
A little bit about the study
670 first-time mothers of healthy, full-term infants in Australia completed a questionnaire about infant feeding and pacifier use. Babies were, on average, about 18 weeks old at the time questionnaires were completed by the mothers.
Pacifier Use
In this study, 8 out of 10 babies had used a pacifier and about 2 out of 3 mothers introduced a pacifier before 4 weeks of age. You may be wondering how this compares to other countries. In a separate study in the United States, 51% of infants were using pacifiers by 2 weeks postpartum, with another 17% beginning by 6-weeks. (Howard 1999) Pacifier use at 3 months of age also appears to be high in Dublin, Ireland (61%) and Italy (70%), with the lowest rates seen in Japan (13%) and China (23%). (Nelson 2005)
Advice about Pacifier Use
In the Australia study, many mothers, about 60%, received advice about pacifier use. The most common sources of advice were grandmothers or nurse/midwives and friends.
Top Reasons Mothers Use Pacifiers
Most mothers reported more than one reason for giving a pacifier. Here are the top 5 reasons mothers reported for giving their infants a pacifier.
1. To soothe baby when upset/irritable, or for other reasons (78%)
2. To help put baby to sleep (57%)
3. To keep baby comforted and quiet (40%)
4. Because it is natural for babies to suck (22%)
5. To prevent baby from sucking thumb (21%)
Next time: More about using pacifiers!
References
Mauch CE, Scott JA, Magarey AM, Daniels LA. Predictors of and reasons for pacifier use in first-time mothers: an observational study. BMC Pediatrics. 2012;12:7. [Epub ahead of print]
Howard CR, Howard FM, Lanphear B, deBlieck EA, Eberly S and Lawrence RA. The Effects of Early Pacifier Use on Breastfeeding Duration. Pediatrics. 1999;103;e33.
Nelson EAS, Yu Ly-Mee, Williams S and the International Child Care Practices Study Group Members. International Child Care Practices Study: Breastfeeding and Pacifier Use. J Hum Lact. 2005;21: 289.
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