Study: Pacifiers don’t interfere with breastfeeding
Give baby back her binky.
For years, many doctors have told moms that giving a baby a pacifier could discourage breastfeeding. But the idea of “nipple confusion” seems to be a myth, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
Researchers reviewed 29 studies from 12 countries that looked at the connection between pacifiers and breastfeeding. Although some women whose babies used pacifiers did stop breastfeeding earlier, researchers said that binkies shouldn’t be blamed. Those women may have had difficulties breastfeeding or just wanted to wean their kids sooner.
The researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine recommended that pacifiers be introduced when the baby is three to four weeks old, after breastfeeding is well established. Pacifier-use also is encouraged because studies have shown that babies who use them when they sleep may be less susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome.
