Pacifier

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A pacifier (known as a "dummy" in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and also as a binkie in the US. Also know as "bobo" in Latin America or "chupon") is a rubber, plastic, or silicone nipple given to an infant or other young child to suck upon. In its standard appearance it has a teat, mouth shield, and handle. The mouth shield and/or the handle is large enough to avoid the danger of the child choking on it or swallowing it.

Contents 1 History 2 Problems caused by use 3 Problems remedied by use 4 Medical policies 5 In popular culture 6 Adult pacifiers 7 Notes 8 See also 9 External links

[edit] History

There is a long history of parents giving their children items to suck on in order to comfort them. In the 1800s, the expression "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" could be taken almost literally silver soothers/teethers were often given to babies born to wealth. Other expensive materials were also used, with mother-of-pearl or coral being thought to ward off sickness. Coral was believed to guard against all kinds of evil,^[1] and in England in the 17th–19th centuries, a coral meant a teething toy made of coral, ivory or bone, often mounted in silver as the handle of a rattle.^[2] A museum curator has suggested that these substances were used as "sympathetic magic"^[3] and that the animal bone could symbolise animal strength to help the child cope with pain.

Pacifiers were a development of hard teething rings, but they were also a substitute for the softer sugar tits, sugar-teats or sugar-rags^[4] which had been in use in 19th century America. A writer in 1873 described a "sugar-teat" made from "a small piece of old linen" with a "spoonful of rather sandy sugar in the centre of it", "gathered ... up into a little ball" with a thread tied tightly around it.^[5] Rags with foodstuffs tied inside were also given to babies in many parts of Northern Europe and elsewhere. In some places a lump of meat or fat was tied in cloth, and sometimes the rag was moistened with brandy. German-speaking areas might use Lutschbeutel: cloth wrapped round sweetened bread, or maybe poppy-seeds. A Madonna and child painted by Dürer in 1506^[6] shows one of these tied-cloth "pacifiers" in the baby's hand.^[7]

Pacifiers were settling into their modern form around 1900 when the first teat, shield and handle design was patented in the US as a "baby comforter".^[8] Rubber had been used in flexible teethers sold as "elastic gum rings" for British babies in the mid-1800s,^[9] and also used for feeding-bottle teats. In 1902 Sears Roebuck advertised a "new style rubber teething ring, with one hard and one soft nipple",^[10] and in 1909 someone calling herself "Auntie Pacifier" wrote to the New York Times to warn of the "menace to health" (she meant dental health) of "the persistent, and, among poorer classes, the universal sucking of a rubber nipple sold as a 'pacifier'."^[11] In England too, dummies were seen as something the "poorer classes" would use, and associated with poor hygiene. In 1914 a London doctor complained about "the dummy teat": "If it falls on the floor it is rubbed momentarily on the mother's blouse or apron, lipped by the mother and replaced in the baby's mouth."^[12]

Early pacifiers were manufactured with a choice of black, maroon or white rubber, though the white rubber of the day contained a certain amount of lead. Binky (with a y) was first used as a brand name for pacifiers and other baby products in about 1935 and is currently owned by Playtex Products, Inc. as a trademark in the U.S. (and a number of other countries).^[13]

[edit] Problems caused by use

If a pacifier is dipped in a sugary substance like syrup or honey (a practice employed by some, and perhaps related to the outdated sugar tit) it may cause dental caries in emerging teeth. Feeding honey to infants is also dangerous due to the risk of botulism.

Pacifiers have been shown to interfere with breastfeeding, especially if introduced within the first 6 weeks of life.^[14][15] On an episode of 'Supernanny', one child had chapped lips sucking on a binkie (pacifer) too long.

Children who suck pacifiers may be more prone to ear infections (otitis media).^[16]

Some older infants may have delayed speech development due to the pacifier's constant presence in their mouths preventing them from practising their speaking skills.^{[citation needed]}

Prolonged use might past first few years can cause dental problems ^[17].

[edit] Problems remedied by use

Researchers have found that use of a pacifier is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome).^[18] A meta-analytic study published by American Pediatric Association in Pediatrics in October 2005 supports this benefit to 1 year of age.^[19][20] However other experts while acknowledging the correlation between SIDS risk reduction and the pacifier use, questioned the causality of the findings.^[21][22] Additionally some parents prefer the use of pacifiers to the child sucking their thumbs. Researchers in Brazil have shown that neither "orthodontic" nor standard pacifiers prevent dental problems if children continue sucking past the age of three years.^[23]

[edit] Medical policies

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's "Policy on Thumb, Finger and Pacifier Habits" says: "For most children there is no reason to worry about a sucking habit until the permanent front teeth are ready to come in."

A study of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that "It seems appropriate to stop discouraging the use of pacifiers." The authors recommend the use of pacifiers at nap time and bedtime throughout the first year of life. For breastfeeding mothers, the authors suggest waiting until breastfeeding is well established, typically for several weeks, before introducing the pacifier.^[24]

The British Dental Health Foundation's FAQ page recommends: "If you can, avoid using a dummy and discourage thumb sucking. These can both eventually cause problems with how the teeth grow and develop. And this may need treatment with a brace when the child gets older."

[edit] In popular culture

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, it became a teen fashion trend to wear pacifiers as accessories. This was associated with techno music and the use of the drug MDMA (used due to oral dystonia and the urge to grind or gnash teeth while on the drug), leading to a ban on this trend in many places. In some places it is still considered a fashion.

[edit] Adult pacifiers

Adult-sized pacifiers, consisting of a standard baby pacifier guard but a larger, wider nipple, are used by some members of the Adult Baby community. The nipples are often referred to as NUK5s, after the NUK brand of baby pacifiers manufactured by the German company MAPA Gmbh. They are sold under the name NUK Medicpro L or NUK Size 5.

Recent studies have also shown that pacifier use among adults may cut down or completely eliminate snoring.

Specialists from the University of Goettingen created a device that enables those suffering from snoring to enjoy sound sleep themselves and make sure that their family members get their rest at night as well. The device resembles an ordinary baby’s pacifier. It uses the same principle as swallowing. When a subject sucks on the pacifier, the tongue rests behind teeth. When the tongue remains motionless, soft palate no longer vibrates and consequently it prevents that annoying sound from occurring in the first place. In addition, while holding the pacifier tightly in his mouth, the person is not inclined to open his mouth.

According to one of the experts in the field of snoring Wilfred Andjelka (from the University of Goettingen), they managed to cure 7 out of 10 patients from snoring.

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

The Glot-Up, a combination mouth guard and adult-sized pacifier.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pacifiers

• Dummies, Pacifiers, Soothers - history