Relation between time of introducing pacifiers for infants and patterns of breastfeeding among their mothers

Abstract

Pacifiers are often believed to be harmless or even necessary and beneficial for infants' development. This study aimed to investigate the relation between introducing pacifiers for infants and patterns of breastfeeding among their mothers. A retrospective research design was used in a pediatric medical unit at Minia University Hospital for obstetrics and pediatrics. A purposeful sample of 152 mothers admitted to the pediatric medical unit at Minia University Hospital for obstetrics and pediatrics with their infants. The structured interview questionnaire consisted of three parts. Results: the studied mothers who introduced her infant pacifier in the 1st month of life, near to half of the mothers their children initiated breastfeeding after three days of life, more than one-third of them feed according to their demand and near to half of the children don't follow exclusive breastfeeding life with statistical significance differences. So, this study concluded that introducing a pacifier to an infant can lead to interrupted exclusive breastfeeding. This study recommended that encourage exclusive breastfeeding and counsel mothers on the use and risks of feeding bottles, teats, and pacifiers.