Comparison of the rate of exclusively breast-feeding rate between pacifier suckers and non-sucker infants

ABSTRACT

Pacifier as a non-nutritive and comforting object instead of mother's breast is used widespread in civilised societies. The most possible risks of this habit are increased incidence of oral thrush; dental deformities, recurrent acute otitis media and dental caries, but there are still some reports on its beneficial effects. We carried out this study to compare the rate of exclusive breast-feeding during the first six months of life between the pacifier sucker and non-sucker infants. The study was designed as a case-control study on infants who came to outpatient clinic in a primary health care center, affiliated to Babol University of medical sciences during 2003-4. Inclusion criteria were infants aged 6-12 months, born at term via normal vaginal delivery with a normal birth weight. We divided them into pacifier suckers as case group [n=100] and non-suckers as control group [n=120] by frequency matching. Pacifier suckers were given by their mothers a pacifier to suck as a soothing object before 2 month of life. Outcome characteristics including exclusive breast-feeding, rate of early weaning and substitution of mother milk with a non-mother milk in infants who were pacifier suckers were compared with those of the infants who were not used to suck a pacifier. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered being significant. Success rate of exclusive breast-feeding in pacifier suckers was 30% [n=30], in non-suckers 64% [n=77], [CI 2.3-7.3; OR=1.24; P<0.001]. The rate of early cessation of breast-feeding among pacifier suckers was 16% and non-suckers 0.01% [p<0.001]. To promote successful breast-feeding and to reduce early cessation of breast-feeding, the use of pacifiers should be avoided or restricted