Effect of restricted pacifier use in breastfeeding term infants for increasing duration of breastfeeding
Citation: Jaafar S.H., Ho J.J., Jahanfar S., et al. Effect of restricted pacifier use in breastfeeding term infants for increasing duration of breastfeeding. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 8. Art. No.: CD007202.
Pacifier use in healthy term breastfeeding infants, started from birth or after lactation is established, did not significantly affect the prevalence or duration of exclusive and partial breastfeeding up to four months of age. Evidence to assess the short‐term breastfeeding difficulties faced by mothers and long‐term effect of pacifiers on infants’ health is lacking.
Offering an infant a pacifier instead of the breast to calm them may lead to less frequent breastfeeding and consequently reduce breast milk production and duration of breastfeeding. This review assesses the effect of restricted versus unrestricted pacifier use in healthy full-term newborns whose mothers have initiated breastfeeding and intend to exclusively breastfeed.