Does the recommendation to use a pacifier influence the prevalence of breastfeeding?
Pacifiers can reduce the risk of cot death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS). This has been demonstrated in a number of studies (Hauck 2005/ Hauck 2006/ Mitchell 2006). Breastfeeding is also credited with protecting against SIDS (Chung et al. 2007/ Lancet 2000). Therefore, it was important for the medical team of A. Jenik to determine if pacifiers had a negative effect on breastfeeding.
In a multi-center, randomized and controlled study, Jenik et al. examined whether pacifiers negatively affected the prevalence or duration of breastfeeding. The minimum acceptable rate of breastfeeding after three months was set to 75% (non-inferiority trial).
1,021 mothers who desired to breastfeed their babies were selected from five different Argentinean clinics. Their babies were healthy, had regained their birth weight after 15 days and breastfeeding was well established. The mothers were divided randomly into two groups: One group offered pacifiers to their babies, the other did not. There was no significant sociodemographic difference between the two groups.
Participating mothers were interviewed monthly by telephone for the first six months after giving birth and then again in the eighth, ninth and twelfth months. This established the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding. It was also enquired as to whether the babies used a pacifier. The interviewers worked from standardized questionnaires and were not made aware of the group placement of the participants.