Effects Of Pacifiers On Breastfeeding

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Does the use of pacifiers have a negative effect on breastfeeding success rates? The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF programme, the UK Baby Friendly Initiative, recommends exclusively breastfeeding up to the first six months of life and as a dietary supplement after that. To successfully start and maintain breastfeeding for a longer duration, and to avoid supplementary forms of feeding, these organisations recommend that artificial teats or pacifiers should not be given to infants who are breastfeeding in their Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Baby Friendly Initiative, 2010). The use of a pacifier, a non-nutritive sucking device, is quite widespread and now a cultural norm in many parts of the world (Oddy, 2001). Often health professionals and the public believe that they are harmless and even necessary and beneficial for infant development (Jaafar et al, 2011). Pacifiers are usually used to calm a baby without feeding it, and babies who use pacifiers can breastfeed fewer times a day (Barros et al., 1995). By decreasing the stimulation of the breast women produce less milk, which may lead to early cessation of breastfeeding, although that link has not been incontrovertibly proven (Jaafar et al., 2011). This essay will critically assess literature and research available on whether pacifier use has a negative impact on breastfeeding rates. It draws upon studies performed between 1997 and 2011. Usually, one should refer to studies undertaken within the last five years of a literature review, but a relatively small amount of research has been done on this subject in that time (and a larger amount was conducted before 2011). The framework used to critique the literature is Caldwell et al. (2005). It comprises ... ... middle of paper ... ...onstrate a causal relationship, mainly because of the difficulty of random allocation (Hauck et al., 2009, Jenik et al., 2009 and Kramer et al., 2001). The strongest evidence reviewed in this paper, on pacifiers and breastfeeding rates indicates that pacifier use is detrimental to breastfeeding outcomes. Ongoing quantitative and qualitative research is needed to confirm these findings and more fully understand the complex relationships between pacifier use and breastfeeding, including the optimal timing for pacifier introduction. However, if pacifier use is partly a marker of mothers with breastfeeding difficulties or lack of confidence in themselves, then so is an indication that professionals need more knowledge and skills to help mothers more effectively (WHO, 2014). Without proper guidance and continued support, exclusivity of breastfeeding may not be achieved.

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