Here are the answers to the questions about dummies that our helpline regularly receives:

How long should I use a dummy for?

If my baby wakes up at night, should I give them their dummy again?

On what research is your new advice on dummies based?

Did dummy manufacturers pay for this research?



How long should I use a dummy for?
Try to gradually wean your baby off a dummy by the age of one year. The risk of cot death drops significantly after 6 months, so from this point onwards up to one year, you should gradually try to get him to stop using a dummy to prevent dental problems once he has teeth.

If my baby wakes up at night, should I give them their dummy again?
Yes, every time you settle your baby back to sleep, you should give her a dummy. But don’t put the dummy back in if it falls out while your baby is asleep and don’t force her to take one if she doesn’t want it.

On what research is your new advice on dummies based?
A number of research studies have been published in the last few years suggesting that babies who are regularly given a dummy when put down to sleep are less likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly than those who are not.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) set up a study group to investigate and statistically analyse all the published literature on this subject.

Simultaneously, three independent researchers from New Zealand, the UK and the Netherlands also reviewed the literature and their findings were essentially identical to those of the AAP Study Group.

Both groups found that the risk of SIDS for infants who had used a dummy for the last or reference sleep was less than half that for those who had not.

A more recent study from California found an even greater protective effect of dummy use but was published too late to be included in the AAP’s analysis.

The AAP research reference is: Hauck FR, Omojokun OO, Siadaty MS. Do pacifiers reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome? A meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2005 Nov; 116(5):e716-23. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/116/5/e716

The reference for the NZ/UK/Netherlands paper is: Mitchell EA, Blair PS, L’Hoir MP. Should pacifiers be recommended to prevent sudden infant death syndrome? Pediatrics 2006 May;117(5) :1755-1758. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/5/1755

The reference for the California study is: Li DK, Willinger M, Petitti DB, Odouli R, Liu L, Hoffman HJ. Use of a dummy (pacifier) during sleep and risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): population based case-control study. BMJ. 2006 Jan 7;332 (7532):18-22. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint_abr/332/7532/18.pdf

You may also find this commentary useful: Hauck FR. Pacifiers and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: What Should We Recommend? Pediatrics 2006 May; 117(5): 1811-1812. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/5/1811

A recent Policy Statement of the AAP on SIDS more generally is: Kattwinkel J et al. The changing concept of sudden infant death syndrome: diagnostic coding shifts, controversies regarding the sleeping environment, and new variables to consider in reducing risk. Pediatrics 2005 Nov; 116(5):1245-1255. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/116/5/1245

Did dummy manufacturers pay for this research?
No dummy or soother manufacturers were involved in funding any research into the links between dummy use and SIDS.