SUBIACO, Australia, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Giving a baby a pacifier reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but also interferes with successful breastfeeding, Australian researchers say.
A team of researchers led by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research said repeated studies have found that giving babies pacifiers -- or "dummies," as they are known in Australia -- gets in the way of breastfeeding.
"Given the overwhelming evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding, it is generally advisable that mothers avoid the use of dummies in order to increase the likelihood that their babies will breastfeed more effectively and for a longer period," lead researcher Garth Kendall said.
The same review also found that pacifiers reduce infants' SIDS risk, although it is not known why.
"This type of mixed result poses quite a quandary for parents and researchers," Kendall said. "We have concluded that, on balance, dummies should not be used but individual circumstances should be taken into account."
