In Other Journals

Sleeping with a dummy (pacifier) is linked with a reduced risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to US researchers. In a case-control study, they examined the use of a dummy the night before death in 185 SIDS cases and 312 non-SIDS infant deaths. Not only was there a 90% reduction in risk for SIDS in infants who had used a dummy during their last sleep — use of a dummy also seemed to reduce the influence of other known risk factors in the sleep environment, such as sleep position and co-sleeping with a mother who smoked. The researchers say that promoting the use of a dummy when an infant is sleeping may be an effective public health measure in further reducing the incidence of SIDS.