“An unexpected finding of several studies has been that pacifiers are associated with a reduced risk of SIDS. However, this benefit needs to be balanced against possible detrimental effects of pacifiers.” (Mitchell, 2000, para. 9)

Pacifier use carries with it many controversies from different experts and groups of health care providers. The main controversy is that pacifier use leads to less time at the breast, resulting in reduced suckling stimulation and therefore a reduction in milk supply (Hauck, Omojokun, and Siadaty, 2005). Other controversies include dental malocclusion related to poor suckling reflex, increased incidence of otitis media and oral candida (Hauck et al., 2005). Nurses must be aware of the controversies among personal biases, including his or her own, and discrepancies between studies when teaching clients about pacifier use and SIDS prevention.

The goal of this website is to push fellow nursing students to take a critical look at pacifier use for SIDS prevention, and develop their own opinion of what is best practice.