo
R, Cattaneo A.

Instituto per l'Infanzia in Trieste, Italy.

Sore and cracked nipples are common and may represent an obstacle to
successful breastfeeding. In Italy, it is customary for health professionals
to prescribe some type of ointment to prevent or treat sore and cracked
nipples. The efficacy of these ointments is insufficiently documented. The
incidence of sore and cracked nipples was compared between mothers given
routine nipple care, including an ointment (control group), and mothers
instructed to avoid the use of nipple creams and other products (intervention
group). Breastfeeding duration was also compared between the two groups.
Eligible mothers were randomly assigned, after informed consent, to one of
the two groups. No difference was found between the control (n = 96) and the
intervention group (n = 123) in the incidence of sore and cracked nipples and
in breastfeeding duration. However, several factors were associated with sore
nipples and with breastfeeding duration. The use of a pacifier and of a
feeding bottle in the hospital were both associated with sore nipples at
discharge (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). Full breastfeeding up to 4
months postpartum was significantly associated with the following early
practices: breastfeeding on demand, rooming-in at least 20 hours/day, non-use
of formula and pacifier, no test-weighing at each breastfeed. The incidence
of sore and cracked nipples and the duration of breastfeeding were not
influenced by the use of a nipple ointment. Other interventions, such as
providing the mother with guidance and support on positioning and latching,
and modifications of hospital practices may be more effective in reducing
nipple problems.
J Hum Lact 1999 Jun;15(2):125-30

Kathleen Fallon Pasakarnis, M.Ed. IBCLC
Nurturing Family Lactation and Parenting Services

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