Pacifier Use Linked to Ear Infections (Otitis Media)

After a five year study of 500 children, Dutch researchers have revealed that those children who regularly used a pacifier, had double the risk of a recurrent ear infection as opposed to children who did not use a pacifier. Otitis media or ear infections are a very common condition in childhood, and once a child has had one infection, others may follow. Otitis media is the number one reason for doctor visits and also the number one reason for surgery and antibiotic use in childhood. In the study of children under four years old, approximately half used a pacifier. In the children who used a pacifier, 90% had an increased risk of return of otitis media.

The theory is that once a child has one bout of otitis media, they are more susceptible to future bouts, and that the use of pacifiers allows bacteria from the nose to migrate to the inner ear. Physicians are not discouraging the use of pacifiers altogether, but they are discouraging their use after a child has had a first bout with ear infection. Study results found that the pacifier using children under age 2 had and average of 5.4 ear infections per year vs 3.6 in children who did not use them. it is important to note that the study does not suggest that pacifiers are a risk factor in children who have not had an episode of otitis media.

Also important to note is that bottle fed babies have more ear infections than breast fed infants. That fact lends credibility to the results of the Dutch study. Babies who have a history of ear infections and are bottle fed should be held upright during feeding. Pacifiers and bottle nipples should always be clean, they can become active causes of infection if them become contaminated with bacteria. Anytime that your child has an infection of the mouth, nose, ears, or throat it is a good idea to replace pacifiers and bottle nipples, or sterilize them with boiling water. Other factors such as passive cigarette smoke and exposure to day care centers have also been linked with increased episodes of otitis media.