Lori

Good topic for a paper: pacifiers and bf. Quote me if you want to. What I tell parents (of normal, healthy babies) is this:

There is really no good argument for pacifier use. But there are many good arguments against their use. Pacifier use can interfere with bf and lead to early weaning. Pacifier use is associated with ear infections and thrush. They are not the cleanest items in the world. There are the risks of strangulation (if a cord is used) and of aspiration (if the pacifier breaks). I remind them of the many product recalls I see for pacifiers for these very reasons.  Surely they are detrimental in the first days and weeks of bf when babies early cues need to be responded to with the breast. And I think that older babies too get less time at breast due to pacifier use lenghtening their fdg intervals and shortening their bf session. Possibly the only time I might be tempted to use one is with a fussing baby in the car. However I would just as soon pull over and nurse the baby, as the pacifier will not pacify the baby very long.  And if the baby is in the back and the mom is in the front seat, it is more dangerous to try to "plug" the baby that way. Normal infants and parents do not need them.

Now for lactnetters, I will say that I am aware that there may possibly be some therapeutic use of pacifiers in premie babies and I beleive Barbara Wilson-Clay has posted very intelligently on this and of some exercise (muscle toning) use for SELECTED babies.