Routine pacifier use in infants: pros and cons
Journal Title: Jornal de Pediatria - Year 2019, Vol 95, Issue 2
Abstract
Webster's dictionary of American English1 defines the “pacifier” as an object that makes one “quiet or peaceful,” surely a welcome behavioral outcome that mothers routinely report from its use with their infants. The current form of the pacifier (e.g., a soft teat, a guard, and a handle) dates back to design patents from the early 1900s. However, it is notable that soothing hard rings, teats made from linen rags stuffed with sugar, or various foodstuffs have been documented in the medical literature from the 15th century and depicted in classical art from the 16th century. Capitalizing on the inherent non-nutritive sucking physiology of infants, the use of these objects leads to enhancing a form of the infant's behavior that stabilizes breathing, stimulates oral motor function, and modifies autonomic functioning and sleep patterns.2 Thus, it is not surprising that the positive value of its routine use is captured by the American usage of the term “pacifier.”
Authors and Affiliations
Arthur Eidelman
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP497373
- DOI 10.1016/j.jped.2018.03.002
- Views 54
- Downloads 0
Association between postpartum depression and the practice of exclusive breastfeeding in the first three months of life
Objective To investigate the association between postpartum depression and the occurrence of exclusive breastfeeding. Method This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the states of the Northeast region, during the va...
Trends in breastfeeding indicators in a city of northeastern Brazil
Objective To investigate trends in breastfeeding indicators in the city of Feira de Santana, Brazil, and to identify population characteristics that might have influenced this trend. Methods Three methodologically compa...
The importance of understanding hospital and country-specific case-mix for neonatal patients
The study by Grandi et al. provides important information about the prevalence and impact of maternal diabetes mellitus on the outcomes of very low birth weight infants in South American neonatal intensive care units (NI...
Special topics in pediatrics
The Jornal de Pediatria aims to be a source of scientific knowledge for Brazilian and international pediatric researchers. Due to the quality of the published material, the Jornal de Pediatria's impact factor increased i...
Child development in primary care: a surveillance proposal
Objective To evaluate a child development surveillance tool proposal to be used in primary care, with simultaneous use of the Denver II scale. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 282 infants aged up to 36 months...