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Pacifier use in newborns: related to socioeconomic status but not to early feeding performance
Author(s) -
Pineda Roberta,
Luong Anhthi,
Ryckman Justin,
Smith Joan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.14253
Subject(s) - pacifier , medicine , breastfeeding , socioeconomic status , pediatrics , demography , environmental health , population , sociology
Abstract Aim Mothers are often advised not to use pacifiers until breastfeeding has been well‐established. This study determined the infant and social factors that were related to pacifier use during the first few days of life and whether it led to alterations in feeding performance. Methods We enroled 51 full‐term infants and their mothers at Barnes‐Jewish Hospital in urban St. Louis, USA , in 2015. Before they were discharged the mothers completed a questionnaire, and infant feeding was assessed using a standardised assessment. Results There were 24 (47%) infants who used a pacifier during the first few days of life and seven (29%) of these were exclusively breastfed. Pacifier use was less common among mothers who exclusively breastfed (p = 0.04). Pacifier use was more common among mothers whose income was less than 25 000 US dollars (p = 0.02), who were single (p = 0.002) and who did not have a college education (p = 0.03). No associations between pacifier use and feeding performance were observed. Conclusion While lower socioeconomic status was related to pacifier use, feeding performance in the first few days of life was no different between those infants who did and did not use pacifiers after a full‐term birth.