Pacifier use may be link to fewer crib deaths

Tue., Dec. 27, 2005

Linda Searing The Washington Post

The question: No one knows precisely why otherwise-healthy infants suddenly die in their sleep. But babies’ sleeping conditions – whether they sleep on their stomach or back, in their parents’ bed or their own crib, for instance – are believed to have an effect on sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. Might it also matter whether babies suck on a pacifier while they sleep?

This study matched 185 infants whose deaths were attributed to SIDS with 312 healthy babies of similar age and race. Infants who used a pacifier were 92 percent less likely to die suddenly in their sleep than were those who did not use one. Pacifier use also appeared to lessen the impact of other risk factors on the likelihood of SIDS. When pacifiers were not used, for example, babies who slept on their stomach or side were nearly three times more likely to die of SIDS than children who slept on their backs; with pacifiers, sleeping position did not change the risk of SIDS.

Who may be affected by these findings? Very young infants. SIDS deaths usually occur to children younger than 1 year, most often to those 2 to 4 months old. Boys appear more prone to SIDS than girls, and the rate among African-American and Native American infants is higher than among Caucasian children.

Caveats: The study suggested a favorable association, not a stronger cause-and-effect relationship, between pacifier use and SIDS prevention.

Find this study: Dec. 9 online edition of BMJ; abstract available at www.bmj.com (click “Online First”).

Learn more about sudden infant death syndrome at http://kidshealth.org/parent and www.sidscenter.org.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.