June 2006
Pacifier safety
How pacifiers can help prevent SIDS
Are pacifiers a good idea? Parents of newborns or young babies may have heard that they can interfere with breast-feeding
or damage children's teeth.
Those are needless worries, according to a March 2006 report in Consumer Reports on Health . That report cited a November 2005 recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics that encourages the use of pacifiers because they appear to substantially cut the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The new guidelines also say that there's little evidence that pacifiers damage teeth or cause infants to lose interest in breast-feeding. (See our buying advice on pacifiers.)
However, the AAP also recommends that, for breast-fed infants, parents delay pacifier introduction until 1 month of age to ensure that breast-feeding is firmly established. Beyond that, parents can safely consider giving a baby a pacifier at bedtime during his or her first year or so, when the risk of SIDS is greatest. Using pacifiers or thumb-sucking at other times of the day probably doesn't harm your child, provided he or she stops by age 2, when the practice may cause protruding front teeth and improper bite. Recent studies have shown that pacifier use after about 12 months of age can increase the risk of middle-ear infections.
Pacifier shopping tips
There are some steps parents should take to ensure pacifier safety. Here are shopping tips from the experts at Consumer Reports:
Other tips to reduce SIDS
Here are more steps that have been associated with a lower risk of SIDS:
Those are needless worries, according to a March 2006 report in Consumer Reports on Health . That report cited a November 2005 recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics that encourages the use of pacifiers because they appear to substantially cut the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The new guidelines also say that there's little evidence that pacifiers damage teeth or cause infants to lose interest in breast-feeding. (See our buying advice on pacifiers.)
However, the AAP also recommends that, for breast-fed infants, parents delay pacifier introduction until 1 month of age to ensure that breast-feeding is firmly established. Beyond that, parents can safely consider giving a baby a pacifier at bedtime during his or her first year or so, when the risk of SIDS is greatest. Using pacifiers or thumb-sucking at other times of the day probably doesn't harm your child, provided he or she stops by age 2, when the practice may cause protruding front teeth and improper bite. Recent studies have shown that pacifier use after about 12 months of age can increase the risk of middle-ear infections.
Pacifier shopping tips
There are some steps parents should take to ensure pacifier safety. Here are shopping tips from the experts at Consumer Reports:
- Buy only one-piece pacifiers. They reduce the chance of any pieces coming loose and choking a child.
- Check for recalls. At press time, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of Baby 2 Pack pacifiers because the nipple could become detached.
- Be sure the base has ventilation holes.
- Don't buy models with strings attached, and never give an infant a pacifier with a string. It's a strangulation hazard.
- Buy silicone pacifiers only. Our experts think it's safer than other materials.
- Before using, sterilize the pacifier in boiling water for 5 minutes. This will remove any chemical residue as well. Wash frequently
in warm, soapy water.
- Check all pacifiers regularly for cracks in the rubber or loose parts.
- See our buying advice on pacifiers.
Other tips to reduce SIDS
Here are more steps that have been associated with a lower risk of SIDS:
- Place babies on their backs to sleep.
- Clear the crib of squishy items such as pillows, fluffy bumper pads, comforters, blankets, and soft toys.
- Don't smoke during pregnancy.
- Keep a separate but proximate sleeping environment for your baby (such as putting the crib in your room).
