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Infants who can be weaned from continuous pacifier use or
avoid it completely are less likely to experience ear infections
and, probably, other ill effects as well, according to a recent
study.
Pacifier use was found to cause a 40%
increased risk of ear infections
in infants, as well as higher rates of tooth decay
and thrush,
according to Dr. Marjo Niemela and associates from the University
of Oulu in Finland.
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In an effort to cut down on infant pacifier use, the
authors instituted a program of education and support
for parents of healthy children under 18 months of age.
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Ear infection rates were then compared between these
children and children whose parents received no such counseling.
Although, when the study ended, equal numbers of children
in both groups were still using a pacifier, children whose
parents received counseling spent 27% less time sucking their
pacifiers than did children whose parents did not receive
counseling.
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This resulted in a 29% decrease in the rate of ear infections.
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In fact, children who used a pacifier continuously had
33% more ear infections than did infants who never used
the pacifier or only used it when falling asleep.
The authors stress the importance of being positive and encouraging
when counseling parents to reduce their children's pacifier
use. "We think that if information on the right way of
using a pacifier is given early enough," they write,
"most parents can identify the time when their child's
real need for sucking is over."
"Our results strongly suggest that even the restriction
of pacifier use to the moments when the infant is falling
asleep will reduce the occurrence of (ear infections),"
the authors conclude, adding that because ear infection "is
such a common disease during childhood, even small changes
in children's everyday habits may have major effects on its
occurrence."
Pediatrics September, 2000;106:483-488.
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