Hi, all. I've been fascinated reading everyone's input about pacifiers,
and I plan to comment on the comments in a later post. Now, I just want
to say that I find the spectrum of "coping mechanisms" that we LCs have
developed in order to deal with the pacifier phenomenon is startlingly
broad and impressive.
Since one of the profs. had swiped my computer, I went down to the med
library and looked up pacifiers and came up with some VERY interesting
material. This will be a long posting, so buckle up.
Mathur et al: Indian Pediatr. 1990; 27:1187 - "the use of pacifier in
most of the cases was associated with chronic diarrhea (86.2%),
respiratory illnesses (52.5%) and pica (10.2%)."
Westin: Arch Environ Health 1990; 45:359 - "Infants who use products like
those tested may, therefore, be exposed daily to less than or equal to
100 times more of these carcinogens than are adults"
Niemela et al: Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 1994; 29:121 - "the
population attributable risk of otitis media caused by pacifier amounted
to a total of 478 attacks or 0.7 per child. The association between
otitis media and the use of a pacifier remained even after adjusting for
mouth breathing and the measures of malocclusion."
Malcolm et al: J Paediatr Child Health 1994; 30:45 - "in awake infants
the presence of a pacifier also promoted an excess of CO2 in the inspired
air, both in the prone and supine positions. The physiological and
clinical implications of these findings, in relation to SIDS, are unknown
and warrant investigation."
Victoria et al & bf duration already noted on the net
Righard and Alade: Birth 1992 19:185 - "regular use of a pacifier (> 2
hrs /day) was more common among those with breastfeeding problems"
Lehman et al: J Child Psychol Psychiat 1992; 33:1205 - "most of the
children with soft object attachments were rated as securely attached to
their mothers at both ages (12 and 30 mo). Children with pacifier
attachments, on the other hand, were less often rated as securely attached"
Finally, I would dearly love for one of "our" dieticians to look into and
explain to me (a non-dietician) Blass and Hoffmeyer: Sucrose as an analgesic
for newborn infants. Pediatrics 1991; 87:215-8.
Several studies I did not cite reported on studies "proving" that the
pacifier was the NICU staff's friend. I will not bother commenting on
that! Have fun in the library, everyone! Judy K