Pacifiers are generally useful for suck organization on a limited basis IF and only IF parents will not use their clean fingers to do the suck-organization work needed for babies with tonic bite (our consultants suspect Pitocin use has a correlation with this).  In the safe sleep program, pacifiers are discussed and recommended AFTER two weeks for breastfeeding babies.   When you have babies separated from their mothers for whatever reason, pacifiers are a mother-substitute.  Pacifiers are used for pain control especially for circumcisions - usually combined with sweet-ease.   Our hospital got rid of all free pacifiers (ones given away by the formula companies) before we got rid of gift bags (which have been gone for 2 years).  They are a chargeable item so are under budget scrutiny.  



-----Original Message-----

From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brenda Phipps

Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2014 11:01 AM

Subject: Pacifiers - do they have any benefits?



Hi all,



We have recently gone to no pacifiers on our unit in the hospital. This was a huge step for us. We do have about 4 pacifiers at any given time stowed away for infants whose pediatrician requests one for the patient. As far as I know, this hasn't happened yet. But yesterday I was approached by our speech therapist, who is a big breastfeeding supporter, who questioned this policy of ours. She says that pacifiers can help organize and calm an infant when skin to skin, feeding and swaddling techniques do not work. She also believes they can be a tool for the infant who cannot organize a sucking response. I must say that I have seen pacifiers help in these situations in the past, but I also believe that we were giving way too many "casual" pacifiers out before our policy went into place. 



So I am wondering under what circumstances your hospitals provide pacifiers to the infants. Thank you for helping me fine tune this policy of ours!!



Brenda Phipps, BS, IBCLC



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